I never thought it possible

I never thought it possible to spend over ten hours making spaghetti sauce, meatballs, ziti and cupcakes...until I had a baby. Ain't no thing, though. I love being busy.

To Liam on his first birthday

Happy Birthday my love. Your letter is in the works. By the time all the photos are processed, you might be two.

So, in the meantime, I'll post these snippets.


You are never, ever, going to eat sugar again. That is all.

mid-February reality check

Every year around this time, I'm astonished to realize that I still have almost two more months of winter to slog through. It always seems like we've already had more than our share. I like winter, but man, you should see what it looks like around here. My four-foot tomato stakes are still up in the garden from last year, and last night the snow finally overtook them. That means there's 48 inches of snow cover in the backyard. And once it's here, it stays put until we get a really good thaw, say around July 1. 48 inches. I shudder to think of this year's mud season.

Anyway, for those of you who still labor under the supposition that it must be so idyllic to live in Vermont, I'll share the view that I wake up with every morning.



Think I'll go open another bottle of wine.

Yell Fire!

I've been a devoted fan of Michael Franti & Spearhead for over five years now. Yes, I'm a technocratic hippie, and yes, I still listen to Phish. Whatever, people. The music that moves you is the music that moves you.

Michael Franti has the gift of gab. And by that, I mean that he has the rare ability to capture you attention in the middle of a concert by his words, and not just by the excellent music. It certainly helps that he's super cute. If you're even just a little cranky with the way the world is headed, download Everyone Deserves Music, and you'll begin to tap into the positive movement for change.

Something today caught my interest. There's a video posted on youtube of a two-year-old toddler rocking out to Michael Franti. Now some of his music is perfect for kids. He even turned one of his songs into a children's book which we own. However. Franti calls it like he sees it, and this particular song is a protest song, created after Franti's trip to Bagdhad a few years ago. (He made a movie called I Know I'm Not Alone. Go watch it.)

The song in this particular video, however, has a message. An adult message (read: Fire! Fire! The world's going to hell!). As I started watching it, I felt a little queasy. I don't agree with using babies as a vehicle for activism. Liam doesn't even own clothing that sports sentiments such as "I hate peas" or "Grandma's little angel" Blecch.

Anywhoo. As I watch the video, I get eerie flashbacks to the Santaland Diaries (you haven't heard of them?? Then I don't know you) where David Sedaris recounts the little boy who arrives at the North Pole with a special message for Santa. David writes:

You know? That is so wrong. And so is using your infant to further your own political agenda, whether the music is good or not. But then about a minute into the film, I changed my mind. I began to realize that this child was not being manipulated, he was rocking out! He knew the words! He was having a blast, and I decided that not everything had to have an agenda. Sometimes, it can just be about the music and having fun.