Wednesday, July 25, 2012

suddenly, we are five years older

We are headed out camp at a music festival this weekend, and this is a photo from the same festival five years ago. This is John at two years old and his friend Grace who lives in Oregon. They are flying out for the festival this year, and John and the big kids have our tents all set up. Ruby and I are leaving in the morning after we make the hummus. We are ready for lots of kids, dancing, playing, and sitting under the trees on top of a mountain.

I've spent the day getting ready to go. I"m making Korean baked tofu, sesame slaw with cilantro and green onions, roasted potatoes, pasta salad with olives, red peppers, sundried tomatoes, white beans, feta, and pesto dressing, and a pot of brown rice. I've packed wraps, bread, fruit, and cheeses. It always amazes me how much my children eat, and we are camping with at least three other kids.

Monday, July 16, 2012

hipster

My mama got a new hip, her second in three months. The littles and I are at her house in Tidewater Virginia being reacquainted with high temperatures and humidity. It is hard to breath or move, but the okra is growing mighty fine. Tomorrow night I'm making bhindi masala and cooking garlic naan on the grill.

My camera is in the mountains and I'm feeling odd about that. I want to take a picture of the okra I picked today on a wooden trencher.

I had a funny chicken experience today. I went over to our friend Ari's house to pick up my mama's milk from Saturday's farmer's market. I went in the gate and started talking to an especially pretty little hen. Bak. Bak Bak. Suddenly fifty chickens are coming at me expectantly, and about half of them are roosters. I looked them right in the eye and kept on about my business getting milk, eggs, and bacon from the freezer.

Sunday, July 08, 2012

her apple tree

Ruby's grandparents gave her an apple tree and a plum tree for her fourth birthday. We'll watch them grow.

Thursday, July 05, 2012

derecho

I'll never do a rain dance again.

Last Friday the kids and I went to the lake for the day with friends, but Ruby passed out on the beach around eleven in the morning.  I called an ambulance, but the lifeguards cooled her down quickly with shade, fans, ice packs, and iced water. The EMTs took all her vital signs and thought that she just needed shade and lots of liquids. I had a big cooler of iced water and a cold cut up watermelon, and we stayed up to our necks in the river. I was so wiped out from such a mama fright. Ruby is currently explaining  to everyone that she wasn't unconscious. The sun was in her eyes.

That night I was out among my tomatoes wishing for rain and started doing a rain dance.  What showed up were seventy five mile an hour winds with only a hint of rain. The power was out for the long haul, friday through thursday. On sunday night I took the kids to Richmond, and John stayed here to take care of the animals. Tidewater, Virginia is pretty much the hottest most humid place around these days, but my mother had power, running water, and the sweet, sweet air conditioning. We left there today, and my car themostat read 105 for quite a while. By six we were home, and it was 81. The kids enjoyed some fireworks in the driveway with their daddy tonight.  He had cleaned all the old food out of the fridge and cleaned the house, and it is good to be home.