the bloggingeveryday idea kicked my arse.
big time.
i did make pretty good attempt over
at my photo blog,
but. just. couldn't.
drink enough coffee
or scrape enough time from the clock
to see it through.
this world is breaking my heart.
and baltimore is stomping on what remains.
so i am going to try and spend the rest of this year
looking for the good.
really looking.
tearing through the awful and
shaking it until the
glitter falls out.
boys. movies. kids. jobs. plans. dreams. weather. love. burlesque. desserts.
sex. food. loathing of fake plants. parenting. schools. tantrums. cameras.
*insert anythingandeverything here*
#nablomo day 2.
this mama-gig, it is not for the weak.
so this new path...
it has to work out.
i need this door to stay open.
i am pretty scrappy.
it takes a lotlotlot to hold me down.
so...just wait. it's about to get real...
the first day of november: #nablopomo .
andrea's post reminded me that it is that time of year
to challenge the writer within and publish a post every day.
every single day for the 11th month of the year.
30 days of words.
here.
pancakes.
mandolins.
gingerbread and icing.
and horse feathers.
what a full day it has been.
all morning we snuggled in the big, green chair
at camp nitza while we watched shows and read a few books.
we drew pictures and played with legos.
we ate popcorn and drank warm almond milk.
with swords and capes, we conquered a few bad guys before
i said, "i need to take a shower and get ready for dinner."
(i was meeting friends downtown.)
but mama, i want to play candyland.
i promised we could play one round after i showered.
after i rinsed the shampoo from my hair…this:
mama, i will move your guy around the board and take your turns for you.
he really is so stinking cute.
and i soak in these moments because i know
that too soon
he will not want to spend so much time with me.
#naphopomo day 30.
artists and their work.
inspiring conversation.
(the kind that makes you set goals.)
(the kind of goals that make you simultaneously nervous and giddy.)
brisk night air filled with the smokey goodness of
a big-ass fire pit.
whiskey smash and government mules in copper cups.
new friends and old.
laughing as the glow from the fire takes snapshots
of a perfect evening.
#naphopomo day 21.
it's broken.
yes. but look what is in it.
what?
us.
and you can see mr. tony's pidgeon coop.
that, too.
and i can see our love.
yes. i think i can see it too!
that is the best part, mama. take a picture of it.
*click*
day seven of naphopomo.
it's not too late! join in the fun!
let's play "good guy/bad guy"
sounds good.
mama, you have to be the bad guy, ok?
and i am going to win. because the good guy should win, right?
yes, sweetpea. that is how it should be.
(and i ended it there. i didn't have the heart to tell him that real life isn't like that.)
(#naphopomo, day 3.)
granddad brought these beauties to our thanksgiving celebration.
they were in a box full of ornaments from my husband's childhood.
starting this year,
we'll begin the tradition of
waking up in our own house
on christmas morning.
for the first time as a couple
and the first time as parents,
we are also getting a tree for the holiday.
it has been many years since i have felt the
magic of christmas.
maybe it's because our sweet boy lights up
when we speak of santa claus.
maybe it's the countless times we have sung
frosty the snowman
and rudolph the red-nosed reindeer
and jingle bells
and silent night
and dona nobis pacem
in an effort to pass down the
tradition of holiday caroling.
something about the music
and the crisp air
and twinkly lights...
it all tugs a little on my heart
and makes me a little nostalgic
for the christmases of my youth.
so, the countdown begins tomorrow.
the anticipation of santa coming,
cookies to be baked,
stories to be told,
presents to be given.
the ornaments have to be unpacked.
the lights checked.
furniture moved for proper staging.
it's gonna be good, people.
so good.
handed down from many christmases past,
three generations share the same ornaments.
sidenote: nablopomo ends today, too.
it has been a challenge posting everyday for a month.
30 posts in 30 days!
it helped me shake off the dust that had started
to gather here in this space!
it is nice to be back.
i want ha-nee! liam sobbed as we drove away.
we said goodbye in the restaurant parking lot
after a full day of jigsaw puzzles, bocci ball
and longwood gardens' christmas lights.
H looked worried as she buckled herself into her family's car.
she could hear her baby cousin crying.
he will follow her anywhere.
will listen to anything she has to say.
he worships the ground she walks on.
and the feeling is mutual.
it's been this way ever since he entered the picture.
when he was born, she couldn't wait to meet him.
whose going to drive me to baltimore to meet my cousin?
she demanded until she finally made the trip
with both parents and her sister
she would've taken a bus if given permission.
when she is around, liam is in heaven.
hopefully this will continue as they grow older.
we'll see.
christmas 2007
spring 2008
italy, may 2008
summer 2009
summer 2009
summer 2009
H and liam this past thanksgiving
your family is perfect, she said.
it was thanksgiving.
my friend, who lives too far away,
and i were chatting on the phone.
whose family are you talking about? i asked.
you always get together, and go places,
and you all seem to really get along, she added.
this made me smile.
of course, my family IS perfect.
for me.
but we are just like everyone else.
we definitely have our issues,
we all have our baggage,
and annoyances,
and ican'tbelievehesaidthat moments.
(right?)
families are what make us tick.
our families have our back. unconditionally. period.
now don't get me wrong.
i come from the type of upbringing
i have learned, over the years
that family is by choice.
you find your family as you find your way through life.
that is what worked for me...self-preservation, maybe.
but that, in detail, is a whole 'notha post.
i have my peeps.
(some chosen and some by birth.)
and they are my family.
what they say matters.
politics, religion, music, food, child-rearing, societal views.
i listen to them. we don't always agree.
but, unconditionally, i love them.
period.
there are plenty of folks driving back from the holiday tonight
thinking that their
families are crazy.
and loud.
and bossy.
and over-the-top.
and embarrassing.
and protective.
and tight-knit.
and loving.
and beautiful.
i wouldn't trade mine for anything.
no.
really.
my brother, tom, has a toast that he likes to say:
here's to cheating, stealing, and lying.
cheat only death.
steal only the heart of the one that you love.
and lie only for family.
cheers.
look mama! stripes on my hand!"
i looked over and saw the lines
made by the window shade hanging next to his car seat.
he slowly moved his hands around in the air,
experimenting with this visual.
then he closed his fingers quickly, making a fist.
"i caught them!"
i asked him what he was going to do with them.
"eat them!"
and he gobbled them up.
curious, i asked what shadows taste like.
"soup."
who knew?
liam and paul. thanksgiving 2008.
5 month old babychop
today was a
stay-in-our-jammies-all-day
kind of day.
it was a lovely day of
people spontaneously taking me up on my past offers of
"just come by and visit anytime!"
such a lazy but busy day.
no photos taken
what!!!???
so i am sharing some old-goodies.
goodnight.
sleep tight.
10 month babychop
this pretty much sums up
the condition of my brain after
a very full, lovely day today.
i am so exhausted, i can barely type.
going to go curl up with my boys and zzzzzzzzzzzzz...
it will still be the best five dollars i ever spent.
photos are of liam and his brother-from-another-mother, izzy.
to see them individually, click on the mosaic.
sometimes, when i hear the news,
or read the paper,
or hear how mean people
can be to one another, i wonder
what kind of world we have brought our boy into.
i see how things have changed in my lifetime
and can only imagine what this world will be like
when he is my age.
nothing too profound, my thinking.
we all speculate about the future.
and how effed up it could be
if we don't get our act together.
peace.
it's a sweet idea(listic).
but if we don't strive towards it,
all the money and things the
greedy accumulate won't mean much.
peace.
i hope that our babies have a bright future
and that they'll make a difference.
i can't help but feel that my boy is going to do just that.
white bean and sausage soup with thyme and rosemary
recipe slightly adapted from bon appetit. february 2006 issue.
WHAT YOU NEED:
1 pound dried cannellini beans (generous 2 cups)
8 cups water
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 garlic cloves; 1 smashed, 7 chopped
1 large fresh rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large celery stalk, coarsely chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, divided
4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
1 pound fresh chorizo link sausages, or spicy italian sausage, casings removed (i personally like using the italian sausage better.)
1/4 cup whipping cream
WHAT YOU DO:
*Place beans in heavy large saucepan. Add enough water to pan to cover beans by 4 inches. Let beans soak overnight at room temperature.
*Drain and rinse beans; return to same saucepan. Add 8 cups water, 1 tablespoon oil, smashed garlic clove, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer until beans are just tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Season to taste with salt. DO AHEAD Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool slightly, cover, and chill.
*Drain beans, reserving 2 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard rosemary sprig and bay leaf.
*Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are beginning to soften, about 10 minutes. Add chopped garlic and 1 teaspoon thyme; sauté 2 minutes.
*Add 2 cups reserved bean cooking liquid, 4 cups chicken broth, and beans. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
*Cool soup 10 minutes.
*Meanwhile, sauté chorizo in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, breaking up lumps with back of spoon, about 5 minutes. Transfer chorizo to paper towels to drain.
*Using slotted spoon, remove 1 1/2 cups bean mixture from soup; reserve. Working in batches, puree remaining soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot.
OR
Use an immersion blender and puree the soup right in the pot. (highly recommended kitchen gadget!!!)
*Stir in reserved whole-bean mixture, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons thyme, chorizo, and cream.
note: i like to make this at least one or two days before i am going to serve it to let the flavors blend.
to make it VEGETARIAN, use vegetable stock and gimme lean sausage style tofu in place of the chicken broth and sausage. yummers!
with the help of lovely denise, i was the winner of this sweet treasure!
unless they are mean, girls stick together.
that is an unwritten law.
we have each others back.
period.
the internet proves this.
women i've never met have come out
of what-seems-like-nowhere
to encourage me, cheer me on, and leave friendly advice
on my blog.
women from around the country wrote letters to baltimore city
to help save my school from closing.
other women shared their stories about infertility
with me and gave me hope
when paul and i were trying so desperately to conceive.
they wrapped their words around me
and gave me strength when it came time
to leave my shorties so that i could
welcome my own shortie into the world.
we share our excitement and fear.
we put it all out there, our hearts bare.
and we have each others back.
i love my world-wide-tribe.
(check out my sidebar to find links to their blogs)
necklace made by christine miller and stacy de la rosa . find stacy at bellawish!
