Friday, August 27, 2004

If you looked into the Mirror of Erised - what would you see?

posted by Birgit
0 comments at 12:19 PM

Wednesday, August 25, 2004

Yesterday was veggie pickup at the organic farm again - pick-your-own cherry tomatoes and raspberries. No problem - except we have no clue where exactly on the farm the cherry tomatoes are located.

Daisy is the daughter of the Erskines, who run Peaceful Belly (I think that since they named it when they were pregnant with her, she had something to do with the name. (Which admittedly causes a few hiccups every once in a while. "I get my veggies at Peaceful Belly" usually leads to an interesting expression on the face of the person asking.))

Daisy was our duly elected tour guide. Now mind you, Daisy is two - a tiny two. So we are following this tiny blonde person, who has wet hair, is covered in dirt, with a bare bottom under her skirt (must be potty training.....),jabbering away about a baby bird hatching. This happy little person. Across the farm - to the strawberries. Evidently strawberries and cherry tomatoes look sorta similar ;-)

I don't even know why - but I was following her, and all of a sudden it was like she was what it was all about. She is the reason God made the earth. She is the reason he made raspberries. She is the reason the sky is blue and flowers are all the colors of the rainbow. Because God knew Daisy would enjoy it.

Do you know those moments when God's love ceases to be an abstraction and become so real and first-person it almost hurts? God loves Daisy....

posted by Birgit
0 comments at 8:19 AM

Monday, August 23, 2004

I love watching the Olympics.....

posted by Birgit
0 comments at 10:38 AM

Saturday, August 21, 2004

The County Fair is a summer right of passage for us.
Every summer for the last 10 years or so, the kids and I head over to the fairgrounds, bake in the heat, and get covered in dust.
We get our hands good and slimy while being licked by cattle and goats.
We have hot funnel cake.
We argue over which quilt we would like to take home (Toby's vote was for the tie-dye colored dragon quilt)
We ooh and aah over the 3 day old piglets, and marvel at the size of a Brahma bull.
We watch hokey shows.
We giggle at the Peruvian Guinea Pigs, which look remarkably like Tribbles.
We eat hot buttered corn on the cob and cotton candy.
We fly through the air on the Giant Swing and get suckered by the carnies into playing some stupid game we never win at. (well, not counting the really ugly alien Kira came home with a couple of years ago....)

Since we moved to Idaho, there is the mandatory stop at the Mint Growers in the Ag tent - they have mint ice water, which is just the ticket on a hot day after walking around for a couple of hours and consuming a lot of sugar. Kira took a canteen this year so they could fill it up for her. I don't think I ever really would want mint ice water any other time, but it is great at the fair.

For the last two years, an added part is finding our entries in the exhibit hall, and this year (warning: unadulterated bragging to follow) between us we got 4 blue ribbons (and assorted second, third, and fourth places.) Watching their faces light up when they find their entry, and there is a ribbon (of any color) attached - such a cool thing!

posted by Birgit
0 comments at 9:25 PM

Thursday, August 05, 2004

There are things I don't like about Martha Stewart....but I love that she made it cool to be a homemaker. I love that she encourages people to buy local. To go for the original and creative instead of the mass-produced. To go to farmer's market, and CSA farms, to cook with what is in season instead of the unvarying offerings at the supermarket, to cook meals with interesting textures and colors.....she pioneered much of that, before everyone else jumped on the bandwagon, before home decorating shows became omnipresent, and the Food channel was conceived......

I am not about to start gilding salad bowls - but for those things, I am grateful....

posted by Birgit
0 comments at 11:27 PM