These are not my children (I think you knew that). Both are neighbors. I took the photos a couple of weeks ago at our Not Labor Day Not Block Party, an annual event that in some form predates our moving into our house sixteen years ago. I think we attended the second or third one. It’s become a party that three houses host and that many people look forward to as one of those parties that has its own personality, which is convivial in this case. It’s just friendly as can be, regardless of who attends. I love when events develop personalities.
Oh, but I didn’t write this first paragraph to boast about our party, not really. The big guy is a senior and the little guy about to turn two and that’s about how long we’ve been in the house (a little longer) and so that big guy was that little guy and we did all of us who’ve been in the neighborhood for a long stretch and especially the subset that have us some gangly teens ogle the little guy with a kind of Jon Stewart “Whaaa?”
True story. They grow up.
Me with PIE another year
Grateful today that my dashboard says sun and clouds and 82 degrees later (quick summery burst today and the next couple of days) and that these morning clouds should lift for our PIE contest. I put the caps to make PIE sound loud. If you’re in Northampton, you can bring a pie or you can just come and eat some pie (at three). If you like the idea of supporting a program that doubles SNAP (food stamps) benefits at a farmers’ market, support our Indiegogo this month. We have perks that could please the faraway supporters. I love that we help local food security through access to healthy food and another income stream to our local farmers. Win-win. Grateful, too, that the school year is now underway for real (the first days are over). Transitions are stressful; perhaps now, we settle in a bit, even the folks not in school, to our new routines. Finally, I’m grateful for the recent obsession I am sharing with sons one and three—Nurse Jackie. Holy cow, I love the characters so much, especially Zoey.
Three to share: Karen Dempsey’s essay on the new site Full Grown People (lots of great essays there) about taking her father to the Gap (I will say no more) is such a fun read. Go for it.
My essay about the first day of kindergarten and sharing the photo is up on the main page of Brain, Child’s site.
And rather than read, here’s one to cook; I ate this chana masala at a potluck and asked for the recipe. I think it could be a game changer in our food-that-isn’t-hard-to-make meal rotation.
