Organic French Green Beans... Ooo La La

Oh… the wonderful little old lady told me all about them. She had me taste the difference from the Blue Lake to the French… it was like night and day. Then she told me all about the heirloom garlic that I bought and how it was indigenous to the Washington State Indian tribe.

Then my favorite French gardener had me taste Japanese turnip. It was the first time I had ever tasted a turnip… he said I was a turnip virgin.

A delightful morning.

See more progress on: shop at the farmers market more

Yeah for Netflix!

We reinstated our Netflix account and we had three movies waiting for us in the mail yesterday! That was a HUGE incentive not to watch the crap on TV. We watched New Rules with Bill Maher… which is a huge hit in our house. Making fun of the president is always good for a laugh. Then we watched Jesus Camp. If you haven’t seen this documentary I highly recommend it. It is about the evangelical movement and how they are recruiting kids to the cause. It was frightening. Just frightening.

See more progress on: Stop watching TV

The Glass Castle or How Not Normal Is Your Family

For the June Book Club the book was The Glass Castle by J. Walls. It is an extraordinary book that there are countless reviews on throughout the web. I often hesitate to read the books chosen for the Book Club because they tend to be heartbreakers. Difficult works with rotten endings. This book was one I was quite hesitant to read, but Jean Jean the Library Queen said it was sad, but would be fine. Ha! I cried for the last hour of reading until I closed the book on the final chapter.

That is not what is so puzzling to me... while on the phone with My Sparkly Girl who is at camp she said that she got her package that I had sent. Great, I said. She said the mail lady gave her a funny look when she handed it over and stated that it was sent in a cereal box. Yes, my daughter said. She could see that it was a cereal box because I didn't cover the box. I just made labels for it, taped it up, and sent it. My Sparkly Girl thought it was a perfectly fine way to send the package, but the mail lady seemed dubious.

So, that got us to thinking about normal. What is normal? Obviously sending a package in a cereal box is not normal in Conway, Arkansas, but why is that normal to us. Have I ruined my daughter with my odd habits and customs just like the mother from Glass Castle. God, I hope not.

Interestingly

I wonder if becoming a vegetarian is really my goal. I have definate ideas about food and food culture. Part of me thinks that it is a bit classist to even consider becoming a vegitarian. If I were extremely poor, not just the american poor that I am, I would eat what I had regardless of what it was… and I assume be thankful.

It is with our multitude of choices in a land filled with abundance that we can even think about being vegitarian.

So, I wonder if this goal fits me… I think more that I would like to eat food that is more local. That is appealing. It would be a mostly vegitarian diet because all of the meat products in my area are shipped to larger markets out of the area.

I think I am going to think about this for a few more days and perhaps change my goal.

See more progress on: Become a vegetarian

The Little Things

It was the little things that I started to be more concious of. I would call on a friends anniversary of their mothers death, I would bring baby things over to a friend who had little ones, I would bring food to a sick friend, I would make a point to call someone out of the blue.

I am not the perfect friend, but I am deffinately a better friend because I realized how much I are about being one. I encourage us all to develop better relationships with the people we share our lives with.

See more progress on: Be a better friend

A story about SARK

I really loved SARK and when I moved to San Francisco I wanted to meet her. I was kind of a devoted fan… not in a crazy way, but I adored her honesty, writing, and life. So, I went to a book reading and after it was over I gave her a letter telling her how much she meant to me. Now I realize that she, like most celebrities, do not want these tokens of our affection and I feel a little foolish. I still like her writing, but I am kind of over her as an idol.

Learn more about SARK

Lifelong UU

I would love to talk to anyone about being a UU, what it means to me, what they might find… really whatever. It is one of my greatest joys that I was raised UU. Ask away!

See more progress on: Explore Unitarian Universalism