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inspired by mown grass and abundant flowers
and then placed in bottles and stored in the cooler! ready for the "sample" tasting they are planning.
I love their potions. I will certainly attend the tasting! (But don't worry. No one is really going to taste them. As I'm not exactly sure what's in them. Outside of a lot of grass. Some dandelions and some bleeding heart.)
This is my determined-to-do project. No matter that it started raining on Friday night and hasn't stopped. No matter that the ground is totally soaked and we all get unbearably muddy. It's time to start the garden, dang it, and so I'm starting. David is building frames for raised beds (first of three was built Saturday), and we bought some fine fine compost and soil. I'm doing this beautiful place justice by amending the soil, cleaning out the weeds and overgrowth, and planting. This is my therapy. This is my break. This is my deep rest. (Since I'd rather do this than sleep.) We've planted kale, frisee and arugula. We've weeded the sorrel and cleaned out around the currant bush and the rhubarb. It's only just the bare beginning. But I can't wait to do the rest.
the new mix we wanted to test
Two weeks ago I read an article about competing cupcake chains in Inc Magazine. Ever since I've been craving cupcakes. I've been aware of the cupcake frenzy -- at least how much mom bloggers are loving to bake and then feature them -- but I had no idea there are actually national cupcake chains. National cupcake chains that are hard at work trying to put each other out of business. And they are posh natinoal cupcake shops. Where you pay $3-$4 per cupcake. Cupcakes!
I had wanted cupcakes for mother's day but we ran out of time to bake them. So I baked some this weekend. Using the latest gluten-free mix. GOOD STUFF. One of the best I've tasted. (And the butter icing and fresh organic strawberries didn't hurt.)
Sweeter still that the boys helped. And then we all shared. Even the Daddy had a few.
In the small garden next to the barn, there is a patch of sorrel. It was planted by the previous owner, a French woman, who, over her 25 years here, transformed what had been a "jungle" of growth into a magical yard. All by hand. Just before the closing last summer, she gave me a tour of the garden, and pointed out a variety of special things, including the sorrel.
I had heard of sorrel but had no idea what it was. I knew it was sour in a lemony way. I knew the kids liked the taste. And yesterday they kept picking and munching it.
We decided to try it in a dish. I found this recipe from the New York Times (it was the first of a handful of recipes that came up when I typed in "sorrel chicken recipe). Five ingredients: butter, onion, chicken and sorrel (and salt and pepper). Not pretty, but delicious. Delicious.
How gourmet did we feel? Very. Sorrel from our own little garden! And how lucky? Very very very.
Little brother plays lacrosse on Saturday mornings at 8. It's an hour practice -- or more of a clinic -- with a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds. Almost 20 of them. You can imagine: a pack of kindergardeners with sticks, chasing after little balls.
The idea to play lacrosse was all his. He had tossed a ball around several times with our neighbor, who is a big lacrosse player and coach from a tradition of lacrosse players/coaches. And who was impressed with little brother's natural skills. I guess the compliment made an impression. Because he didn't want to play baseball like big brother. It is all lacrosse.
Today they had their first scrimage. After all the silly drills and lacrosse games (that involved pool noodles and pretending to be sharks), they divided them into teams and let them have at it. If you've ever seen small children play soccer, all bunched in a pack following the ball, then you can imagine this scene; just put lacrosse sticks in their hands. I wasn't sure they had any sense of how the game works. But they seemed to be having fun.
In the car on the way to swim class, I asked him if they had taught him any rules for the game.
"Yes," he said. "No whacking people with sticks. And no throwing balls at anybody."
Well, I guess that's a start.
Edgar wants to play only when Edgar wants to play
and he doesn't care for autophotography
but every once in awhile, he'll be the baby.
There are so many things I haven't captured. Mostly the wild and wooly kitten play that happens all around the house. The stalking and hiding around corners. The leaping in the air and dashing about the room. Impossible to capture. Delightful to watch.
And then there's the sleeping on my head at night or snuggling his head onto my shoulder when I pick him up. And the licking of cheeks. He loves to lick everyone's cheeks. We're clearly his now. And we love it.
trillium -- magical flower that blooms in the woods for one week each spring.
not as interested in picking flowers as everyone else
climbing fences and exploring new territory instead
We rode 3.6 miles and raised over $250 for the LUND Center. And it was FUN. I had no idea it would be so fun. We had numbers on our shirts and water stops and folks cheering along the streets. We were all three very proud. And wishing it were longer!
Thanks to everyone for supporting us and LUND!
8 a.m. lacrosse practice
(trying to hold up his loose pants while running to the goal)
9:30 a.m. baseball game
(big brother made one of the winning hits!)
11 a.m. May Fair at the school
And then there was the 2:00 birthday party and the errands that were squeezed between stops. And finally the dragging home of tired children. The modern family Saturday. Whew.
