A few of my favorite things

I love the pink veins on dark green leaves...


I'm one step closer to being called into the game in a freak emergency situation. Not that I want anyone to be injured! Also, the number wasn't picked because I'm a huge Jon Lester fan, but "for being 31."

Action shot of the soxs' terrible towel! We're "super dry"!


These are flowers that my boy can grow!


I bought this train in the mountains, where there are a lot of good metalcrafting places. I think it's cool since there are trains all over our town.


I've been wanting the space to put up these trains for quite awhile now. They used to belong to my Granddad. I might need to let my brother have a turn with them in a little while.


I always wanted to have fancy key hooks in my own house, and after looking for a year, found these. Fancy, and ironic!

Crafting

I've always enjoyed making crafts. This is an example of what I've been creating lately. It's even more fun because I joined a group that chats together while we work, and the people in the group are smart and funny. They are exactly the people I wanted to meet when we moved here.


I started making a rag rug a couple of years ago, before we moved into the second floor of the watertown house. We thought that place would be our home for a long time, and I was really excited to have a space that I could make my own. After we redid the floors and walls and ceiling in the whole apartment, I got some fabrics that matched our kitchen tiles and planned to make a rug and matching curtains. I didn't get that far. It's funny to think that I was braiding these strips of fabric a bunch of years ago, watching the superbowl at Ilya's house with Maks & Ale, when Victoria was not even an idea.

I finally got a lot of it braided in one long connecting braid. When I carry this monster around to the meetings, I have to use a huge bag.

And, I'm beginning to sew it up. Soon, it will be a real rug! The chapstick is there for size reference.

These are the things I work on when I should be writing or making my own applications. I'm also cooking a lot more and enjoying time outdoors. And, I'm happy. I guess I would be happier if I did the writing as well, but I never sit down at the computer to do it.

Farmer's Market

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is go to a farmer's market. The produce is much more flavorful from anything you'd get in the supermarket. And most of the produce is picked that morning. One lady was running low on her ruby- colored strawberries, so she sent her kids to pick more. These are heirloom tomatoes.

Many people also sell baked goods, crafts, fresh farm cheeses, and desserts. Our favorite restaurants use foods from local farms, and we found their booths at the farmer's market. Jesse stocks up on ostrich meat and I stalk the people who make fresh goat cheese. However, you can't top puppies!

There's also a small fairgrounds at our favorite market and they have little festivals every saturday. On strawberry day, they served strawberry- topped waffles. On the day pictured here, there was a chili cookoff. We paid $3 to sample all the chili and vote for our favorite. The tent behind us got my vote because he topped mine with a whole jalepeno. Most of the chili- makers were grandpa- types who are doing this semi- pro, and they had come from all over the east coast. These guys were hillarious and had funny signs boasting about how hot their chili is. They could live out of these little tents, each one is so personalized.


There was also an alt- rock band, and a kettle- corn stand. I love kettle corn now. That metal thing beyond the table is the kettle. I could fit inside there, and, someday, I'm going to.


It's funny that buying big items like a car or a house doesn't make me feel rich or fulfilled at all, but going to the farmer's market does. For a dollar, a lady will stuff a bag full of dense, fragrant, bitter greens, and she keeps stuffing until you ask her to stop. When I pack the car full of fresh June tomatoes, crisp pickling cucumbers, sweet corn, peaches, and fresh Amish bread, it's hard for me to figure out how I became so fortunate. I feel like my car is overflowing with goodness and I'm rich! Like I have everything I could ever want.


Today at the market, it was dairy day, and there was a homemade ice cream contest for kids. They were running around with their ice and rock salt. There was a small calf there, too, for everyone to pet. He looked very soft.

Birds!

We had a lot of high winds a couple of weeks ago, and afterwards our lawn was covered with tree branches and a few birds' nests. We were worried about the hawks who live in our backyard, but they are still up there.


The first night that Jesse and I were in St. Lucia, years ago, I asked him in the middle of the night to turn off the radio. I thought someone had messed up the alarm, and big band music was playing in the middle of the night. We laugh about that, because it was birds. (Lee, look away!) I've been reminded of that a lot here, because there are so many birds. I see orioles, robins, and cardinals every day, all over the place!

the goodness is real

Last weekend, four awesome people were engaged, and one cherished baby, Alexa Ann Stewart, was born. I am so happy today, to be a part of the wellspring, of life moving in the right direction. I am so blessed to know these wonderful people.

Today I was able to use the bad experiences that Jesse and I have come through to help a couple who embodies so many Good things to me. I've been thinking about it for the past couple of hours. Don't get me wrong, I'm very happy to be away from the tough times that Jesse and I have come through, but I am seeing now, in a new way, how much I've learned, and that that the bad experiences have been a way for us to find the freedom to love more fully. In the pulverizing force of life, the husk falls away. I am very happy that I was able to share some experiences with another couple, and that they found them of use.

After attending that last basketball game, I got some tickets for the next round, and was pretty shocked to find myself sitting in the first row, at half court. I was sitting right behind the sportscasters! Doris Burke was just a few feet in front of me. I hope she enjoyed all my yelling.

The last weekend, Jesse and I went to the mountains. Asheville is a beautiful tiny city, with anything you could want, surrounded by mountains. There are lots of artists' communities there, particularly for metalworking.



I think Asheville has what I love about both New Hampshire and Cambridge, with a freedom I haven't found in either place. It's entirely unpretentious, yet everything is of great quality (and totally delicious!!!). One of their tiny breweries has live music every night. Another one shows movies for $2. It would be the perfect place for Mueller Bros Karaoke!

Jesse and I got to do a lot of hiking in the mountains, close to where "Last of the Mohicans" was filmed. Jesse played in the waterfall!



And I played on the rocks!

I am scheming right now to figure out when we can go again. I want to hike even farther out and up. It's only a 3- hour drive, so we can leave on a friday evening, and get there in time for dinner. Another wonderful thing -- Asheville is known for their spectacular fireworks, and they try to have them 6-8 times each year. I am very excited to see that!

I cheer for basketball!

Last weekend, we were overjoyed to be visited by Lee & Jordan, Allie & Nick. It was amazing to have close friends nearby, and Jesse and I both feel that they're always here. Lee & Jordan said exactly what Jesse & I always say, "it feels like we could just tell them, 'hey, we're grilling, come on over!' and they would be here with hugs and ideas of what to cook." I love our friends so much -- it's amazing how warm and welcoming and inspiring they are.


Today we got to see the womens' NCAA games in Greensboro -- Bowling Green vs Arizona St & Duke vs. Rutgers. Jesse thought that Arizona played the best game we saw today because they were well organized and ran some plays. They made it look easy to beat Bowling Green, which was a little sad because so many BG fans were there. The stadium was awash with orange shirts, bandanas, and face paint, a lot of it on tiny faces.

We were pretty thrown by that second game. Duke, the #1 seed, led the entire time. Rutgers had twice their quickness and got off about 1/3 more shots, but had terrible sinking percentages. In particular, #22 slayed me -- she has terrific ball handling and would work around 3 huge Duke players, only to take a crazy, off- balance shot, and miss. Rutgers played an erratic game, and Duke never made them pay for it. They could have picked off half their plays. Instead, it was Rutgers who got the free throws, and Rutgers who'd strip the ball. Duke had incredible accuracy, and if they were in position to shoot, you might as well count that two points. In the last 22 seconds. Rutgers was down by only one point because #22 finally made her 3- pointer. They sunk another 2 and left Duke with only a few seconds. Duke drove to the hole and was fouled. Let me tell you that the entire stadium was for Duke. On the way there, we saw school busses going to the stadium with Duke banners. I couldn't hear myself yell to Jesse, we just grinned at each other when Duke got the ball. With .1 second left, the Duke player was left to win, lose, or tie the game on foul shots. She made none, and Rutgers won. I can't believe Duke is out of it. Either team could have won. But Rutgers was on that ball like ants on honey (see it down here, and you'll believe me), and they wanted it more. So we went off to the pub for some delicious yummnables and discussion!