1. Take 3 free online courses. I'm going to learn Javascript, Equine Nutrition and Human Physiology.
2. Knit clothes for Elinor.
3. Get back to riding 3-4x per week. Dream goal: find something to do the jumpers on at a Real Show.
4. Learn more about baking. Be a more reliable cake baker. After all, birthday cakes are going to become much more important now.
5. Preserve more of the spring/summer bounty. Was unsuccessful at this this year because I didn't sleep for most of the summer. The year before was much better.
So, I found John's album on Spotify under the band name "John Henry's Farm". It was a little strange, but here we are.
I say strange because, as someone who is regularly transported back in time by music, it was a very queer feeling to hear songs that I listened to and sang and lived through during a very tumultuous, exhilarating and strange period of my life.
I lived on beer and very little sleep and it all culminated in a terrible, terrible month of January, 2007. Before that January though, I was living through something that I needed to in order to be ready to grow up. Or something. I don't know.
It's too tiring to go into further detail right now. I just wanted to make sure that I captured this moment of feeling so strange.
2 things: 1) I miss the Farm but I don't want to go back. Kind of like: I had a fantastic time at university, but I wouldn't want to do it again now. 2)Matt Fate (John's drummer) defriended me on facebook (awhile ago) and apparently in real life too. And I have no idea why. And it makes me a little sad and a little angry (I'm learning to identify this now! It's not my fault, he's the one who behaved badly! I'm allowed to be angry with him and not me! Thanks therapy!).
You may have noticed, dear reader, that I have been posting short non-sequiters for the last few days. As opposed to my long non-sequiters. The reason is this:
I decided that being at home ALL THE TIME has resulted in me spending far, far too much time stalking people on or just staring at facebook. I don't think facebook is as evil or pointless as some people, but I do realise that more than a few minutes a day is a waste of time. However, I still have the urge to post stupid things that I think about, various witticisms as well as things that outrage me. I have been channeling that urge here.
Interestingly enough, Cobbler's Cottage in Ithaca does, in fact, do shoe repair... if you need something other than a zipper replaced or anything done to the sole or heel.
Today I received junk mail from the Scooter Store. It is offering me an opportunity to call for my FREE mobility consultation. I wonder how on earth I ended up on their list. I mean, I know I've been somewhat incapacitated this last year, but I assumed it was temporary because I was pregnant. However, receiving junk mail that suggests that it is not temporary has me thinking: maybe I should look at this as an opportunity not to be wasted and follow through with the FREE mobility consultation.
I love Smartwool. I love it so, so much. It keeps me ever-so-toasty and it isn't bulky or itchy and it's stretchy and it's soft and oh so warm-but-not-too-warm!
I have discovered these. SMARTWOOL TIGHTS. I can only imagine how much less complaining about the cold I would do if I owned at least one pair of Smartwool tights.
I'm determined that this not become a mommy blog. So. There's this:
Although I haven't done much else besides be a mum for the last 3 months. I am back to being interested in cooking though. I've been making these grain salad things with some regularity. It has several advantages, one being that it uses up CSA vegetables pretty nicely, two, it is generally fairly quick and three, it makes excellent leftovers that Ryan can take to work. Also, it is different every time. Basically, I start with a grain of some variety - usually quinoa or burghul (bulgar wheat for those not familiar with Arabic). Burghul has the distinct advantage of not even needing to be cooked - just soaked. Then I add a variety of things from the fridge. The key is to make it balanced, so I always try to add a protein thing as well as all the vegetables.
Last night, I cooked beets in water and vinegar, roasted some garbanzo beans* and caramelized some leeks/ I tossed that with those with burghul and some chopped up arugula. When I roasted the garbanzo beans, I roasted two very large cloves of garlic, which I mashed up in some olive oil. I added balsamic vinegar and used that to dress everything - although a dressing isn't striclty necessary. Finally I added chopped green pepper - not a bell pepper, but similar, our CSA has a variety of pepper that kicks the crap out of regular old bell peppers but the name escapes me at the moment.
In the past, I have added nuts, tempeh, spinach, peas, corn or tomato and often I find scraps of leftovers that do nicely. A thing I like to keep in mind is adding different textures as well as flavours. Chopped almonds add a bit of crunch and the roasted garbanzo beans added some crispiness and chewiness - and they are so yummy that it's hard not to eat them before they've gone in the salad. How I do mine is to toss them in oil and pour them on a baking sheet, roasted at 400 F for 20 minutes or so. When they are done, take them out, toss them with salt or paprika or thyme or whatever - even sugar for sweet ones would be nice. They are a yummy snack!
I'm getting more confident with my own decisions regarding Elinor. In the beginning, it feels like everything is this giant whirlwind of overwhelming directions and advice and you're fairly certain you'd better follow it all because otherwise you might kill your baby because you don't know what the hell you are doing. Then you realise that you've made it this far without killing her and that you know her better than any internet blogger or preachy book author, so you can stop panicking so much.
At least that's how it's been for me. That's not to say that internet advice isn't sometimes helpful. Today I googled "diaper bag paring down" because I really hate carrying the diaper bag when I walk places with her. Unfortunately, it was a similar experience to googling "inexpensive wedding ideas" and finding suggestions like, "Consider not having monogrammed napkins."
In other words, I discovered that I've already pared down my diaper bag to the essentials according to most women. My diaper bag contains:
1 diaper cover
1 onesie
1 changing pad
cloth diapers - the number depends on how long I am going to be out
a few disposables
1 blanket
A bag of disposable wipes
a washcloth or two
1 wet bag
1 zip-loc bag
A sun hat (sometimes)
Her jacket (sometimes)
A pair of socks
Wallet (mine)
Phone (also mine)
Keys (also mine)
I do not consider chapstick, makeup, hand sanitizer (if baby wipes work for my baby's bum, then they work for my hands until I can get to a bathroom, should that be a difficulty out in the field) or a first aid kit essential although some people seem to. One blog I looked at had a "before" picture featuring 6 Mister Men books. I can't believe it didn't occur to the author that 6 books was a little ridiculous.
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