Mothers know best

My mom came to visit the Saturday before Mothers Day. I probably should have planned a relaxing day of pampering but instead I put her to work on my backyard garden. She always impresses me with her knowledge of plants and what should go where. And I suppose it's in our blood to prefer dirt under our nails to getting a manicure anyway.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day

For my father, who's two favorite things are videos of scenery shot to music and Ireland.

De-digitized

My mom use to say that the first thing she would grab in a fire (assuming we were all safe of course) was her photo albums. As a surly girl that didn't always get along with my mom I found that lame. I'm sure that I would have said something actually lame like my random collection of 90's R&B and Christian Ska CD's.

It must be strange to be a parent. For years your kids roll their eyes at you and you think that they aren't listening. And then years later they are blogging about how they cherished the friday night grocery store marathons and they boast the same hobbies you do.

It's so easy to forget about printing photos and organizing them into books. Our lives our documented in concise clickable facebook albums with witty titles. Yet every few months I find myself tucked in the corner of CVS with a jam packed flash drive. I never feel guilty paying for the precious glossy 4x6s. Sometimes I even splurge on an 8x10 of a particularly lovely memory. If our house caught fire and everyone was out safe absolutely the first thing I would grab is my photo albums.

If you help me with my wedding I will feed you sweet things

Sometimes I wonder if it would be better to elope. Skip all this fuss and just sign the paperwork. I can't help but feel like this is so much for just one day.

But then my mom and friends congregate in my little apartment and spend the day eating paczkis and sewing. It would be a shame to miss out on these moments. Almost every wedding graduate will tell you to enjoy the journey.

I might actually be a little sad once it's all over.

Nanny's Molasses Cookies

Mark and Rick are often swept up with inspiration for a particular dinner, or food item. But I couldn't help but melt over their excitement to make their grandma's molasses cookies. Of which, they told me over and over, she always had in a jar ready for them. They fussed over the cookies, making sure they made them just like she does.

Mark and I are big believers that the best food will always be what you grew up with. For me, my favorite dessert is vanilla ice cream covered in my uncles maple syrup. And for Mark and Rick it's their grandma's molasses cookies.

Florida - Part I

You know what the middle of January needs? A trip to Florida. I'm a big advocate for four seasons fully experienced. But who can say no to a future mother-in-law with a lovely condo just minutes from the beach. Not me.

We flew into Tampa and spent the first day in St. Petersburg on the Pier. I helped drag the boys out of bed bright and early on the second day. By afternoon we had seen several alligators, survived a boat crash, enjoyed a canopy walk, and climbed a million stairs up past the tree line.

Christmas Eve Dinner

Christmas was wonderful. We were spoiled with delicious food, thoughtful gifts, and most importantly - time with our loved ones.

Mark has taken every chance to make the incredibly simple and ridiculously rich recipes from Fergus Henderson's The Whole Beast. For Christmas Eve it was suppose to be Rabbit and Garlic. But apparently Rabbit fly's off the shelves faster than Tickle Me Elmo's on December 23rd. So we "settled" for beef shanks.

The recipe calls for 60 to 80 cloves of garlic. Nope, not a typo. My favorite part of the recipe is the last part: "Serve hot straight from the pot, encouraging your fellow diners to suck the flesh from the unpeeled garlic cloves, which will now be sweet and delicious. For the juices you will need both bread and napkins."

some things have happened

•I finally visited Columbus Commons, our newest park (it has a carousel!)
•Evie stole me away for a secret mission.
•Ed & Sue came to visit
•the power went out
•we went to Franklin Park Conservatory,
•we visited Nanny and Poppy and met some cute puppies as well,
•and my parents dropped in.
•Evie and Nick had their joint switch-your-gender-sing-kareoke-and-confuse-Bourbon-Streets-swell-patrons Bachelor/Bachelorette party. It was amazing.
•Tasha birthday was celebrated at Camelot Cellars.
•The Country Living Fair continued to live up to the hype.
•Bouquet's were arranged,
•and friends were married.

Camp 2011

Another highly successful family gathering filled with laughter, memory-making, intriguing conversations, and lots of very full bellies.

Oma and Enkel

In an instant, with the birth of her grandson, my mothers world turned on it's side. It's heart aching to watch the love that flows between these two very independent personalities. My nephew is already very much his own person. The chaos of his four older cousins doting over him doesn't even phase him. And if his doesn't want to do something he just aggressively shakes his head no and that is that.

And my mother has always been my role model as an independent no-nonsense women.

But when these two get together, which is quite often despite the distance, they are like childhood best friends.

!!!

Oh my. It's been almost a month. Well I have some updating to do:



My wisdom teeth were surgically removed after the move and before anything was put away. The pain meds and my stomach did not get along and in the end the stomach won. Luckily the paint wasn't that bad. Mark made me gourmet mashed potatoes. I loafed on the couch staring at all the stuff that needed put away and that I wasn't allowed to lift.


Then my Aunt, Uncle, and Grandma came in from upstate New York to celebrate my Cousin's Graduation. Almost every summer of my life has been spent at their homes and it was nice to have the tables turn. And if forced Mark and I to finally unpack. My mom came to visit as well and we went to the Whetstone Park of Roses peak season showing. We took a million pictures of damp, slightly browning roses. Apparently peak season came early this year. But it didn't stop my mom from falling in love with the place and continuing to ask me if I want to get married there.



Mark made a crazy good Brussels sprout, bacon, mushroom medley. And we added Brussels sprout medley to our tentative wedding menu.



Our friend Brigit got a puppy. Everyone is jealous.



I went to visit my 10 month old nephew. He is the cutest 10 month old that ever existed. He is starting to walk and his favorite toy continues to be my mom's camera bag. To encourage his interest in photography I "taught" him how to use my camera. He took this picture of me (it has crazy aunt written all over it).




Friends were invited over for 2011 Pride Cake and a whole rack of ribs.



This summer's first pitcher of fresh mint mojitos was schlepped to dinner club only to realize that their was no dinner club and so we had mojito club instead. After several mojitos Ana and I decided it would be a good idea to fix my hair cut. It turned out great and I think it will be my new formula for hair cutting.





Our friend Sjanneke got a dog and all I have are these lazy cats.