All this fun is making me tired

Dinner party here last night

4 hours today at the fancy pool

Then, Dinner with friends

Full day at work tomorrow

I'm going to bed...

Local vs. Cheap foods, part 2

What I bought today at the farmers' market:

White Italian eggplants
Tiny cucumbers
Red onions
Berkshire pork
Arugula
English Cheddar and Bacon Quiche made by Tracy

((Look at what Lisa bought in CO!!))

What I bought at Costco:

Crusty sourdough loaves
Champagne grapes
Blueberries
Havarti from Denmark
Swiss Alps Panorama Cheese (yum!)
Chevre
Case and a half of Cameron Hughes' new wines

What I made this afternoon:

Homemade homegrown pesto

What I served my children for dinner:

Macaroni and cheese, from a box

(OK, so it was White Cheddar mac n'cheese, and there were fresh crudites on the side of tomato/cucumber/carrot, but yeah, look at me with the processed food when I'm tired. Also, Colin won't eat pesto anymore.)

Cheap vs. Local food

I am pretty depressed about the report I heard driving home on NPR today. It was saying how fast food joints, especially McDonalds, are benefitting from the downturn in the economy. People can't afford to eat as much at casual dining restaurants so they are choosing fast food. Plus, they are less likely to spend as much gas on going to McDonald's since there is likely one close-by.

Also saddened by the sight of my college-educated co-worker, eating Great Value (Wal-mart brand) Reduced Fat Peanut Butter on her apple slices for lunch. I'm sure she was trying to make a nutritious, economical choice. But just how do you make Peanut Butter Reduced Fat? I picked up the jar and the label said, "Ground Peanuts, High Fructose Corn Syrup..." ah, add in a terrible source of pure carbohydrates, and then, "fully hydrogenated soybean oil," a source of fat that proven harmful to your health.

It is sad that in this country food that is higher in calories (and worse for your body) is cheaper and more accessible, especially to people with limited incomes. Tomorrow I'll go to the Farmer's Market and load up on fresh, local produce, but it won't come cheap. I'm OK with that; I'd rather my dollars go directly to the farmers, ones I get to talk to about what they are growing and compare notes on our tomatoes. They are more interested in growing a small harvest without chemicals than sending a large, unblemished crop to the mass distributor. But I realize not everyone can splurge like this, or would even want to make the effort. Not everyone is a foodie, nor do all my friends enjoy my family's dual income.

McDonald's is OK once in a blue moon, but there should be better choices for people. It certainly is cheaper to fix your own, but there should be fresher, less processed choices than the uber-marketed "Reduced Fat Peanut Butter," that someone buys to be healthy that might make them die of arteriosclerosis.

Despite the heat

Here is a sampling of my harvest today. Amazingly, the Porters (big pinky tomatoes) and yellow pears are still producing, and also apparently one hen. Not pictured are the bountiful Juliet tomatoes (big long cherries), bell peppers, and gobs of basil.

When they say not for felines, they mean it

Although K9 Advantix for Dogs says all over it, "DO NOT PUT ON CATS," sometimes people do it anyway, out of stupidity or laziness or because they are too cheap to get the appropriate product for their cat.

So I saw a cat yesterday who was being watched by the sister of the owner. Her bright brother told her over the phone to put "just a drop" of the K9 Advantix on his cat, and it would be OK.

Cats can't handle the strong permethrins in the Advantix, not even just a drop, and soon the poor cat was twitching uncontrollably, plus she was hyperexcitable. If you just approached her twitchy face, she would rare back, shaking all over.

We immediately gave the cat a bath to remove any remaining product, placed an IV catheter and gave her strong muscle relaxers. The twitching decreased, and she even rubbed against my hand when I stroked her.

I explained to the sister how we were treating the cat, and she said that when the cat started looking bad she tried to wash the area a little. "Then I got on the internet," she said, "I tried to look up home remedies for when you're a dumbass and put advantix on your cat..."

Magnum Opus

Here's what Anthony did in the baking heat this past weekend:



I think it looks so awesome!

Swimming when its 105 F

Colin and I had such a blast at the pool today that we took Anna after her ballet camp was done. It's a really cool pool with water features and two slides. If you aren't tall enough, you can go on the "family slide," with another person who is age 16 or older. There is another curvy slide that only one person can ride at a time, and if you're not tall enough, you can try again next summer.

This was the first year Anna has been tall enough to ride the slides alone. She was so psyched, and also it made things much easier on me. Last year, I had to take turns with them, and so one kid had to sit cross-legged at the end of the pool while I took the other, then they would switch. They even made me ride alone down the curvy slide just for a vicarious thrill.

Anna's face as she completed the slide for the first time was priceless. This made the pool so much easier for me, too. Colin was not to bothered by it - he has gone from the "boy who sinks" to the excellent paddler, but he's not really ready to go it alone. He is confident that when he is seven, he too will get slide privileges. I really treasured him holding my hand all the way from the ladder out of the pool, up the slide steps, and down again. It won't be long until he won't want to be seen with me. Maybe then I can read a book poolside.

One good thing about this outrageous heat

Boy, the clothes dry quickly on the line at 104 with a slight breeze. Some of the ones I put on the line first are dry by the time I hang the last ones up. They're all dry by the time the next load is done washing, and they all smell FANTASTIC.

Tomorrow's prediction is 106. Anna is going to ballet camp, and Colin and I are going to the pool with friends.

Its hot over here

Another day with temps over 100 here in Austin. I went to work, but poor Anthony labored outside, working on the landscaping. Reportedly, he only peed once.

The chickens are hot but the young ones are still producing - we get one to two eggs per day still. The one I picked up today felt like a little ember in my hand. It must've been freshly laid. I checked its temperature with Anthony's infrared thermometer -- 118. That's almost as hot as I cook them. No wonder spring eggs are better.

Back to Business

That last post took it out of me. But, I am back from vacation, in life and on my blog, so I hope to resume regular posting now. It is interesting the effect this great trip has had on us - I feel a little more "Italian," trying not to stress over the small details of life, trying to not control every aspect but contribute to each moment, each season.

Anna clearly remembers so much of the countries she visited. When we read a book by an English author, she knows where that person is from. Colin asked me yesterday, "Can we get on an airplane and go to Italy again? I want to see Leo and Martino. And go on that zip cord." Anthony is making espresso every day, and bemoaning the persistent, humid heat. It was warm in Italy (highs in the low 90s), but by evening it cooled off enough to eat outside every evening. Here, its still in the mid 90s at 10 pm.

The kids and I are trying to cram as much summer as possible into the remaining days before school starts. We've gone to see some of the Manny's shows, and he even asked the giddy kids on stage for a song. Their mikes were low, but I could definitely hear their happy voices.