Colorado Fall

I love Colorado in the Fall; it's so unpredictable. One day we've got highs in the 60's and the next, highs in the 30's with snow. I love waking up to snow: when the world is silent, watching flakes fall from the sky. Some of the biggest storms seem like the calmest times for the clouds. They interrupt our lives and force us to slow down. They ask us to stay home for the day, relax, drink some hot cocoa, wrap yourself up in a big, cozy blanket and read. They are so "inconvenient," but also such a convenient excuse to cancel all plans. There will be snow again today; it probably won't stick yet, but we'll watch it in wonder nonetheless.

I Can't Draw

or can I?

Sofi often pulls out her markers and paper and invites me to draw with her by saying, "Which color do you want, Mommy?". This afternoon I opted for pink. I asked her what I should draw. Now, usually, this is answered with a heart, a cloud, a circle, a star... all doable. But today, she suggested I draw her. My immediate thoughts: Yikes, hmmm, oh boy, this is gonna be ugly. My outward reaction: Okay (smile).

Well, I got started, and kept going and going (Look at me, Sweetie. Look at me again.). I'm still no artiste, but I was actually quite proud of my caricature. It turned out pretty cute and slightly resembled her, albeit all pink. She even asked me to draw her again, in black.

Maybe I won't doubt myself so quickly next time. Maybe I'll keep trying.

Right Now

everything is right, right now. i feel it.

talks with a great friend today have got me thinking (once again) about death (the great motivator). i've read books that put you in the position of what if you knew you would die in a year (A Year to Live), or what if you had 37 days left (Life is a Verb)... but why not take it all the way, what if i died today or tomorrow? isn't that really what it's about, live today as if it were your last? well, maybe today is my last, i don't know, so i'm going to celebrate the mundane/ordinary everything that makes up my life. i'm going to take some time to stop f-ing thinking and start f-ing living. i don't have to have accomplished everything on my life list to have had a fulfilling life; this is my life, right NOW. so first up... vacuuming!

if being overtly happy is insane, i'm taking it; i'm going to soak in it until my fingers get all wrinkly.

the goal

check out this blog i just came upon, she speaks everything i'm striving for.

i've studied non-violent communication, and it's so hard to practice it at every moment. i want to teach without rewards/punishments. i need a supportive community. so many times i feel like i have failed sofi; can i correct it? how can i go back to school when i know they won't get this model without me? how can i not go back to school when we need me to make an income eventually? why would i ever make a decision based on money? i want this sooo much and i need support. but i want to be a physical therapist, too. what do i do?

The Matrix

Does that moment ever hit you? That, "whoa, am I in the Matrix?" moment? I get that every now and again. A connection and awareness that's a tad-bit freaky. Today, driving down the highway, I passed a truck with a HUGE ad on its side. It read,

"I'm different.

I LOVE my job."

And it had a picture of a guy much like this...

Please, tell me that creeps you out, too. Insert cheesy smile here.

Whistle While You Work

A clean room is a clean mind. Time to play catch-up. Time to de-clutter and restore. I don't know about you, but I can't think and I don't sleep well when everything is in disarray. BUT, keeping this place clean is a real challenge with Taz, the Tasmanian, tornado-ing through it. One lazy night off of picking-up and the next day's chores are overwhelmingly daunting. I need a better system. What's yours?

Generations

Weekly gatherings, reconnecting, replenishing, supporting. Somewhere along the way this country's culture has lost the old world's sense of family, extended family. We're encouraged to leave the nest, get a good job no matter where it might take us, let our parents spend their final days in a nursing home (lest they burden us). Our culture emphasizes the value of work.

I feel privileged to have experienced other cultures. Cultures where you work to live, not live to work, where generations gather every Sunday afternoon for a big family meal and camaraderie. They can do this because they have chosen to stay close, because they value family and history. While being so involved in each other's lives can have its downsides (think My Big Fat Greek Wedding), it also has the love, support, and community that we all need. And, where do you find better stories than those of your own family?

It takes a village to raise a child; your family is the start of your village. When we leave our families in search of greener pastures or the American Dream, we're forced to create a new village with no history or no village at all. My family didn't have much of a village; I didn't know my grandparents, and my aunts/uncles/cousins were distant acquaintances. I want this connection for my children... to know their roots, to have expectations from people other than us, to learn life lessons from many teachers. I cherish every weekend that we take the kids to grandma & grandad's house, and I know the girls cherish it, too. I don't know if we'll be able to maintain this physical proximity, but it is our goal. I want to grow old with my parents, my sister, and my kids... to instill family, unconditional family, in my children. What could be more important?

Outstanding

Such an amazing day. You can't script this kind of day. Sofi woke up WAY too early, early enough to see her "daddy-o" before he left to teach. She was so distraught about him leaving. She wanted him to stay home. She didn't want him to go out in the dark; she was worried. She wanted him to hold her tight all morning, all day. We finally had to break them apart with the promise that we would visit him at lunch. She was happy with that.

All this time I was thinking, "oh boy, we're gonna have a rough day," on account of her not getting enough sleep. But, then, she came back to bed with me and her baby sister, and fell asleep (for TWO more hours, yippee!). When she woke, you better believe she remembered our promise. Every two minutes, "are we going to daddy-o's school today?", "are we going to have lunch with him?". So, on this impromptu lunch date, I decided to make a little picnic. We arrived at his school (she was so excited, and my enthusiasm equaled hers internally) and had a whopping twenty minutes of daddy time and yummys. When we left she said, {{sigh}}, "It was such a special treat to get to see daddy at lunch today." Already a great day.

On the way home, I remembered, "It's daddy's un-birthday!" Oh, the excitement. What should we do? Sofi, "we should bake a cake." Why, yes we should! "And we should get him a present." Yes, indeed! We concocted a carrot cake surprise; now, what could we make as a gift? Maybe a sweet homemade card. But those skills are not my strongest, I've already used my best card idea. Maybe something easily hand-sewn like the little felt birdie I made Sofi. I know, a felt heart... with a pocket... with tiny, fortune-style, notes about why we love him (must have been channeling Amanda Soule). Done and done.

When he walked in the door, he was greeted by, "Happy Un-birthday to you..." and an anxious two-year old with her heart in her hand. So much love you could burst. Still such an amazing day.

Sad that I had to leave the festivities to teach my regular Spinning (indoor cycling) class, I headed out the door. The class was pretty full for this time of year, yay! An older woman sat smack-dab in the center of class, directly in front of me. She didn't do half the things I offered them and that didn't bother me, but with a frown on her face, I anticipated some post-class complaints of the music being too loud or the class to hard, etc. Never judge a book by its cover... Weekends, by the Black Eyed Peas came on my mix, and I kid you not, this wonderful woman started dancing on her bike. Not a timid bop your head or shrug your shoulders, she full-out raised the roof! And at the end of class, I got a, "That was outstanding," from a member. Yes it was... An Out-friggin'-standing Day!

Improvement/ Maintenance

Ways I want to be a better mother, wife , friend...

~ patience (always more), especially with people other than my girls... role-model patience

~ provide more creative experiences for the girls

~ cook dinner every night (rely less on help from Jas)... maybe find prep time the night before

~ get back to surprise un-birthdays (starting tomorrow, lucky papa!)

~ make the call, don't let others be the sole maintenance of a relationship

~ write letters, not emails

~ focus on right here, right now... s l o w d o w n

~ revitalize Friday night comedy with Jas (there must be a saying that starts... "couples that laugh together, ...")

~ recognize behind the eyes

We're in such a great place right now, on a real high. I want to hold that. "They say" that getting the weight off isn't the hard part, maintaining the new weight is. I think that's true of any behavioral change. We can probably do anything for one day, it's staying consistent that's the challenge.

I'm very aware of our mortality. I think about it often (and if you want a great book, check out A Year to Live by Stephen Levine). Every time a negative interaction encroaches upon us, I get a glimpse of "what if this was our end?", and I remind myself to focus on what matters. I don't remember where I heard it, but "each day is a gift, not a given right." I'd like something that visually reminds us of that every day we rise. Today was a gift, and if tomorrow never came, I'd be okay with our last exchange. If tomorrow comes, though, I'll take the opportunity to make it even better.

Quotable

"The death rate for people who play it safe

and for people who live boldly is the same, 100%."

~Patti Digh, Life is a Verb

New Friends

We aren't big fans of our current 'hood. We haven't met many stable people. However, today, the girls and I made new friends. Wandering around the quad as we often do, an older woman was outside her home sweeping her porch. She started the conversation, and it started with your typical talk of the kids and the weather, and soon turned into many connections. This wonderfully pleasant and kind woman is originally from Argentina, Rosario to be exact. When I was fifteen, I was an exchange student in Argentina, Rosario to be exact. Amazing! Her name is Italian so we had a nice discussion about my study abroad in Italy as well.

We soon met her husband and Sofi practiced counting to ten in Spanish with them. They are so sweet! They moved here to be close to their kids and grandkids, and now they have all moved to other parts of the States, so these lovely folks are lonely (especially for little ones). Making connections like this is so invigorating. What shall I make them as a neighborly gesture? Muffins, homemade bread (a new adventure I've taken on that I will post about soon), cookies, hmmm? I can't wait to learn more about this fantastic couple, and listen to their castellano accents, so beautiful! I suppose there is hope for this neighborhood. Of course, this comes just in time for us to move soon... better late than, well, you know.

Preschool or Grad School

An ongoing debate in my mind whether to return to my doctorate studies or not. But, if not, then what shall I do?

Here are some career paths I believe I'm qualified for:
++ Research Assistant, University
++ Research Assistant, Biotech
++ Science or Math Teacher
++ Personal Trainer/ Fitness Instructor
++ Group Fitness Coordinator

Here are the careers I am most interested in:
++ Physical Therapist
++ Entrepreneur, own craft line
++ Entrepreneur, own sewing/craft boutique
++ Preschool Teacher, Waldorf style

Nothing in the first list gets me super-excited. Physical therapy is my most-desired career, and requires the greatest investment in time and finances. Being a Waldorf teacher is incredibly appealing, but would necessitate moving out of state and two solid years of study. Although, I could then ensure my children the education I want for them. I have a feeling my entrepreneurial spirit will come alive once I finally choose my career path. I will either eventually own a PT clinic or start a preschool.

I know I will do well once I focus my mind. Right now, PT is my answer, but I'm leaving myself open to change. This issue used to bother me so much more before I knew we were buying a house. I think because I knew that we would not be in the position to buy a house until I was really contributing to the income flow; but now that we've discovered we can buy without me working, my options feel less restrained. I feel less guilty about returning to school.

The Necessities

food + water + sleep

=

happy, not irritable, healthy

my daughter and i have much in common.

perhaps i should keep my own inventory as well as hers.

The Things You Own...

Living in a small space for a family of four, relatively, I feel like we don't have that much stuff. But, when I look around, we have things everywhere. We've moved so many times that we've gotten rid of many things, too. I'd love to go back to the time when Jason and I had everything we needed in the trunk of our car, and we were free to travel the country. To have that mobility, that was freedom.

We're about to go under contract on our first home. I have such mixed feelings about this. Half of me is so excited to finally be in OUR own home, and I love the new neighborhood, and I know it's what we're supposed to do with kids. The other half is mourning the loss of the little bit of rebellion we ever had. We've never wanted to follow the path that everyone follows, that your supposed to follow; but, gradually that's what we've done, nonetheless. I love our life together, and I know this will be best for us, but I can't help worrying that these things will end up owning us. Stuff everywhere cripples my mind. We're moving to an equally small space, so I know we won't accumulate much more, but I wish I had the courage to go bare bones. Every time I manage to rid us of another thing, though, there is something we "need" to buy. There is always something. I am grateful for everything we have and will soon have, I just hope it doesn't hold us back, and stop us from focusing on our dreams.

Online Journal Challenge

Lately I've been questioning my blogging intention. Am I blogging...

• for personal use?
• to meet kindred spirits?
• to join the pack of stay-at-home mom bloggers?
• to keep our extended family updated on our happenings?
• to encourage me to launch my own business?
• to satisfy some narcissistic need?
• to vent?
• to feel less lonely, more connected?

The answer is yes. All of the above and probably more. Well, it's time to redirect this blog to a wholehearted narcissistic offering... an online journal. Journaling has always calmed me down, led me to answers, and unweighted my shoulders. BUT, I can't seem to stick to it on paper. Since I have this here blog, and I'm not so inspired lately as to what to fill it with, I challenge myself to journal in this forum every day for the next month. If I succeed, perhaps I will challenge myself to another month, or manage to commit to a journal on paper, or just give myself a big pat on the back. I'm a little nervous to unload this information on the "interwebs" (quoting a dear friend), but really, what do I have to hide anyway?

Nada, and that's what this first entry is about. Am I boring? I've always been the good girl, never got in trouble, valedictorian, faithful friend, long-term relationships. Because of this role, I have long been terrified of being boring, uninteresting. I've also always been the Listener, and thus, I've never developed the gift of gab or wittiness. Yes, I'm known to be quite hard on myself, so I probably over-react. But, chances are if you ask me what I did last weekend, I won't be able to answer. Why? Because, a) I can't remember, even when it might have been an extra-ordinary weekend, and b) I probably have developed this sort-of short-term memory loss to prevent me from having to talk about myself. If you ask me how I am, I almost always answer with an attempt at sounding energetic, "Good, how are you?" with a big smile. It's my default, because honestly, this question makes me uncomfortable. It means, "let's start a conversation," and that unleashes the beat-up beast that says, "you have nothing interesting to say."

I know everyone (well, maybe not Zen masters) has that "voice" that occasionally or constantly, depending on the person, beats you up. All the books in the world haven't swallowed that voice. But, really, that's all it is, a voice, my voice. While I may be boring on any given day, that doesn't mean I'm a boring person. I've done quite a few things, been quite a few places, explored quite a few thoughts. In so many other ways, I am confident. Why did I get bit with the social anxiety bug? I've improved over the years, so I guess I'll keep improving. Hey, maybe I'll be that 90 year old social butterfly. That could be interesting.

It's All Relative

Apparently "soon" is a relative term, sorry about that. Alas, the long awaited results of functional inspiration. Those cutey-pie fabrics are now cutey-pie potholders! Oh yes, I made a little birdie with matching birdhouse. Silly, I know, but I couldn't bring myself to make plain-ole square ones. These come complete with a back pocket to stuff your hand in (a feature I cannot do without in my potholders; the fear of singeing the back of my hand is as great as the fear of singeing my fingers or palm). What do you think? Maybe there is an ounce of creativity in this left-trained brain.

AND... what were those potholders inspired by? A need (also a relative term) to separate the kitchen from the laundry area. Coordinating curtain and potholders, a little matchy-matchy, but a LOT of F.. U... N!
Now to digress completely from our previous subject, I am in love with a woman. A woman who can cook. Her name is Giada. She gave me this recipe, and we devoured it last night! Parmesan (or as Sofi would correct, "Not parmesan, parmigiano reggiano!") Potato Pancakes, aka Fancy, Yummy Hashbrowns; if you need an excuse to eat breakfast any time of day then call these Parmesan Potato Pie, but then you might need an excuse to eat dessert for a meal. We, however, do not need excuses to eat breakfast or dessert all day, any day!

Hope you have a labor-less Labor Day Weekend!

Coming Soon

These adorable fabrics will be revealed as some sweet, fun, functional goodies. Stay tuned...

Squeezing Out What's Left of Summer

The highs these days are getting lower, temperature I mean. I'm still clinging to the idea that scorching hot weather is yet to come, although I know Fall is on the brink. Hence the reason I took the girls to play in the ice-cold water fountain at the park today.

After a long morning of fun in the sun, alas, it ended with fits and cries that we should never leave. I hate having to interrupt her excitement, but a mama knows when a babe needs sleep. Obviously, I let her play a little too long today, which is why we ended up in a battle of wills. The finale looked like this: a naked child screaming and running toward the fountain, and a mama with a towel chasing her. Finally, I had to just pick her up kicking and screaming in order to leave. But, because of all this commotion, we left her shoes at the water fountain. Observant mama that I am, I didn't even realize until we got to the store. So, another drive to the fountain crossing my fingers that when she saw it again the tears & screams would stay at bay. And, they did; And, the shoes were still there (phew).

I love summer.

Treasures from the Past

I adore old things. Things with a history, a story, that connect us to our families. Watching my girls play on this blanket is very sentimental. Jason's mother made this blanket for his cousin after his cousin was born. Jason's mother passed-away almost 22 years ago. He has spent more of his life without her than with her. I feel nostalgic looking at this blanket for a woman I never got to meet, but whom I know through stories and through the man she molded. I wonder what she would think of this little family we have concocted. She would think her son was an incredible father and that his family is so lucky to have him.

On my side of our tree, we have acquired the dishes that I grew up with. I'm so excited to now own these. My mother was holding onto them for no apparent reason after finally purchasing a new set a couple years ago. She offered to let us have them. I love how sturdy and simple these dishes are, but mostly I love their story. Back in Christmas 1980, my dad wanted to surprise my mom with something special, something she really wanted. So late at night, he and a family friend set up a new dining table and chairs dressed with placemats, napkins, and this dish set! My mom was completely floored when she awoke on Christmas Day to this incredible & sneaky gift. They used these dishes for over 25 years!! I hope we can hold onto them for that long. *They still use the same dining table!*

Personalized Product Tags/Labels

Inadvertently, I received my first (non-family) order for textile goods. A co-worker with a new baby requested that I make her a nursing cover and maya wrap, and she wanted to pay me. Of course, I've been asked to make all sorts of things, but not for profit.

Well, I got to thinking that you never know where things might lead and that maybe it would be a good idea to create a label for my "products." I didn't come up with any great solutions until I remembered the fabric "paper" that you can print on. So, I went to my local JoAnn's and got a pack of printable fabric, drew my own design and scanned it onto my computer, laid it out with adequate spacing between labels for sewing-on, and printed my design onto cloth! How cool is that!! This particular fabric has you wait for the ink to dry, then rinse it in cold water, dab (don't rub) with a paper towel, and dry with your iron on a dry setting at a high temp. Well, the red in my design ran a little bit when I rinsed it so I probably should've waited longer for the ink to dry (I only waited about 15mins), but it didn't run enough to ruin the labels. They still look cute, just with a very light pink hue to the background :P.

Next, I machine-appliqued (tight zig-zag stitched) the label onto each item. Now... to get more orders???

Rocked It!

Just an FYI that I got the GRE done yesterday, and I did great! Phew, so glad that's done. I was ultra-happy to see good scores when I finished, because during the test I started to question whether I was smart enough for grad school (even though I already have a M.S.). Seriously, not one word I studied for the verbal section appeared on the test; I thought I could've bombed it. Then, quantitative, I didn't even get to the final question. But, alas, the GRE tells me that I am smarter today than I was six years ago... so thankful *ha* that I am still growing.

One hurdle tackled; we celebrated by ordering pizza and getting store-bought brownies. Now, on to admissions essays and letters of reference, yada yada.

Too Big List

So much is going on right now; the stress level is really high. I have to take the GRE on Sunday for professional school that I may or may not end up attending, and I've had no time to study for it. Our oldest is having a horrific time going to bed in the evening so it has become a 1-2 hour ordeal every night that leaves me with no energy to sit down in front of a book. I've been looking for a job for the last couple months to no avail. A couple options are in the works, but I've heard nothing definitive from either of them. Then, if I get one of these jobs there is the stress of finding the right care provider for our girls. I'm struggling to get through this time, but I know we will make it. I feel like I've put us in a hole with no rope to climb out; it's going to take a lot of energy to get where we want to be.

I just needed a moment to vent and maybe shed a tear or two. Sorry, thanks.

Two-Year-Old Pictures

aka, pictures from our 2-year-old. I have to admit when my cousin handed over her digital camera to our 2-y.o. like it was an old disposable purchased specifically for her enjoyment, I *cringed* knowing that she would never view our camera as off-limits again. AND this has been proven true... However, I must say that it is entirely too cool to now watch her frame pictures and see the world a bit from her perspective. I can't bring myself to let her have our precious (brand-new) camera whenever she desires, but when my patience is high it is very fun. I may even invest in an ultra-cheap one for her own.

More Baby Gear

I got on a kick and decided to try a couple more patterns for my two babes. First, I rocked out a super-simple skirt for the big girl. The tute calls it a Market Skirt; I call it a Twirling Skirt (sans pockets). This is actually the first piece of clothing I have ever made for the girls. I have had every intention of filling their wardrobe with unique homemade special-ness, but oh, how motherhood gets in the way (shrug).

Second, I had to make this adorable hat with removable toy from Amy Butler's Little Stitches for Little Ones. Crazy silly, right?! She has a butterfly velcroed to her forehead, love it! (Look at those blue eyes; melt my heart.)

A Little Fabric...

Goes A Long Way.

The original plan was to make a whole headboard out of this fabric, but after leaving this project sitting in my craft room for months, I finally decided to simplify and do a wall hanging. I love how much color it adds to our neutral walls (one of the downsides of renting; oh, how I long to paint walls as our friends are doing in their new home). Next I just need to make some new pillows to pop the king-size bed!

To do this, I simply purchased some wood slats from Michael's (you can probably get them from any craft or art store) that have been pre-cut to fit together. I chose the lengths I wanted, and then put the frame together. To hold it together, I simply stapled around each joint. Then I stretched two layers of batting over the frame and stapled them to the back. I followed that by stretching the fabric over the frame, and then I folded the raw edges of the fabric under before stapling to the back of the frame. Next, hang it up! Ten or fifteen minute, $10-$15 project, easily!

Two of My Favorites

Dancing...

Chocolate...

This is what happens when you go without dear chocolate for a few days. You make a whole loaf of chocolate-walnut bread (come on, who are we kidding, it's cake, but doesn't bread "sound" healthier?), and eat it ALL. Dangerous.

"Booty"-licious

The urge to decorate my 4-month-old's feet has come on strong recently. I have made 3 pairs of booties in the last few days. The first pair failed with a faulty pattern that made them waaaay too big (hence they will not be featured). The second pair (green & grey) are quite cute, but do not wear well. The third pair (elephants, my fav) are perfect. A girl can never have too many shoes, right? We start 'em young around here.
Here is my trusty helper practicing pinning her fabric. I can't wait for the day when I'm helping her with her own projects.

Pea Meditation

Our experience with the CSA has many benefits thus far. Exceptional, organic produce; more than we can eat; and a new form of meditation. That's right, meditation. I started experimenting with it years ago, but I've never been able to commit to a method. Well, I've found it, shucking English peas. This task couldn't possibly be more relaxing and calming. A slow, repetitive task that forces you to look at something beautiful. The feeling that you are one with your food and connected to the earth. I could do this all day. We all could.

Come Sail Away, Come Sail Away

I'm not typically the type to leave a project unfinished and come back to it. That's probably why I don't take on too many big projects. It's kind of like unwrapping presents; I've never been patient enough to wait. I get too excited to see my finished result that I can't just let it go. Hence the reason I pulled an all-nighter last night. I couldn't stop, and granted I should be a little faster at this by now, but alas I am not. I'm loving the result and am hoping that the recipient will find it the perfect sailing companion. Notice all the internal pockets plus a cell phone pocket on the outside... I had no idea how much I liked making pleats until this project! Now if I can rally another all-nighter, I might get to have one too.

Back in Business

We finally got our new camera. Ultimately it was a blessing in disguise. This new camera is an upgrade - for sure- and luckily, we didn't lose any pictures from our old camera since I had just transferred them all (phew).

Now, back to the busy-ness... One of the things I love about living in a "city" is all the free activities, especially during summer. This was a really fun weekend. The City of Aurora puts on KidSpree every year, and it is filled with fun and excitement, and completely free. They have all the standard festival stuff, plus booths like "Musical Petting Zoo" where you get to put your hands (& mouths) on instruments, Tot Town where you get to paint your own cardboard house, and a big maze to wander through (that was MY favorite).

Then, we enjoyed another night of Jazz in the Park. It doesn't get much better than live music, picnic blankets, pasta salad, cherries, white wine, warm air, and a whole community hangin' together.

But now that the weekend is over, I have to get to work. On my list right now is a big shoulder bag to accompany my mother on her next two sailing trips, and my first quilt. This will be probably the world's simplest quilt. We have so many receiving blankets that I've decided to make a quilt of just big blocks of each to turn them into something more useful. I have no idea how to quilt... I'll just wing it... Cross your fingers that it turns out okay (eek).

Camera Coming

We had an incredible 4th of July weekend, including two art festivals, fireworks, and jazz in the park...BUT, we also managed to lose our trusty camera.

I was extremely excited to win the one I wanted in an eBay auction, and after my paypal payment was completed, I received this message from the seller... sketchy!

"hey look im really sorry i know you were looking forward to the camera, but i opened it to make sure it works and the battery doesnt charge and i dont want to sell u a bad product im sorry"

So, a new camera is finally on order from the well-trusted amazon. It will be a short while before I have pictures to share with you again, but please keep coming!

Singin' in the Rain

An interesting summer so far. We've pretty much been able to count on the afternoon thunderstorm every day. The days are gorgeous, getting up to the high 80's and 90's, then sometime in the late afternoon/evening the dark clouds roll in and we are treated with bright bolts of lightning and loud, cracking thunder. The storm only lasts about half an hour; enough time to cool things off for a comfortable night's sleep.

Well the clouds haven't made their appearance these last few days, and we've all found ourselves missing them. Tonight, however, they did return, and we decided to make the most of them. At the first crackle...crackle...BOOM..., out we headed in our raincoats to jump in puddles and sing and dance Gene Kelly style, for the whole whopping 15 minutes of it!

Until, again, the sun shone, and in we headed to play that famous scene. "I'm singin' in the rain, just singin' in the rain! What a glorious feelin', I'm happy again!" Just in case you lost your copy, send thanks to YouTube. :)

Cold in the Summer

Catching a cold in the summer makes no sense; why do they call it a "cold" anyway? At any rate, that's where I am right now... blech! On the other hand, maybe I caught a cold because I finally got to try a spicy Kohlrabi Curry recipe I've been eyeing. There is nothing better than spicy food to clear the sinuses.

Our CSA treated us with two kohlrabi (kohlrabis?) this week. I hadn't even heard of this vegetable until I came across it on another blog recently, and I was so intrigued I hoped we would get some from our farm. And what do ya know, there it was in our box. Kohlrabi not only has the coolest name out there for a vegetable, it is also scrumptious. If you haven't discovered this nutritious, tasty veg, check it out at your farmer's market or local whole foods store, and add it to your repertoire.

The kohlrabi are those two bulbs on the left, and the curry turned out fab!

What I Wouldn't Give...

To Go See This Show!

Or visit Jacob's Pillow in general.

My Husband Can Cook

Going vegan, that's when we really learned how to cook. Vegan food is some of the tastiest out there, because it uses fresh fruits/vegetables and lots of different spices. A whole world of spice opened up to us when we went vegan. Well, we couldn't keep the veganism going, however, and we reverted to vegetarianism, but the cooking lessons learned have stayed with us. I think Jason is a better cook than me, much more intuitive. I'm lucky to have a man that loves to make me meals. Tonight I was pleasantly surprised after returning home *ravished* from teaching a cycling class; Jason had made the most perfect summer meal. Because it is so simple and so extremely delicious, I will share it with you here... Note: these measurements are not exact, as he just "did a little of this and a little of that."

Corn and Cilantro Pesto Pasta

16 oz. whole-wheat rotini pasta

3 ears of corn, steamed & chilled

parmigiano-reggiano cheese, grated

Boil the pasta in salted water. Slice the corn off the cobs. Top the pasta with cilantro pesto (below), chilled corn, and a generous amount of parmigiano cheese. Grab a spot on the deck & enjoy in the cool evening breeze of summer!

Cilantro Pesto

1/4 c. basil

3 c. cilantro

1/2 c. pine nuts

1/2 tsp. dried mint

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 T. lemon juice

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

Blend all ingredients in food processor, and add 1/2c. extra-virgin olive oil slowly.

Cilantro Pesto

I wish I could've gotten a picture that would do this dish justice. You must try this; it is delectable!! I am one lucky mama.

Early Summer Rhubarb Bread and a New German Love

Receiving only a small share from our CSA means that we were lucky to get some rhubarb scraps (and by scraps I mean, thrown in the bottom of the bucket making us wonder if they mistook our box for a compost bin) recently.

Not having enough to make our beloved Rhubarb Crunch, I decided to try a Rhubarb Bread recipe from one of my all-time favorite cookbooks, How It All Vegan. This bread was tart, soft, and delicious! Best of all, it only used half the rhubarb we got, so I can make another loaf... score!

On another note, I was recently introduced to a new German wine, and I'm in love. Gewurtztraminer has been a long-time favorite, and now I can add Spatlese to the list. You must try this.

BTW, it happens to pair quite well with rhubarb bread. :)

Kale Chips: A little laborious, but good

BEFORE

BEFORE

AFTER

In our last CSA box we received a bunch of kale. Having many other greens already, I wasn't sure what I wanted to make with this. So, I did a little perusing of the world-wide-web, and came across this recipe from 28 Cooks. They ARE a little work when considering they're a snack that's gone in a minute. BUT, they still were scrumptious and healthy... and the crunch, you should hear it!

Denver PrideFest 2009

Half-naked men + hot sun + house beats + happy people = A FABulous GAY Day!! Denver had an incredible turn-out for the support and awareness of GLBT issues. All that love and un-inhibited atmosphere is freeing. I'm sooo proud.