This was actually spring - but reminds me so much of summer.
Summer is like a big sigh. It feels good. Makes you want to breathe more. I ended this past winter thinking to myself that I need to try to remember the smallest details, especially with Iz. To enjoy the simplest pleasures and remember how they make me feel, and even how Iz feels. I tried to make a list of things that I thought would be important, but quickly realized how futile that is, life just happens and enjoying it, and remembering to enjoy it makes me cherish our little family even more.
We spend quite a bit of time in our little garden (or le jardin as my mom would call it and I know call it too!). I swore up and down last fall that I would keep a garden journal this year, and well, this is as good as it gets!
I planted these all in early May, our Micro Spicy Greens, Spinach, Arugula, Rainbow Chard, Mesclun and Peas. Everyday we eat from this garden. I’m about to plant more greens for the next round. I should have done it about 2 weeks ago, as this little garden is just about done. Note for the journal.
This bed was planted almost a month later, on June 14 and everything except the Purple Queen beans are starts from my lovely neighbor. Eggplant, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Pepper, Zucchini and the beans all the way in the back. Hopefully by the end of this week, my tomato garden will be finished. I plant heritage cherry tomatoes, and they have all sprouted from the cherries I didn’t pick, but fell to the ground last season. I have 6 different varieties, we’ll see when they fruit what I have left!
Iz is becoming a pro at eating from the garden. She tries it all, and has spread her picking habits to the lawn, where, thankfully, she asks if she can eat something before popping it into her mouth. We’ve eaten the clover and sorrel, and she’s got quite the taste for all these greens.
Our peas have started to bloom. Iz is thrilled, since we planted these from seed on May 7, everyday she asks if she can go to the garden and eat the peas. Soon - we are almost there!
A surprise radish. Surprise because I didn’t read the package carefully. Micro Greens Spicy Mix from Botanical Interests.
Peonies leave me just speechless.
We have about 7 lilac bushes, and the smell on the warm day is enough to sweep you away. The butterflies love it and we sat and watched hundreds of them for a few days flutter in the warm yummy air from bunch to bunch.
Now that we are moving, I find myself taking pictures of everything. I love this place and just don’t want to forget what it looks like.
By the end of the summer, we’ll be in Seattle. 3000ish miles away from what we now call home. Big changes, Iz will start at a new school, we’ll start new jobs and eventually move into a new home. I’ll miss New England. It’s held a fond place in my heart for as long as I can remember. I’m excited to catch up with old friends and see more of family. We’ve lived in Seattle before Iz was born, and it’s a beautiful city with lots to do and people and family to visit. It’s a good thing.
This will be my third trip across the country. Late 1996, we moved to Seattle from NYC. Then in 2001, we moved back to NYC, we took two weeks and visited so many wonderful places. This time, Iz and I will probably take the train to travel to the other coast. I’ve started gathering projects and ideas for things to keep us creative on our trip as well as research our connecting cities to see what to do when we spend the night.
We’re busy purging, packing and painting. Iz talks about the blue house (?) we’re going to live in, and I just keep going on my walks to soak up as much of New England as I possibly can.
ps - LuckyStitches is moving with me. While I’ll miss my Western MA LuckyStitchers something terrible…I’m excited to see how my little sewing lounge will evolve with the move. I’ll keep you all posted. xxoo
Somehow, my parents have a 37 year old daughter and a 35 year old son. I was looking through my photo album and found this picture. And while I don’t remember this birthday exactly, I do remember so many of our birthdays. We are 2 years apart, but our actual birthdays are 5 days apart, so we almost always had the same birthday party. We each got our own cake and probably presents too. We haven’t celebrated a birthday together for years, and I’m hoping we will in a few weeks when my brother and his family will be visiting from Korea for a spell.
It’s funny, I look at this photo and I can feel the tablecloth, remember the wall paper exactly, notice how much of the room has turned yellow from the light, feel the bench behind us, smell the marlboros, and taste the cake. I have lots of wonderful memories, all stored up and then I come across this picture and it’s like I’m standing there in the picture.
Happy Birthday Benny! You are 35 and that makes me 37, cousin Lynn is 45 and mom and dad are no longer in their 20s like when we were born. I still think of you as my little brother. Always will. Hope to see you soon. xxooZ
You might have noticed that part of my evil plan is to get the rest of the world sewing. And that’s everyone. Two of our little friends had birthdays and I thought it was time for them to start sewing too!
There are my first go at little kits. One for Miss A (turning 3) and one for Mr. H (turning 4). Each kit is quilted, so it’s nice and soft. Lots of little narrow pockets, a piece of felt for pins and needles, a happy tie and monogrammed so they won’t be lost. I put in little safety scissors, for fabric only of course, a tape measure, marking pencils, tapestry needles a few glass head pins and a rainbow of embroidery floss. I was so excited.
The kits were really, really easy to make. Each one took me less than an hour. I think the next round will be a little different, The bias tape edge wasn’t as fabulous as I had envisioned, and a little flap over the pockets will make sure the scissors don’t fly out of the kit.
The biggest thank you anyone could hope for? Little Mr. H (is he not just the cutest Little LuckyStitcher you’ve ever seen?), stopped by to show me his stitchery. A kitty and a carrot. Mom helped with the outlines, and Mr. H filled in. Suitable for framing in my book. Happy Sewing.
I have something to tell you. I’m on the road to fitness. To better health. To losing weight and exercising so I can feel better and fit into some of my fabulous clothes. To run and play with Iz and not get out of breath. I’ve lost 18 lbs so far (that’s 18 sticks of butter! - ew).
I’ve been learning a lot about food and working on changing what I eat and how I eat it. So, I’ve been cooking a lot of new foods. Wtih summer here, I’ll probably be posting more about food and garden than sewing (although - you can bet I’ll still be sewing).
I’ve started making these super yummy Polenta Pizzas. Here’s a recent favorite:
I think this tastes best after a few hours of letting the flavors mix together. It’s wonderful hot or cold, and even better the next day. It’s perfect for potlucks! Enjoy!
Mobile Social Portland Reception, originally uploaded by Hugger Industries.
I don’t really ride a bike anymore. I have in the past, but I am so NOT a fan of traffic. But then I saw this bike from a Bike Hugger photo and well, I think I might just have to add this to my wish list. This is the Townie from Electra. It reminds me of when I lived in Cape May for a summer and rode my bike everywhere. Fuel prices make me want to ride my bike again. It comes in really dreamy fabulous colors and I love the bag on the back! I wonder if I can get a toddler attachment for it…..
I’ve always been a fan of food. Always. I’ve learned to eat healthy, with the help of a holistic health care professional and a fantastic nutritionist. I needed these two people in my life to help with my allergies, and the things I learned have transformed my life! I’m much healthier, I can breathe, I can smell and taste my food, my skin, hair and nails are much stronger and I sleep well. When I became pregnant, I learned even more about nutrition and food, and worked hard to make sure my body and baby were getting the things needed to be healthy. When I introduced food to Iz, we made EVERYTHING. I bought bulk organic grains for her cereal and blended it together myself. Organic veggies and fruit arrived weekly in a lovely box from Urban Organic, and I spent delivery night steaming and prepping food for the week. I used Super Baby Food as my main source of info. Everything that we ate was as local as possible and as organic as possible. Some of it was a challenge living in NYC, but some wasn’t. We shopped the Green Markets every week, supporting local farmers and eating beautiful foods.
Now that we live in the country, we have room for gardens, and we grow lots of our own veggies each season. Not only does it feel good for the soul, it’s so good for our bodies and our environment. There’s no fuel spent to deliver or pick up the food, we bond over gardening and are so proud of our harvest. For what we can’t grow, we purchase a share of our CSA. It won’t start until July, as we have a small growing window in New England, but knowing that the food is grown organically, locally and with the kind hands of our friendly farmers, makes it even more delicious.
Every day we are more and more conscious of our health and our environment and have known that the well being of each is dependent upon each other. We strive to eat as local as possible, choose things from the super market that are in season, and make as much as our own food as we have time for.
I’ve just started reading food blogs. I probably started cooking in the late 90s, after moving to Seattle and having a kitchen that we could cook in. I’m not a “natural” cook, but I am really, really interested and I’m always looking to learn more. One of my favorite blogs is Bitten, the NYTimes food blog. Mark Bittman, the blog’s author has recently spoken at TED. I think you should stop and listen. It’s 20 minutes, maybe listen one night while cooking dinner. I think it’s important.
Please make sure you know where your food comes from and the how the choices you make impact your body and the global environment. Please Eat Repsonsibly.
