Adventures with the Chariot

To the slightly scary motorcycle guy who brought our flatted chariot, my bike, and the boys home with me in that pickup truck:

Thank you so much, I appreciate your kindness, and your willingness to leave your duties at the shop. I tried to fix the flat, after removing the large piece of glass from the tire. I would have replaced the tube, but I had the wrong replacement size, (for the stroller) and when I arrived home, we discovered about fifteen other slices in the tube, next to my one nice little patch.

I do however, disagree with one of your bumper stickers, which actually scared me much more than you did. The one that said: "Anti-war = Pro-terrorist"

I am decidedly anti-war, for many reasons, but in particular because I am a mother and cannot stand the thought of losing my children, as women all over our strife-ridden planet are, in large part because of war.

I don't think this makes me pro-terrorist. That's the problem with bumper stickers, they aren't open for conversation though. I did put one on our car though, with a decidedly more positive message.

SUMMER

For once, I have been busy having fun, and ignoring most of the things I "should" be doing. Summer arrived here well before the solstice did, and we have been eating it up. Me and the boys drove to Manhattan Kansas to visit our friends the Belangers and had a grand old time there, doing all the proper summer things... catching fireflies, swimming at the pool, going to see live music outside, checking out the garden (we even saw a train go by--literally next to the gardens) and of course, eating eating eating. preparing to eat, cleaning up from eating, planning to eat some more.

My child is hungry almost all of the time right now. It's always been pretty bad, but we go through these periods where he says he's hungry oh... three hundred times a day or so. And the only reason that Milo isn't saying it is because he can't talk yet.

Today we were eating peas from our garden !!!! :) and Rowan said. " I really love peas. They're delicious!" YES! I said, you're right, they are. He sits and opens up the pods, exclaiming with flourish how cute they are... and then eat them like candy. They are absolutely delicious, that's for sure. We also got a small bag from our first (FINALLY) pickup from our CSA. Now, he knows where our farmers live, and that this food was growing out there... and our coveted eggs from there too. yum, they are worth it all by themselves.

He also just figured out his nose. These are the kinds of things you don't normally notice, but on Tuesday, he blew out of his nose for the first time (on purpose) and was so excited about it. Now however, it's been days and he won't leave his nose alone! Including with the PEAS!!! if you know what I mean.

Milo has decided he is no longer a baby, and will eat sandwiches just like his big bro. Today he took the spoon from me, and fed himself. This was rare anyway, because mostly he just gets mad if I try to feed him with a spoon. He also is free standing now and then, trying it out, and i suppose my days are numbered before he is sprinting away from me.

I think Milo is going to be so funny, he may be the sense of humor in our family. He laughs easily and lets most things roll off of his back, including his brothers foot in his face, or any of the other things Rowan subjects him to. It's just that pesky hunger thing that will turn all of the males in our family into evil monsters.

I will try and get a pic or two up before my next class, wish me luck.

And since we're on the topic

Did I mention that I have a problem about food? Today, because I wasn't thinking clearly, I went on an outing without a single snack. Now, this was normal in my pre-child life but no longer. Usually I have a few things almost literally stuck up my sleeves or something because in addition to my darling husband who can lose it slightly upon being seized suddenly by hunger, now I have a three year old who does the three year old version of losing it when (frequently) being seized suddenly by hunger.
Soooo I went to Atlanta Bread Company. Not fast food, right? Makes bread, right? Well, I order him the peanut butter and jelly, (Can't be too bad can it?) with whole wheat instead of "french bread" (read White) and the lady who was so helpful, offered to give him oranges instead of chips... Aw, how nice of her to get my drift.
So I go pick up the plate, and there is a sizeable bowl of (canned in corn syrup mandarin) oranges!!! THATs the ALTERNATIVE "healthy" food there.

Should I say anything more about our meal there, or should I just move right along?

I think I'll go to the other end of the spectrum, so that you don't think I'm a raving lunatic. (Who am I fooling? No one, right?) After reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle I was convinced by the importance of Asparagus. This, being the first food to pop up in the spring, and ONLY in the spring, I signed up for a day at Monroe farms where they have exactly two pick yer own crops. I know this is different from other CSAs out there, but it is what it is, which is a full hour drive away.

I load up the boys, Milo had a fever, (yes I'm a bad mother too) and Rowan was a little under the weather. But dammit, three years at this CSA and I was going to make it out there to get my little penis shaped spears. I didn't even know what they looked like growing, but I remembered a carrying container, and the Ergo, so Milo would ride on my back.

Rowan brought his rain boots, wisely, and I unwisely brought my crocs, which fill immediately with dirt as soon as you step in it. And FYI, food is grown in dirt, even though the world of grocery stores would like you to forget that, and quick.

We got our assigned row after walking past the chickens that would be giving us eggs or becoming our dinner/stock soon, and Billy (yes, the Goat. har har). It stretched very far, and I looked down it, as Jacquie said, if you don't think you're going to pick the whole row, please go to the far end and pick this way. (Which is very wise with children anyway.) So we did, we sang and sang and I talked about my big strong boy who could walk ALLLL the way down there, and how it was a good thing he was three now, and was big enough to do this important work with me. (He wanted to see the piglets, they were the reward for finishing.)

So we did it, I bent and picked and Milo was a champ and Rowan was a champ and I was too, I picked that whole row and crowed to George (whose LEAST favorite food in the world... yup you guessed it-ASPARAGUS) Was going to come home in a big ol' laundry basket.

And then we went and saw the piggies. Who are so damn cute, I have to say. They run around and circle like puppies do, and their noses are adorable. very cute.

And then we came home, and I was so glad that Rowan met his farmer and saw this land and saw those animals, and if we can't do the growing ourselves then thank goodness that we can know the people who do.

But our peas are doing great, and there are flowers on the plants, so we're doing a bitty bit here in the backyard. And we have Radishes popping up, the easiest thing to do with kids, according to my friend kim and she is right, they came right up, very satisfying.

What do you have in your garden?

beware food science

I am less and less able to buy food at the grocery store. This is partially my problem, I got used to having our CSA decide what we were eating (and when) but then the end of February came... and the winter share is over, and the summer is just in planning... nothing growing yet.

So I warily re-entered the grocery store, which I don't like to do for meat, dairy, vegetables or fruit. (yes, that is pretty much everything except grains, isn't it. Oh yeah, and CRAP which is mostly what stores have--and what I also buy-- chocolate covered pretzels, etc., we all know the crap list.) But, we are still eating, even though our farm is done sending us food, so off to the store I go.

I read Joan Dye Gussow's book, and laughed at her, (it was before February) because she accurately describes going into the grocery store, buying a few things, wanting to ask if the fruit is local, etc, and realizing you are just the crazy lady. I just wish I could garden like her, then it wouldn't be as much of a problem.

ANYWAY. I know tomatoes aren't growing right now in CO and i've gotten very very picky about my tomatoes actually being real. (meaning taste and act like tomatoes do) And it didnt take long for that to happen, just one plant in the garden, and then i knew.

but, after a few months of going o the grocery store, and refusing to buy almost every vegetable in it for reasons like it was grown in chile, or isn't organic. or isn't in season, or or or... I saw these tomatoes. They weren't organic, but they kind of looked real. and they felt real too, kind of full and heavy, slightly soft, a slightly bit irregular. I went gonzo and bought two. At home I took some of my favorite sliced french bread from the freezer. (really fresh when toasted) and thought i'd make up some Pan con tomate, sevillano style. But minus the garlic.

There, you get toast, and if it's a really good place, some quarter chunks of tomato and a few cloves of garlic. you smear these on your bread-garlic first-which is hard and sort of tears the tomato and garlic apart and oozes them into the delicious bread, you usually just have the tomato skin left, the rest you get to eat. Then you top the whole thing with olive oil and salt and VOILA. heaven.

Well, I cut open the "tomato" and then toasted my bread, and then attempted to smear the "tomato" onto the bread. But this apparently ripe thing maintained its shape entirely. the seeds did come out, but no juice, it was an IMPOSTOR!!!!! It almost fooled me except then I tried to EAT it!@!!!!!!@

Bastards, who did that to food? who made that look so real? WHO bothered, when the taste is what is important?

catchup

First, I wanted to report that Rowan went to the cabinet where we keep recycling, opened the door by the handle, and shocked, said!!! I can reach the HANDLE! I opened it by the handle!!
My boy is growing, that's for sure.

Second, you know the kind of person i am, I keep hearing the phrase, "not so much" from professors, pretty much anywhere. I was certain it was well known because of someone on TV, and because we don't have one, I looked elsewhere to educate my ignorance. I did a little searching, and lo and behold, a language health advisory from the The New Yorker says:

Language Health Advisory No. 3
“Not so much”
This catchphrase has not yet fully crossed over into the hot zone, but the danger signs are mounting. Its Google Repetition Index of 9.1 million is misleadingly inflated by its orthodox uses, which are not so much common as ubiquitous. (A better metric might be its Google Blog Repetition Index, a relatively low but still ominous 1.12 million.)
Its precise origins have not yet been definitively pinned down, although one researcher has traced its popularity to its repeated employment by Jon Stewart and the writers of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” It is still fresh enough for Stewart to wring a few dozen more laughs out of it, but bloggers and feature writers should be wary, as it is beginning to smell a bit ripe, à la “Duh!” and “Not!!”

the_new_yorker:http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/hendrikhertzberg/2007/10/language-health.html

In my estimation, since this was written, it has only become more widespread, even appearing in my casual speech... I guess it's better than "like". Which I can't shake, despite my best intentions. I remember a linguist at CU studying the multi-use-ness of "like" when I was studying there. It is useful, but certainly I should be able to use something a little more descriptive, right?

Dirt Clod Delicacy

yummy!!!

Rowan turned Three! Three short years ago our lives were permanently altered and we became lucky parents to a wiley sharp chatty lovely sweet rascally little boy. We love him beyond recognition and thank our lucky stars for this boy shining light on our path. Here he is working at the sink.

Here is my Milo boy, in all his nine month glory, crawling pulling up and really only protesting when he is hungry.

He has a big voice, this guy, and a great sense of humor. He adores Rowan, and thinks George and I are okay too. We are so lucky, and so thankful

My friends Jade and Lyle need you to send her love and hope for her little girl. I haven't posted about her, but I think about her all the time. She's getting ready to have a large operation in Minnesota and we need to rally the forces and shower her with all the good we can. She's got a rough go of it, and her parents too.

This struck me today like a lightning bolt when I read it: from "dalai mama" a regular feature in Wondertime Magazine. It is a surprisingly good publication most of the time. I have my beefs, but if you know me, you know I always have my beefs. Anyway.

She's writing about her daughter being sick, again. "I try to remember that there are parents everywhere, wheeling and dealing with God over their children's lives, for whom a garden-variety virus would be something like a gift."(WT, May 2008)

My friends are these parents.

The other line that comes to mind is from Tim O'brien, who sang, in There Ain't No Easy Way "I prayed to the father to the moon and the sun, I prayed to anyone or anything that could get the job done."

And we do too, for them.