HUNT.GATHER FALL RETREAT

I had a great time this past weekend at the Hunt.Gather fall retreat (the first one was in the spring earlier this year!) The handmade fair kicked it all off and it was great fun seeing the things that people created with their hands. For the first session of the retreat on Friday, I took the Herbs and Body Care session where we made body lotion, hair mask and sugar scrub using natural ingredients, and learned about making body care products at home.  For the second session on Saturday morning, I took the Quilting class and sewed together a beautiful pattern for the first block of a quilt! I love learning how to be more active with my hands and creative mind; these sessions provided both the space and motivation. 

TO THE STATE FAIR WE GO

Earlier in the week when we decided to check out the state fair, we were enthusiastic and energetically resolved about the whole thing. Sloane would have so much to look at it! it would be a fun fall family outing! we told ourselves. And it was, but initially when Saturday rolled around, it was a busy morning, then we left the house later than planned, then sat in mysterious traffic for 30 minutes, then creeped along in the loooong line of cars approaching a giant field of parked cars....and we silently wondered what we had gotten ourselves into. Sloane was cranky, we were sleepy, the skies were grey and cloudy. But we were already there, so we squared our shoulders, slung Sloane around our necks and ventured forth like good parents might, and as soon as we approached the fair grounds, we were hooked. The smells, the crowds, the rides, the booths, the animals, oh my!

Suprisingly, going to a state fair with a 14 month old is a lot of fun. Maybe it's actually the best time - they can't go on any rides, they don't whine for food or games, and they are happy and amazed to be able to see all the sights.  Sloane was wide-eyed and curious, and we had fun introducing the visual feast to her. This is one of my favorite parts of parenthood - seeing the world through her eyes and when we say, "oh look Sloane, a big pumpkin!" She is all, "wow it is big! And what is a pumpkin? And it's orange! And can I pat it!" (Not in those exact words, but you get the gist...) I mean this is a girl that is fascinated by everything/anything right now..so at a fair, her mind was blown. We spent a whopping four hours there and by the end of it the bottoms of our feet were aching and when we got home we collapsed in a heap of exhaustion, but it was the kind of exhaustion of a day well done.

and then.....my camera died. But we made sure to capture Sloane's encounter with the cows on our phones. We walked into a tent and these GIANT cows were just walking about and in the span of about five minutes, Sloane went from being amazed to curious and then to terrified. Them cows were beautiful, but I don't blame Sloane, some of these cows were taller than me! Afterwards we went on to watch some horses and Sloane loved that; the image of the smile on her face while she watching the riders gallop the horses around the ring was one of my favorite moments from the day.

AN INDOOR PICNIC

this is a sort of how-to for something that is easy as pie.

ahem.  HOW TO HAVE AN INDOOR PICNIC:

1. have your plans for an outdoor picnic rained out
2. relocate picnic to your dining room table
3. rejoice over fresh fruits, vegetables and cheeses from the farmer's market, get excited about cured  meats, and pull out a giant bottle of white wine.
4. cut all fruits, vegetables and cheeses into bite-sized pieces.
5. pull out any type of bread or crackers.
6. put out chips and homemade dip if you have the time
7. anticipation of some sort of dessert is always nice (in this case, dixie donuts and proper pie)
8. feed the boys 'real food' if they wrinkle their nose at the idea of eating like the europeans do
9. compile killer combinations like a slice of french bread spread with ricotta and honey drizzled on top.  top with cucumber or pancetta if you wish.
10. enjoy with friends

A GREY AND CLOUDY CARYTOWN

The Voice is back!

The blind auditions are my favorite part. i totally buy the stories and i'll get teary-eyed with the best of them.  I also like how Carson Daly gets so excited and bummed along with the family members watching the auditions in the back room.  i believe him, I do. But my favorite parts are when they start singing, and then I start guessing if anyone will turn and if so, who, and then the anticipation of whose team will the contestant choose to be on?...it's such great television. Also, can we talk for a minute about contestant Holly's little brother crying in the back room when she got four chairs to turn around? He looked like he was about ten and he was crying tears of joy for his sister...it positively slayed me. Her performance and her brother's reaction was the highlight of the show last night for me.

Anyways, in real life, this week is going by a tad bit faster (and with more ease?) than last week. That's not to say, I couldn't think of a dozen things I would rather do than be at work, but I've piped down my complaints a whole bunch and I DID see a bunch of pumpkins for sale in the back of a pick up truck and it didn't make me feel angry or anything so...baby steps.

After a perfect-weathered Friday, Saturday was grey and dreary and put a dent in our outdoor plans but we prevailed and made it out for a quick stop and hop in Carytown, regardless. The highlight? Doggie in the baby carriage, of course.