A few things

that made me smile today::

watching Ina Garten on tv in the waiting room at the orthodontist: she's baking something with her KitchenAid, and when she pulls the paddle attachment off and puts it to the side, Lindsey says, incredulously, "she didn't even lick it!"

my girls genuinely laughing at me, and my pathetic attempt at an Australian accent. I'm a sucker for a good accent, and have always wished I could do an English one. However, we all agreed it's a good thing I can't, because I would definitely use it all the time, and annoy everyone.

my mother dropping in unexpectedly this morning, and her being exactly the one person I needed to talk to just then.

cherries-local(ish) and dirt cheap (well, relatively speaking)...

even the boys pitching in to clean up our basement (the girls pointed out that it was only fair, seeing as they spend as much time down there as they do.)

this photo. and this one. and this one. summer.

the newborns next door getting all cute and chubby.

and an old favorite tonight: broccoli rabe, sausage, white beans, pasta. Oh, yes, thank you.

Hope you had some smiles today. Thanks for reading.
tt

Holiday

This weekend.

This weekend was::
having an "only child" for four whole days.

brothers and nephew and grandfather and son-in-law, all around the same table; a table usually surrounded by girls.

taking a road trip to Hudson, NY. Date night for three: beer and books, organic pizza, and a drive-in movie!

keeping a four-year-old up later than ever, and staying in bed in the mornings, later than ever.

making plans for small improvements around the house. Being invigorated and inspired by this . (Notice Eunju Kang's work on the walls!) It's amazing what moving a few things around the house can do. I find I look at our rooms and our "stuff" with a fresh pair of eyes.

supper at the beach club, with unexpected friends, a fire ring, and an amazing sunset. It was hard to remember the weeks on end of rain. (I'll tell you about the supper recipe, later on.)

I miss the girls so much-always more than I anticipate-but I feel rejuvenated and ready for the next few weeks of summer, when that only child turns back into the youngest of six.

Hope your weekend was peaceful and sun-filled, too. Thanks for reading.
tt

Friday Happiness :: Thirteen things

I'm loving today:

:: matzoh with a smear of dark chocolate. Some look at such a concoction and ask "why"? I say, try it and you'll know.

::the enthusiasm our girls can muster for Pi Day.

::Bonnard at the Met. If I don't get to see this exhibit in the next five weeks, I would really like someone to just put me out of my misery.

::Green outside my window, under my feet, sprouting from branches above me. Green, and not a speck of dirty white stuff.

::Tonight, finally giving the ten-year-old the sleepover she's been waiting for. Wish me luck.

::Molly Wizenberg's book, which is warm, and quirky, and beautiful. And should explain the impulse behind my long-winded breakfast post. Lunch, Dinner, and Snacking to come soon.

::Tomorrow night, the opening reception for Elizabeth Solomon's show. It's a pleasure to have her work up on the walls, and I'm looking forward to seeing her again, and enjoying another fun night at the gallery.

::my husband, who in addition to being eminently lovable, remains ever supportive, ridiculously cute, and remembers to take out the garbage.

::design*sponge. I could just leave it there. And I know I've already confessed here to an addiction. But now I'm branching out from sneak peeks ,to city guides. What can be said about people who make me as impatient to revisit Providence, Rhode Island, as I am Paris?

::Jen 11. A collaborative, multi-venued exhibit featuring my most-favorite, Jennifer Judd-McGee (and ten other very talented Jennifers).

::John Legend. Isn't it wonderful when you find a random song you love, and then find out that everything else that artist does is just as good?

::Julie's kitchen. Which is featured at Apartment Therapy SF today. How cool is that? Incredibly appealing kitchen aside (and you should see the "writing house", or whatever she'll end up calling it, that her husband built for her), Julie is incredibly talented, funny and smart, and her writing always leaves me with something to think about.

::my parents. I say this with trepidation, as they will predictably respond with a chorus of "get on a plane to Florida," but...I really, really miss them.

Enjoy your Friday the Thirteenth. Happy weekending.

More tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
tt

Black shoes

In our town(as in yours, I imagine), there are always one or two people whom you see everywhere, but don't know. You see them in line at the drug store, in the market, at school for pick-up and orchestra concerts. In the coffee house. Maybe you nod to each other. Then, after some time passes and you're still running into one another, you may wave, or say "hi," even. But your paths never cross directly, or for long enough, to get to know each other.

Well, in my town there was always one woman in particular whom I saw everywhere. Mostly in our cars, picking up kids, or driving past one another through town.

One day this fall, in a pulmonologist's office on the other side of the county, this woman and I ended up sitting in the waiting room together! We waved, and nodded. Said "hi." Then I introduced myself. She got up and came and sat next to me. We talked about what she was knitting, where we got our hair cut (she had really cute, short hair), which schools our kids are in.

Then Lindsey's name was called, we said goodbye, and went in to the examining room.

I still see her every day in the car pick-up line at the middle school. For the first week or so, I would wave, try to catch her eye. She looked up once and nodded. But that was it. She never waved back, then or now.

I don't wave anymore, but I do occasionally look over as I drive up, to see if we make eye contact. Maybe she's just knitting.

There's another woman I met once, eight years ago, in a friend's kitchen. I see her occasionally, and I always wave and call her by name. At this point, I seem to take her by surprise. Often, I see her on her way out of Coffee Labs, trying to juggle her coffee and her keys, getting into her car as I drive by. She can't really wave back, but she always smiles and lifts her chin, as if to say "Oh, hi there!"

I wonder? Which is the norm?

More tomorrow. Thanks for reading.
tt