It's been a beauteous weekend spent in celebration of the good things: family, friends and spring. It was Mikey's birthday today, which brought Friend Miguel (as Nona calls him) to town for a visit. He taught Winona how to play basketball--something that she (shockingly) had not learned from her parents. Also celebrated a six year old friend's birthday today with swimming, games and a princess castle cake which has set the Birthday Cake Standard for all of us. (Thanks a ton, parents. You know who you are and I'm buying your kid a drum kit next year).

Saturday was sunny and warm, bordering on hot. A day spent in t-shirts and flip flops, putzing in the garden, by which I mean to say strolling around the garden, picking at weeds here and there, in awe of how spring really WORKS. Sure enough... buds, green and blossoms.

Here, on a blueberry bush...

Here, on a little patch of wonder in our front yard.

And, here.
Even when the sun shines, we need to sleep (this is a view from my perspective; camera pointed down at babe asleep in papoose).

Or, come home from the library with a Mexican market bag full of books, and spend an hour perusing the haul.

Kisses!

First, watch this clip from a previous post: http://winonalou.blogspot.com/2006/12/kisses.html

Then, fast forward three years and a few months...

Testing Testing 123. I think you can make comments now.

I think if I were one of those guber-organized bloggers who bookmark their postings under various themes and titles, a good 90% of our family blog would be under the heading "Food."

After guerilla-cooking for most of my adult life (What's in the fridge? That would be good with some noodles or rice), I've only recently discovered the goodness of cookbooks--and the recipes that lie therein. I'm now a big fan of about 4 or 5 of them, but the one pictured here is the one that stole my heart and got me started on my new love affair with cookbooks. The good ones are so much more than a compilation of recipes-- they are whole culinary philosophies illuminated and expressed. My mom gave Nourishing Traditions to me a couple of years ago and it's not just a cookbook, folks: it's a lifestyle. One that embraces whole cream, pounds of butter and organ meats (and banishes refined sugar from the diet). I've yet to try the recipes highlighting the latter, but the two former? Well, let's just say that "2%" is a swear word around here--these cream cheese pastries have more calories in them than I consumed during my entire college career. (Note: cream cheese=homemade, page 169-divine). We had these with NT meusli for breakfast...

...and then headed out to plant our Hardy Garden. (i.e. the one that will weather a few more chilly nights and, as they pointed out today after these little guys were in the ground, some hail later this week). Kale, arugula, mesculin mix, spinach and chard are in the ground...

...and being very tenderly cared for.

What am I laughing at, you ask?

My sister. Her friend cut her hair during a play date...

and we're all pretty amused by the results.

"No, really, I need a professional. Mom keeps taking a scissors to my head trying to fix things and I'm no expert, but I suspect she's making it worse. Please fit me in. Oh no! Here she comes with the scissors again! What do I DO? Can you talk to her, PLEASE?"