Goodness the whole blogosphere over

though I'm not familiar with the nie nie dialogues, (I'm always the last one to the party) I'm sending my happy thoughts to Stephanie and Christian as they struggle to recover from a plane crash. 

Their needs are great and the blogosphere is gathering resources to help. Click on over to the ever kind and resourceful  Design Mom tomorrow, for a start, and participate in the auctions she's organized--proceeds to benefit Stephanie and Christian. It's amazing what can be accomplished with one kind thought. 

congratulations

and a thousand happy wishes to Miss Marta as she welcomes her first bundle of joy. 

 

Life without TV.

We haven't had television in our house in over a year. We own a television, but we haven't been able to watch it. We are not hermits. We are not anti-television crusaders. It all hinged on finishing the basement which, ahem, took longer than promised. Ahem. 

Anyway, we have survived. At first I felt rather disconnected from the world. But,  I was grateful that we could postpone M's exposure to television and any potential battles that might stem from it. I played with M. I cooked. I read books. I enjoyed the outdoors. But here's my confession: I've really missed a few things about television. 

1. The Today Show. I dig Matt Lauer and Ann Curry (are they still doing the show?) and the mix of news and lifestyle features. They make great company with my breakfast.

2. The Food Network. Alton Brown of Good Eats and Ina Garten of Barefoot Contessa, and a little bit of Paula Deen. Some of my favorite recipes have come from these shows. 

3. Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. A guilty pleasure for sure. He's handsome, witty, brawny, and intelligent and makes me laugh every time.  

4. Fox News. I'd love to really know what's going on in the world and it's economies, politics, and social issues. 

5. Reality TV shows. No, wait, I'm kidding. I really can't stand them.

6. Sesame Street. I'd love to pass the experience on to M--Big Bird, Grover, Oscar and all of them. I have no idea what the show is like anymore. Are Bert and Ernie gay? A burning question, indeed. 

What are your TV guilty pleasures?  

around the corner

Can you feel it? 

It's there, just lurking around the corner, leaving hints in the morning air and evening breezes. 

Autumn. It's coming. 

While I truly love all that summer has to offer, Autumn is hands down my favorite season. Lingering summer blossoms, a crispness in the air, golden afternoon sunlight, apples and pumpkins and comfort foods, cute boots and sweaters--practically my uniform and my favorite things to wear, the unmistakable aroma of Fall, and the new school year and stores brimming with pencils, crayons, notebooks. It's all like a tonic for me. For me this season signals the beginning of a year, a fresh start, even more so than New Year's Day, with annual rituals that are refreshing and comforting.

I clean. Really really clean. Everything. Summer clothes get packed away along with summer toys. Warmer linens dress the beds. Windows are thrown open. The yard gets all spiffy and tidy. 

I cook. My attempts at preserving summer's edible glory line freezer and pantry shelves. Comfort food recipes are revisited. The last remaining popsicles are eaten. 

I plan. Goals are set. My B is back in action in his own classroom, with a closet full of pressed shirts.   Our calendars are bespeckled with activities and obligations. Our happy little routine is reinstated. 

I love it. I welcome it. New and clean and full of possibilities. Though it seems all too soon, I'm ready.  

need a post-olympics giggle?

click here

Vive l'vernis a ongles

I'm saying "oui!" to the new color line from OPI.   I fall for the clever names as much as the rich colors!    I think I'm due for a pedicure with Eiffel For This Color, c'il vous plait.  

Privacy?

A friend recently asked me why I don't include my child's name on our voice mail greeting. Our current greeting goes something like this: "Hi, this is B** and K**.  Sorry we missed you, please leave a message. Thanks!"   This friend has a similar greeting but her MIL insists that she include her daughter's name. I told her I have a few reasons, but mostly it's for privacy. 

1.) M isn't exactly taking calls at this age 2.) Strangers don't need to know how many kids I have and what their names are 3.) People that already know us, already know that information.  4.) A predator only needs a phone number and a name in order to learn a whole lot more about you. 

I even get a little anxious when solicitors come to my door and want to know what my husband does for a living, where he does it, my child's name and age.  Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe most people are generally honest and decent. I just don't know, and I'm not willing to risk it these days. It's the same when I'm blogging. A blogger just never knows who might look at their blog--old college roommates, former love interests, relatives, friends of friends of friends. I think it's great. But I'd rather be safe than sorry, so I don't use any full names of my family members and certainly not of any children. I know other bloggers that falsify names altogether of use strictly nicknames. I suppose I'm just a product of our times, leery of the weirdos that litter our world. I remember when it was advisable for kids to wear ID Bracelets for safety. I'm not sure I'd do that for my own child.  The less information available to the public, the better. No?

So, what's your stance? Do you name names on your blog? Do you name names on your answering machine? Am I just a teensy bit paranoid? 

Summer Treat

 Savoring the last moments of summer with this favorite snack/side dish/dessert:

Watermelon cubes sprinkled with fresh black pepper. Seriously. Try it. Love it. 

{photo via martha}

So pretty

Forgive me, I can't remember where I saw this photo---it was weeks and weeks ago.  I love the combination of warm woods with white. Especially on that amazing floor. 

I'm blushing...

because darling Kirsten over at Snippets of  Life has given me a blog award. Very kind. But I think that's just the kind of gal she is. And talented. And lovely. And uplifting. And bright. Take note of her playlist, it's awesome. 

well done, ladies

Shawn Johnson, Silver Medalist and Nastia Luikin, Gold Medalist.  Fantastic routines. 

Scattergories

is a game I like to play with my family. I'm not so bad at it. I enjoy word games. My friend posted a blog version: using the first letter of your own name, supply an answer to each category. 

• 4 letter word: Kite
• Vehicle: Kubota tractor
• TV Show: Knight Rider
• City: Krakow
• Boy Name: Kyle
• Girl Name: Katerina
• Occupation: King
• Something you wear: Kilt
• A food: Kumquat
• Bathroom item: KY Jelly ?
• Reason for being late: kids

In Fours

My friend Joy tagged me in 4s. Here goes:

4 Places I frequently visit

1. Target

2. Church

3. My yard

4. The park/zoo

4 people who call/text/email me regularly

1. Brady

2. Kristina

3. Joy

4. My mother

4 favorite foods

1. Chips and Salsa

2. Fried Chicken 

3. Fresh Fruit

4. Mashed potatoes & gravy

4 places I'd rather be

1.  Austria

2. Italy

3. Disneyworld

4. The spa

4 movies I'd watch over and over

1. Singing in the Rain

2. Indiana Jones

3. Pillow Talk

4. Happy Gilmore (shameful, I know, but it really makes me laugh)

4 Bands I love to listen to right now

1. Jack Johnson

2. The Weepies

3. Aerosmith

4. Michael Buble

4 People I'm tagging

1. Brit

2. Jenny (when you get back from SWEDEN!)

3. Kelly

4. Kristina

Artist in the Hole

If your weekend plans include being near Jackson Hole this weekend, be sure to stop by the Jackson Hole Art Fair.  While there, don't miss the work of Owen Mortensen.  Stunning pieces of botanical art by truly one of the nicest guys you'll ever know. 

Go Team USA

Been watching the Olympics? THIS RACE was amazing.

 Click on Mens 4x100m relay to view.