Don’t Blame Me, I Voted for Mike Capuano

Posted on January 20, 2010
Filed Under me and my brain, politics, rant, the 'hood | Leave a Comment

… in the Democratic primary for the special election to replace Ted Kennedy in the U.S. Senate. Here’s a link to Capuano’s official web site, in case you’re not familiar with him and his positions. He was the mayor of Somerville and we loved him. He’s currently our representative in the U.S. House and I still think he does a great job. He’s got a lot more spunk than Martha Coakley. I’d like to think he’d have beaten Scott Brown, but maybe the outcome of the election would have just been that much more depressing had it been him instead of Coakley. It would have been a much more spirited campaign–I’m sure of that.

On to brighter topics…

Help keep Lorem Ipsum Bookstore in business!

Posted on November 17, 2009
Filed Under Blather, Literary, the 'hood | Leave a Comment

Local independent bookstore, Lorem Ipsum, is in danger of going out of business. They’ve found a new home, but need to sell 5,000 $10 certificates, each good for any book priced $20 or less, in the next 10 days. They have an online store, and I’ve already found a few things in their stock that I’ve been looking for. Help them out! http://www.loremipsumbooks.com/fb/

Some Things I Love

Posted on October 1, 2009
Filed Under Blather, Literary, dining, me and my brain, the 'hood, the telly | 5 Comments

Kim did a post like this, and I’ve been wanting to do one myself. Mine will be sillier than hers because some of the things I love are pretty silly.

Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes and Wild Blueberry Clusters


So yummy–tastes like a really good blueberry muffin.

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Guru: The Indian Caterer


Oh my, this is incredibly good Indian food–fresh and delicious, not run of the mill. And so cheap!!! And it’s practically around the corner from our house.

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The Strand Bookstore



It’s sprawling, it’s packed with books, it’s a Manhattan classic right in Union Square. They’ve kept up with the times–they have an excellent web site on which I’ve discovered a bunch of books–and at the same time they’ve maintained a sort of old school presence in their main store. The last few times I’ve been in New York, I’ve spent hours there–sometimes over multiple visits. The last time I was at the main store, I went to collect some books I’d ordered online. Of course, I had to browse, and ended up adding a few to my pre-ordered stack. They sell new and used, remainders, review copies, and rare books. They have a great art section on the second floor, and there’s a sizable children’s section that I’ve never really properly investigated. Their prices are generally very good. Their book bags are awesome, too. If their onesies came in slightly more appealing patterns, Rainey would already have one.

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Arrested Development



Ez and I don’t watch a lot of television, but we do watch a lot of DVDs. Like many people, we missed Arrested Development when it first aired. That was our loss. We just finished watching the whole series on DVD and we love it! Funny stuff. I’m sure we’ll see the film, though I’m a LITTLE worried that it won’t live up to the series.

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Casa Silva Sauvignon Gris 2006



We tasted this wine at Dave’s Fresh Pasta and we really like it. It’s got this sort of tangy, almost effervescent quality.
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My computer has been unreliable of late–hardware problem, we think–so I’ll end this post here. I’ll have to make this a series as I think of other things I like enough to blog about them.

More visits

Posted on August 17, 2009
Filed Under Blather, Gastronomie, das kiddo, dining, family, friends, the 'hood | Leave a Comment

Last Wednesday Kim, Glenn, and Hope arrived and met Rainer for the first time. It was sort of weird that they hadn’t met him sooner. Aunt Kim, Uncle Glenn, and Cousin Hope were sooo helpful! I think they enjoyed their time with the little mister, too. During their visit we played in the park, went out for ice cream, took lots of walks, visited the ducks in the Public Garden, went to the Davis Square farmer’s market, and ate lots of good food (both home cooked and not). They left yesterday.

Friday was Rainey’s four-week birthday. He’s growing and developing every day. He loves when Mommy and Daddy sing to him. The other day we sang and danced to “How High the Moon” and he got so excited! It seems that he is starting to be able to focus better on things a little further from his face, so he’s starting to enjoy the mobile in his crib more and he’s getting better at batting at the animals in his play yard.

Hope has a birthday coming soon, too. She’s getting so big! I was very impressed with how polite she is, and if she ever misbehaved I could always tell that she knew she was misbehaving. She must have good parents or something.

On Sunday our dear friend Heather came by to say hello and meet Rainey. She brought us fresh pies–peach and apple–from local shop Petsi Pies. Every time we drive past their shop on Beacon Street in Somerville I wonder about them. We tried the peach because it was still warm and it’s so good… tastes like they went out and picked the peaches that morning. Heather’s so lovely–always a breath of fresh air. She also gave Rainey a great book–Bruno Munari’s ABC. It has wonderful illustrations and is more creative and appealing than a standard ABC book (for example, a quail represents the letter Q). Thanks, Heather!

Pregnant Lady spills the beans

Posted on June 19, 2009
Filed Under Blather, Pennsylvania, das kiddo, dining, family, friends, me and my brain, the 'hood, the written word | 8 Comments

Now that I’m pretty far along, I’ve been pondering my overall thoughts on this whole pregnancy business. I don’t have anything too deep to impart just at the moment, but here are some practical reflections:

Only time will tell if it will actually achieve its intended purpose–to reduce stretch marks–but I have loved using Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter.
http://www.burtsbees.com/wcsstore/Bee2C/images/products/762_l.jpg

It just feels nice to smooth it onto the ever-expanding baby bump. I haven’t tried any of the other belly butters for pregnant women, so I can’t offer a comparison, but I’ll go ahead and recommend Mama Bee anyhow.

There are a lot of books and magazines out there, and I’ve done my darnedest to ignore most of them. Some are targeted at a different sort of mother, I think. Some just seem like a series of ads with nothing more than absolute fluff (if that) in between. And some have agendas that don’t fit in with what I have in mind for myself and my family. All that said, I have come across a few books and even a magazine or two that aren’t too bad–a few are even helpful! One of the first books we bought when we found out we were pregnant was the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. It’s a good reference guide with straightforward explanations of what’s happening to your body and to your baby throughout pregnancy. Another good book (well, I haven’t had a chance to test out the book’s recommendations yet, but it seems good) is The Happiest Baby on the Block. Yeah, it’s kind of the flavor of the moment, and there’s a good bit of rah-rah in the book, but the basic advice it provides on how to calm a crying baby is specific, seems sound, and comes recommended to me from friends and medical pros. As for magazines, the only ones I’ve been able to stomach have come to me free from my Ob/Gyn office. Fit Pregnancy seems to be at the center of the franchise, and they also publish some special magazines for mom and newborn and that kind of thing. It’s still a magazine with ads and some goofy celeb articles, so it’s not perfect, but it seems aimed more at an intelligent, perhaps more modern and urban audience than some of the other mags. I’ve found decent product reviews, recommended exercises, recipes, etc. in a couple of recent issues.

Ez and I have taken two classes so far at Harvard Vanguard in Cambridge–Prepared Childbirth and Caring for Your Newborn–and I’m so glad we took both of them. Sure, some of what was discussed we already knew, but there’s plenty we didn’t, and it’s good to have it all confirmed and put together coherently. It’s also good to see other expectant couples and hear how they’re doing. Our instructors were both very good–very knowledgeable, approachable, and down-to-earth. I know that Isis Maternity does loads of classes, and they’re probably very good, but I just wanted to go with the Harvard Vanguard classes. I’m not sure, but I think they might be a little cheaper (may depend on your insurance). Even if they’re not, I just wanted to stick with something that feels a little less retail and a little more health-oriented for now. As with the Mama Bee, I can’t compare the classes to anything else, really, but I feel that I can whole-heartedly recommend them.

There are a lot of deals out there.  The major baby clothing folks have frequent sales.  Of the basic standby brands, Carters and Oshkosh seem pretty good–they might even be corporately connected at this point.  They have a lot of outlet stores and they’re always sending out coupons and having promotions.  Gymboree is all right, though I think their stuff is maybe a little better for slightly older children rather than newborns.  They have a lot of sales, too. 

http://www.teacollection.com/live/images/products/small/R93267L_Cilantro.jpg
Our kiddo has this little gem from Tea Collection waiting for him.

When it comes to slightly more posh stuff, I’m a fan of the Tea Collection (well, some of it), BabySoy, and Janie and Jack.  Janie and Jack can be a little on the uber-preppy side, but the stuff is very well made and some of it is so cute!  It’s pricey, but sometimes they have good sales, and sometimes it’s just worth it to splurge.
 
http://s7d3.scene7.com/is/image/JanieAndJack/100008662?$PRODLIST$
Bubnick’s hoodie from Janie and Jack. You can’t see from this little picture, but it has a submarine on it.

BabySoy stuff is simple, well made, and really soft.  Of those three more pricey clothing options, Tea Collection has the best sales.  Their range is nice when I’m sick of the blue for boys, pink for girls business.

And then there are the consignment shops. I mean, kids grow fast! Super big props to my pal Lisa for taking me on a tour of some of her favorite kid consignment stores in our area. My fave of them all is Growing Up in Belmont (they’re on facebook but don’t have a web site yet). Their prices are just as good as other consignment shops, and they get in the best merch. There are good kid consignment shops everywhere, it seems. I’ve been to good ones in State College and the DC/Northern VA area, too.

Lots of people have asked me how I’ve been feeling and what I’ve been craving. At first, I felt pretty good. At the VERY beginning, I was a bit light-headed and warm. In the first trimester, I was pretty tired at times, and maybe a little moody, but I really never had “morning sickness.” I was lucky. My second trimester was pretty easy, as it is for most people, though I think I had less energy than some people have. I found out around the end of my 2nd trimester that I am anemic (possibly pregnancy-related), and that may be why I felt so blah. I’m on iron supplements now, and I think they’re helping. Sometime during my 2nd trimester, the heartburn started. Now it’s pretty bad, especially at night. That’s the big thing that kept me up a couple of days ago. No amount of antacids, repositioning, or drinking water seemed to help. But some days it’s better than others, and it’s very normal at this stage in pregnancy. Like many pregnant women, I’m experiencing a little swelling. I especially notice it in my ankles, but again–it’s not that bad. I’ve encountered pregnant women who have it a lot worse than I do. As of today, I physically just feel big. I get winded pretty easily. Again, that’s all typical. That’s me, Typical Terri the Pregnancy Fairy. Anyhoo…

Cravings… I don’t know that I’ve had specific cravings, but looking back on what I’ve been eating over the last 8 months, I’ve consumed a good bit of:

Those are the items that seem remarkable. I still eat a lot of tomatoes, and my veggie intake seems about the same as ever. If I am getting more protein, I think it’s from the dairy products and nuts. I haven’t been eating substantially more soy products or anything like that. And I tried pickles at one point, because you know–they say pregnant women crave pickles. Well, I actually found them a bit repulsive, and usually I like dill pickles. Go figure.

And a final note: I might have the best friends and family in the whole world. Whenever I get a bit nervous or stressed about some aspect of pregnancy, childbirth, or motherhood, I am able to handle it okay, and I think a lot of that is because I know I have support from friends (both those with children of their own and those without), family (via phone, web, and in person), and of course my wonderful husband. Besides the obvious biological stuff, I would not be doing this without him. We’ve always said that when we are together everything is better. We’re planting this kid in a well-tended garden.

Pretty days in Somerville

Posted on April 30, 2009
Filed Under Blather, art, das kiddo, family, knitting, the 'hood, this old house | 3 Comments

Except for Tuesday, which was super hot, it has been really lovely recently. Each day has been filled with clear sunshine and the temps have been in the upper 50s-upper 60s. I’ve been enjoying my little walks (mostly to True Grounds, my current favorite coffee shop/work spot).

This week our nursery furniture arrived. The crib and dresser came on Tuesday. They both require assembly, so they’re in pieces at the moment, but last night we did open up the crib box just to make sure everything looks okay. It does. Yesterday the comfy glider arrived. Looking at the measurements online I was a little worried that the chair would be too big to fit through the doorway to the nursery, but Ez got it through with no trouble. I like it! We’ll have to be vigilant about de-linting it… microfiber, you know.

chair

This week I also finished the second knit hat for our little muncher. It’s the same as the first, but in a different yarn and color. I liked working with the wool yarn a bit better–I think that’s a general preference of mine. In my experience, wool just tends to be softer and to produce better stitch definition. I think both of the hats are super cute, though. He’ll have one for summer/fall and one for fall/winter! Oh, and I finally (after–what is it now–13 years of knitting?) got some little double pointed needles to finish the top of the hat instead of improvising and probably stretching out the yarn. I’m not sure what I was nervous about–that I’d drop stitches or lose the little needles, I guess.

nursery paint tests
Last night Ez tried out two paint colors in the nursery, so I’ll be periodically wandering in there today to scrutinize. It’s a sort of drab green at the moment, so the effect of the new (light, slightly greenish blue) paint is going to be very different. We’ve been pondering leaving our Miro poster where it is in the nursery–all those bright colors and interesting shapes!–challenging and exciting!–perfect for our kid, right? But we’re thinking maybe not. It’s not Miro’s “friendliest” work. It’s open to interpretation, but it might be a bit angry-looking, even war-like, for a fresh-hatched type. I can see just the spot where we can move it in the living room, in fact. He can worry about war and anger later.

Honk Fest 2008

Posted on October 12, 2008
Filed Under Blather, the 'hood | 3 Comments

Ezra recently posted about Honk Fest 2008, and I thought I’d share my photos here, too.  We joined in the parade today, stationing ourselves early along the route and then walking along the route with the parade.  It’s a gorgeous day–perfect for a parade!


sundial

Posted on July 17, 2008
Filed Under Blather, art, photography, the 'hood | 2 Comments



This one was taken on my Holga (so it’s 120 film). It’s a double exposure, and it’s from my first crack at developing my own 120 film.

Yay! Modern Pastry to manage Soleil Cafe!

Posted on June 24, 2008
Filed Under Blather, dining, the 'hood | 2 Comments

I just walked by Soleil Cafe, as I do pretty much any time I walk home from the T. From across the street I saw that the cafe windows are all papered, and I wondered if the place had closed. It seems like they’d been reducing their hours over time and I always wanted to like their food more than I did. Once I got closer, I saw the little signs in all the windows indicating that the cafe is closed but will soon re-open under the management of the fine people who run Modern Pastry in the North End and Medford! Pastries, gelato, sandwiches, and other delights are promised! Yay!!

Song of the Day

The Essex Green-Sorry River 

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The Knitting Turnip

On My Needles

Rhapsody in Tweed cabled pullover for Ezra! using Tahki Donegal Tweed in Forest, from Fall 2004 Interweave Knits. I've just picked this one up again, so it's moving up in the queue!

Sweater with Cable Patterns pullover using Araucania Nature Wool Chunky in Mauve, from Rebecca Magazine Number 28

Heather Pullover using Classic Elite Wings in Larkspur, from Rowan’s A Season’s Tale... This needs the knit doctor. I'm going to have to frog back a little bit and redo the shoulder area. Long story.

Hush Pullover using Jo Sharp DK wool in Wine, from Rowan’s Calmer Collection

More scoop on my knitting endeavors can be found at my home on Ravelry (clicky here).

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