Organic isn't always pretty, it's life

Tuesday I got to take Claire for her first, and most likely not her last, EEG. We actually had a lot of fun for the most part. Since it was just the two of us we got to take the Smart car and listen to the music loud which is always a good time. We got there early enough to knock out the EKG before the EEG appointment. I am so impressed with this little girls ability to take tests and deal with medical stuff like it is nothing. I am so thankful to Dr. Seuss and Apple, truly the audiobook made it so easy for her to lay there still and giggle while they ran the test. The EEG was a whole different story. The tech didn't get Claire and didn't think that the whole process needed to be explained to me. If I had known what there were trying to do before they tried to do it, I could have helped, but you live and learn. Claire didn't care for the quiet time in the dark room, but for the most part she did well. After the grand finale with the strobe light in her face was done, we turned the lights on and sat pulled the Eco next to her. What does she say? "Light bulb, good" My sweet little rockstar likes the crazy lights. She was all smiles while they tried to get the goo out of her hair and then we were off. She crashed in the car on the way home, such an exhausting morning, I just kept breathing. Still trying to figure out what just happened and how I came to have a life that involves a 4 year old who can't speak with her mouth and needs to be followed by multiple medical specialties. Wednesday was CSA day :-) I love the bounty that comes to us each week from the farm, I am truly blessed to have that available to us. Even as fresh as it is, the food is far from perfect. In fact, because it is organic and they don't use evil chemicals some times the berries are a little squishy and the chard has a few holes in it. I had to pick a small caterpillar out of the broccoli, such a good reminder of how complex life is. First thing is to cut up the strawberries. The miracle of both girls sleeping had happened so I was able to actually think and process as I did this. As I would cut the bits that were rotting off and toss what was left into the bowl I thought (admittedly way too much) about why I cut the parts off like that. Is it because it isn't pretty? Because the color is off? No, it is because I want to protect the rest of the fruit. It just isn't realistic to get several baskets of organic strawberries and not have a few bug and a few mushy berries. A lot like life I guess, but I can tell you that my fresh, organic, not perfect berries taste so much better than the commercialized crap at the store. Kinda like my life with children's hospitals and therapy appointments, oh so sweet! Thursday came and I had the opportunity to tuck some of my lovely food into jars and put it away for the winter. It sure is nutty and I still don't know I got here, but at least this week I am really appreciating my organic experience, the bugs and the beauty. As far as the results from the tests, that is a whole new post, but Claire is alright.

Sweet Silence and Glorious Noisiness

Wednesday night I was allowed the supreme pleasure of cooking in silence! The girls were down and Jared was at church for a class, so I had a quiet kitchen all to myself, it was amazing! One of my favorite things about cooking are the sounds of all of the food in process. There is a distinct sound of cutting through mushrooms that I am particularly fond of as well as the sound of bacon crisping in the oven. To make this sublime experience even better, I was cooking for other people. We have a friend with a 2 month old baby and a very ill wife so Jared had offered to provide dinner for them. I had also volunteered to provide everything for gluten-free pizza's for the cooking class at Claire's school. I finally had a moment in life just like I had dreamed it would be, before I learned just how special Claire is. It took nearly two years, but I got it. The transition process into school was really hard for us. There was a lot of frustrating testing, people who didn't have a clue what to do with Claire, lawyers and quoting of federal law. It was nothing like I had imagined it would be when Claire was a baby. I am sure that this place where it all seems more normal is because I have had some time to adjust. Thursday morning came and I was no longer in my happy, quiet kitchen, rather running around dividing up the previous nights prep into their proper bag while dodging Chloe. I was granted permission (Claire is in a very closely protected autism preschool where there are already a lot of adults) to be there for the cooking class. When I arrived Claire was the first one at the table and she was sitting there beaming. Sandra, one of the most amazing aides ever!, led the group in each making their own gluten free pizza. Getting all of the kids to do this is quiet an accomplishment and in the process there was a lot of activity (it was a lot of noise). Of coarse with so much going on Claire was totally overwhelmed and to protect herself fell asleep before the pizzas came back from the oven. Poor little thing never got to eat hers, but she did get to smile so proud when everyone thanked Claire's mom for bringing pizzas and I got to feel like I have a typical life.

The snail and the CSA

Last week I made a huge mess in the fridge in the process of thawing some beef. Over the weekend my wonderful husband took it all apart to clean it out well while I had all the veggies out prepping for the week. He did such a good job that he even found the snail that was on the underside of the bottom shelf, which doubles as the top to the produce drawer. I was so glad that it was still alive and we set it free in the bushes off the porch. It seems very ironic to me that just as we are finally slowing down we would stumble upon a lovely little snail, which to me is the embodiment of slow. We are proud members of Slow Food USA but in the last few weeks haven't been taking the time to prepare meals and enjoy them together. So being in the kitchen with Jared when we found the snail was just so special, I am crazy, I know. It is so nice that things have calmed just in time for the start of the CSA season. Not that I don't love the beets, kale and cabbage that we have been getting all winter, but the start to the CSA season is a sign of lots of yummy food to come. Last season was a little crazy, I eagerly anticipate being able to soak in all of the bounty from our local farms a bit more this year. I really feel like farm fresh foods is one of the ways that God tells me he loves me. I am in such awe at the diversity of different crops and how fragile the system is. Too much rain or heat and there is a problem. Yet, it all works out and large populations have sustained on this fragile system. What a beautiful example of God's beautiful control of everything. I love how much my little Claire is like the snail and the farm. So fragile, yet she perseveres, with a great deal of patience, she can do the most amazing things. It is so hard to learn to back off and not facilitate nature, this morning as I was patient Claire stood up using only contact guard for assistance, something that she has been able to do, but it depends on me giving her the time and not rushing. So many lessons to learn, too bad my brain is so finite, I guess I will just have to keep trying to go slow and absorb what I can.

There are no great and humble cooks

Maybe it has something to do with my time in culinary school or the work I did in the kitchen at the Westin, but I am a pretty confident cook. To be honest, confident most likely doesn't cover it, more accurately over-confident, humility lacking, and down right boastful would better describe how I view my skills. Lately, all I've been making is food for the girls and every once in a while, us. Chloe has been working on solids for almost two months and aside from rice cereal, I've made it all. However, with the surgery I got a little behind on my food mashing activities. Knowing that we were getting low on the supply I picked up a few jars of Earth's Best organic baby food while we were out. Two nights ago Chloe devoured the pears and cinnamon and I figured that I would try a jar of carrots since we were out of veggies. You would think that I was trying to kill her. I got one spoonful into her mouth and she looked at me as if I had tried to feed her poison. I put on a smile and tried for a second bite, intercepted. She then, in the agony of being fed horrible jarred food covered her eyes in disgust and then tried to pull her hair out, in the process, getting carrot all over! I have to say it was the greatest complement ever! To those of my friends that are a second child and have voiced concern about Chloe not getting full attention in the shadow of her sister, know this. Claire was fed jar after jar of baby food (still the organic stuff) since I was chasing around AZ with my mom post stroke. Chloe has been eating fresh cooked veggies from the farm one town over. She might eventually have to wear hand me down clothes, but she is eating like a queen. After this incident I promptly roasted some winter squash. Yesterday we had it for lunch and she gobbled it right up! I have to admit that as a mom I screw stuff up all the time, like completely forgetting to give her a bottle before bed, leaving the diaper bag at home and so on, but at least I know that she loves my food and will turn her nose up to anything of lesser quality.

Feeling Blessed

Things are starting to slow down enough that I am able to think a little and feel as I move through the days. I hate it when I go through a day and know that there were a lot more blessings in it than I saw. Friday was a little intense. Claire got out of school two and a half hours earlier and the two previous night Chloe had kicked our buts. Then our nanny called to say that she was at the doc with strep and wouldn't be around any time soon. So I pretty much freaked out and felt so overwhelmed. Then, I assume by the grace of God, I found the strength to take a deep breath. So glad I did! I had so much fun with the girls that day. Then Saturday we went up to Oakland and had a nice relaxing morning at a street food festival. As I sat there feeding Claire, of coarse with people staring, I was thinking how blessed I am to be able to share my love of food with her. One of the suckier things about Rett is that often the girls have to get a feeding tube to keep weight on. Claire still has very good control of her mouth, so every day we try to put the yummiest food we can find in it. I am finding the richest and most amazing moments that I get to have each day come out of really hard things like this. I guess that has lead me to start to cherish the tough things, because ultimately, they truly lead to such sweetness. Like talking on the phone with my mom or watching Claire take 8 minutes to wiggle out of bed. Maybe they are just everyday things to most, but because of some hard circumstances they have turned into the biggest blessings. So I sit here this morning and think about my life and I just have to say how amazed I am that I have gotten so much blessing, far more than I ever could have imagined.

Food Rant!

I begin writing with such mixed emotions. It may seem silly to you, but I am very passionate about food. It gave me such joy today when I went to get my CSA stuff and I saw that I was getting a watermelon. A real watermelon, not one that is perfectly round, but one with flavor and character. After picking up my fruit, veggies, eggs and goat milk from the porch of a home a few blocks away, I stopped by Safeway to get some tortilla chips for Jared to enjoy the salsa that I made a few weeks back. Wow, what a different emotion that experience was. I almost felt violated. All of the rows of packaged food, stacked to the ceiling, yelling at me with their loud marketing. I am still in my 20's, it isn't like it has been that long since I have been in a market, but this was horrible. The package sizes and low quality ingredients just blow my mind. There was an open refrigerated case with single serving beverages as well as bottles of wine. I was not really surprised that the case didn't contain any decent wine but I was taken back by the other beverages. Who needs to drink 24ounces of Frappacino, nobody, ever! The soda was sold in 1 liter bottles, what happened to a 12 ounce can? Then there was the check out. I was aghast at the magazines degrading various famous people for whatever they are doing in their lives mixed with the convience foods put forth by the Hershey company. I almost ran out of the store crying. The poor people that go there regularly. Such a good reminder of how important it is to "Vote With Your Fork". It might sound crazy that we eat mostly beef and veggies, but we are blessed with those resources close to us, so that is what we eat. I know that I am not perfect. I have a bad habit of occasionally enjoying Panda Express (which I normally regret) or when trapped in the car with two sleeping girls going to a drive-thru for some french fries. I guess the part that makes me so sad is that so many people just don't realize what they are doing and the options that they really do have. Those that think that they are doing the world a favor by purchasing really small individually wrapped organic snacks are missing it. Eat an apple or a carrot! It is tragic to me that our nation is so missing the big picture on our food system. On the bright side, there is movement, momentum is stirring for a sustainable food system. I belong to a preservationist society. I am able to get tomatoes and cucumbers among other things in quantity almost directly from local farms. When their fields are brimming with food faster than they can get it all sold at market, an email goes out and I can put my order in for a Friday afternoon pick up. There are few things I would rather do than spend a Saturday at home with the girls, in and out of the kitchen and wind up with shelf full of salsa for the winter or strawberry jam. Actually, there is one other thing I would rather do, go to a festival celebrating food and it's place in culture. If you are in the Oakland area at the end of Aug. you might want to check out Eat Real, we hope to go, girls and weather permitting. So that is my rant, I feel better now, time to go make some fruit spread with all my fresh berries.

Sweetness

I know that her eyes aren't open, but seriously, that smile says it all. We had a good bit of fun last night. The little bear truly enjoys wearing different hats and being a big ball of silliness, which we absolutely embrace. I have been thinking a lot lately, part of the process I guess. We have had the"diagnosis" for over a year now, and still I wrestle with what it is and what to do with it on a daily basis. Recently I have found myself so grateful for the whole thing. The month of December seems to be such busyness for so many people, who work very hard to make sure that they have that memorable holiday. We have kept it pretty simple. A string of lights around the window, a small tree and a Menorah on a small table. I haven't gone shopping or purchased any presents yet, and I don't intend to. I have been enjoying hours spent in the kitchen making apple butter and other canned goods. Each day I have had the opportunity to enjoy so many moments, and I have. Taking time to listen to a stranger over a cup of coffee or not being the car rushing in traffic, the whole of it has been very enjoyable. It makes me so grateful for how I have gotten to know God in a very different way as a result of the messiness that has resulted from Rett Syndrome. I think that through it I am able to see so much else, not just being able to celebrate the 10 seconds of standing that Claire surprised me with or being pateint with her during meal time. But also being able to see the smaller victories that happen all around me and being able to see the charachter of God in them. It has left me on so many occasion thinking to myself, sweet.

A diverse pallatte

One of the great things about living so close to the ocean is that there are lots of yummy things swimming around in it. Friday a friend went fishing and captured a bunch of rockfish and crab. As you may know I am a huge fan of slow food, it doesn't seem to get slower than this. We were invited over on Saturday for Ciappoino to celebrate the catch. As the soup cooked we sat around picking out nuggets of crab meat and thought that we would see if Claire enjoyed the sweet richness of the crab. Turns out that she is a crab eating machine, who knew. She also seems to enjoy calamari even when it is not breaded and fried. The soup was spectacular. I found it best to avoid using a spoon by using several pieces of fresh bread to soak up the tomatoy goodness. Claire's feeding extravaganza continued as she enjoyed pancakes and crisp bacon this morning. We then went to church where she got to play with the other kids her age. When we picked her up we learned of yet another culinary delight that she seems to enjoy, popsicle sticks dyed red and covered in glue. Who would have known? This is Claire's "Tower of Babble," I love how they were able to incorporate her different sounding speech into the lesson.

Delayed Gratification

I have recently started to can fruits and vegetables in order to take full advantage of the amazing harvest period that we have here. We were over at dinner and a friend offered us tomatoes that they had picked from their garden that day. I had to decline because we already had too many. Now that I am honing my canning skills, I hope to never have to decline fresh, free food again. I really enjoy the process of canning. It is a slow and very methodical process. I have found that with many recipes the longer it takes, the more rewarding it is. Today I made apple butter and grape jelly, neither of which went very quickly. The jelly had to be made in two different sessions because I wanted to make sure and get it right. The apples butter simmered for hours as the sugars caramelized and our home filled with the aroma of harvest. As I sit now and listen to the final jar pop closed I have such a wonderful sense of accomplishment. To go along side that, Jared asked, "So when do we get to eat this?" He had a hard time understanding the concept of making food for later and not now. It made me stop and think, wow, that is so the world that we live in. Maybe that is why it is so hard to set aside time to do this. I am so consumed with meeting the needs of now, it is hard to look to the future. I think that instant gratification is something that has become embedded into our culture and I am seeing that we are slowly starting to break from that, thanks to the forces of Claire. Because of her severe apraxia and dyspraxia (sorry about spelling) she doesn't have the luxery of instant. She has to work so hard and have so much patience. Until we get a more progressive communication system in place, she often has to wait until I figure out the right choices to offer her. Talk about delayed gratification, she sees something that she wants, looks at it, smiles at me. I am in my own world, who knows how long it takes before I figure it out. But she is patient, waiting for me to see the cues. I do think that she has something going for her, that the delay before the reward, certainly makes it richer. Since I assume that you have come to my blog to see and hear about Claire and not my rantings, here are some pictures from Saturday. We went to the pumpkin patch and then to lunch in Half Moon Bay. We had a lot of fun, and soon we will have pumpkin soup.

A rich weekend

It was a wonderful fall weekend for us. It started with the first rain. Jared spent the morning up at Mount Hermon in the trees and Claire and I stayed home and cuddled under blankets and watched the rain on the window. By afternoon it had cleared so we were off to the harvest festival at the farm at UCSC. Jared had been to the campus before, but it was a first time for all of us on the farm. We went with my friend Colleen who studied and interned on the farm and new all the ins and outs and cool things. Claire really liked getting her face painted. My favorite things were the grilled corn on the cob and the squash that I purchased to cook up later this week. Jared enjoyed the fresh pressed apple juice. Of coarse there were so many things to love, the bluegrass bands, the hay ride, u-pick sunflowers, apples right off the tree, and so on. It was so amazing to see how they are training up farmers to go out and use sustainable practices and all of the different aspects that it involves. Sunday we tried to sleep in, but Claire didn't. When we woke the house was 66degrees so we lit our spicy candles and started cooking in the kithcen. I spent most of the day at an amazing canning workshop where I made apple butter, quince jelly, and canned pears. It was such a great celebration of the bounty that God provides. I love that we are preserving it now so that when it isn't growing here in a few months I will be able to crack open a few jars and not go buy fruit imported from Argentina or fake fruit soaking in corn syrup. Jared and Claire went to church, where she made her debut in the preschool classroom, very exciting. To to put an exclamation point on the already great weekend we went to a birthday party for our friend Tim. It was at his parents home which is nestled into a redwood grove in the Santa Cruz mountains. As we arrived there were 4 deer in the meadow about 2 feet from the car. Claire just loved the deer. She also loved thebig red barn and the garden that she got to eat tomatos out of. We left tonight amazed at what a rich life God has given us. Amazing friends to enjoy all of the glory of fall with, we are so blessed.

Sad for Fountain Hills

I have been in Arizona for almost a day and I have already gone through such a range of emotions. Driving into Fountain Hills from the airport was great, it is a very beautiful landscape once you leave the cementness of the city. Red Rock was a great sight as it stood against the desert that was green from recent rain. Once we got to town we hand to arrange for food and that is when things took a turn. We went to Safeway because the more local chain seems to be under construction and I couldn't go there. Safeway is enormous and filled with lots of nothing in my mind. It was very overwhelming to navigate the many isles of boxes and packaged goods. As I went through the store I wondered how it is that the people have come to demand this sort of nonsense. It took us a long time to get here, but I have to hope that if people stopped to think about it, maybe they would be appaled too. I went to get Claire an avacado and was shocked when I read the label that bragged that it was from Chile. CHILE! I was fortunate to find one ripe avacado in the organic section that was from California, so we took it. While we were looking for some fresh pasta the store manger tried to hock some ribs at me, claiming that I could get some special discount. I asked where the meat came from and he looked at me like I had a third eye, why would you want to know that? He didn't answer just walked away. We made it out of the store and to the safety of my parents home where I was greeted by cases of bottled water, sad. The next morning Claire and I set off to the health food store, I remembered that they had been carrying local produce and I was excited to see what they had. I was really sad to hear that they were not able to keep offering the locally grown products because nobody would buy it. The customers reported that they were driving 25 minutes to another store to get stuff that was cheaper. At that moment my heart sank. This wonderful local business trying to do a good thing for all parties involved couldn't continue because the consumers wouldn't support the effort because it wasn't cheap enough. This is in a town filled with golf coarses, 600k condos and big burly Hummers. This morning I really feel sad for Fountain Hills, they have the resources to have it, but not the intelligence to know what it is.

Slow Food Nation '08

It all started as we headed up to the BART station, trying not to rush. We so badly wanted to get to the fun and it was the day that Claire picked to sleep in. Eventually we left and were able to catch the 11:35 train to the city. As we walked up the the civic center area I could hardly stand it. A whole celebration about food and where it comes from. Personally, I see it as a manifestation of God's greatness. He has given us so much and if we are good stewards, there are the most amazing rewards. Jared was starving so we went straight to the food. After getting a small plate with two Georgia biscuits with Serrano ham and fresh berry preserves we watched a comedy team perform on the soapbox, making sharp point through funny skits. Then it was off to the marketplace where we saw vendors from all over California selling their goods. It was so fun to see so much from where we live. There was no need to buy things because many of the vendors we already use at home. We spent the next few hours going between getting a bite to eat and walking through the victory garden and listening to people on the soapbox. I think that the highlight of the day was listening to a man speak about the honeybee population problem and another man who spoke about the labeling of meat and poultry. It seems like there is so much that I can do to help, it was very empowering. The concept of taking the time to know where your food comes from is sadly foreign in this culture, yet easy and rewarding. As we left, we began to dream about someday moving up to Petaluma and becoming farmers. For now we'll be happy where we are, knowing our butcher and where he gets the animals that we eat.

She blew it!

Today Claire has decided to assert her two year old sense of humor on me, I have finally stopped laughing so I can share this with all of you. Let me set the background for you. We spend a lot of time working on oral motor skills. January we started to use a straw, by June she had gotten good at it and could even drink water (think liquids are more difficult). We are also working on blowing a flute, something that she has gotten very good at in the last few weeks. She has also dabbled in blowing bubbles in her apple juice, and I ignore the behavior. Today it all culminated. We had been enjoying lunch, she was well rested after a long nap. We had to use the potty in the middle, so this left her in her shirt and diaper as we got to the end of the meal. She hadn't eaten a lot, so I gave her the option for some Superfood, one of her favorite things. I am lazy, so I figured that I could put a straw in the bottle (like I have done 100 times) and hold it for Claire. She enjoyed it and was all smiles, then her smile got a little wider. She went for another sip and boom, everywhere, massive bubbles and superfood all over. After the shock of being covered tow to diaper in green juice, she laughed hysterically. We wiped everything up and she was very interested in having some more juice. We talked about how blowing bubbles in juice is a no, no and she had another chance. Sure enough, more bubbles, but she controlled it to stay in the bottle. Needless to say, we will be using cups with lids, because blowing bubbles is fun, and it's harder than it looks.

Oh,how I love the market!

If you haven't figured out yet, I love food, really a lot. As a person who is very involved with food I do also use it as a tool to cope. Today I ventured off to the Scotts Valley Market in need of onion rings, because they make me feel better. First I ordered our sandwiches from Colleen (you can always trust a person with a name like that) and then I went to the buffet to get my prize, onion rings. To my dismay, there were none to be found. I asked if there were some in back and Colleen said she could throw some in the fryer, so I figured, sweet. You can imagine my surprise when she left the counter area and went to the produce section only to return with, onions! I left to the check stand with fresh pressed sandwiches and onion rings that are to die for. I was thinking it was a little close to when the crew was coming over for dinner and a little soda could help get everything done a bit quicker, and soda and onions go very well together. To my delight, the market sells single cans of soda, I didn't have to buy a full 20oz. of carbonated sugar. What joy! This may seem very trivial, but I do love the Scotts Valley Market, and the fact that if I need three fresh fried onion rings and a little taste of soda, it will be there for me, along with all of the other amazing things there.

It all started with strawberries

Wednesday is our day to pick up our CSA stuff from a house a few blocks over. This has been the primary reason that I love Wednesday. Yesterday, it was only the beginning. It had been a good day, Claire worked with three different therapist and all went well. She was in such a good mood that we were able to go get our assortment of fresh stuff soon after it was dropped. Claire sat in the car enjoying the sweet melodies of Social Distortion and I got to go feast with my eyes. Stacks of boxes of fresh berries and vegetables, bags of plums and apples, brown eggs (still dirty with feathers) artisan bread and fresh goat milk. I just love to think about all of the families that will sit around their tables and enjoy this bounty together. Food this fresh and amazing really does deserve a proper family meal. Unfortunately, the feast would have to wait for our family until Thursday. We did immediately enjoy the blackberries, strawberries and broccoli. Though the blessing of a friend and babysitter, Jared and I were off to dinner, alone. It was fantastic, we feasted on tempura vegetables and sushi. The plan was to head North on 1 and watch the sun set from a beach. But we ate for too long and the sun was gone. Plan B, we walk on the beach by the boardwalk. It was fantastic. We were almost transformed into teenagers again as we stood in line for the "Hurricane" a roller coaster with lots of fast twists and it turns you upside down. We had almost begun to feel young again and then we looked around to see all of the wee little ones that were out so late. Then we felt old, but we were having a great time so who cares? The fog was rolling in and it was getting harder to see the lights of the wharf out in the distance. It was about 60 degrees yet it felt like summer. After the skyride (which is a bad idea with sandals) we got a big bag of cotton candy and went for a walk on the beach. I really do need to figure out a way to do this more often, as having cold sand in between my toes has the most amazing calming effect, or maybe it was the sound of the crashing waves. We walked along the beach watching the tide roll in and out and consumed mounds of soft billowy refined sugar. I don't know why, but for some reason when the tide swelled we were so mesmerized by it that it didn't occur to us that we were about to get it, but it felt good in a cold wet salty jeans sort of a way. As we walked back to the car we discussed this is yet another reason why we love living here. We just might go do it again next Wednesday, or find a new adventure.

Rockstar at the farmer's market

Today we ventured out to the farmer's market in downtown Santa Cruz. Recently Claire has taken to wearing cute hats, however, this has come with a problem. When wearing a wide brimmed hat, it falls over her face and she can't get it off, she then starts to violently hate life. So today as we walked around downtown, the hat had to come off. Oddly enough, it was sunny in Santa Cruz and poor Claire closes her eyes when the sun is on them. I didn't want her to miss the wonderful sights that God had provided at the market. The pleasure of looking at the peaches and plums. The corn, tomato and peas. The piles of fresh lettuce, it is so evident that God loves us that He designed food perfect to consume during hot weather that grows in the summer. Being a resourceful person I decided that the time had come for sun glasses for the little bear. We were downtown already and I knew of a great baby store with lots of organic stuff in it. Sure enough, they had the perfect shades for the little one. I was astonished at the transformation that took place as we placed the shades on her head. Instant rock star! As we walked around downtown an even greater number of people waved at Claire and made cute sounds as they walked by. So by the by, it was a great day. We got grapes and onions (everything else came in the CSA earlier in the day) and sampled some good Indian food. We saw amazing flowers and savored the sweetness of various stone fruit. So if you see Claire around in her rock star glasses, please don't ask for an autograph 1. She is still the same sweet Claire and isn't headed out on tour 2. She can't hold a crayon to sign, but we are working with the OT on the matter.

Words to Eat By

Endorsed and approved in 1989 by delegates from 20 countries Our century, which began and has developed under the insignia of industrial civilization, first invented the machine and then took it as its life model. We are enslaved by speed and have all succumbed to the same insidious virus: Fast Life, which disrupts our habits, pervades the privacy of our homes and forces us to eat Fast Foods. To be worthy of the name, Homo Sapiens should rid himself of speed before it reduces him to a species in danger of extinction. A firm defense of quiet material pleasure is the only way to oppose the universal folly of Fast Life. May suitable doses of guaranteed sensual pleasure and slow, long-lasting enjoyment preserve us from the contagion of the multitude who mistake frenzy for efficiency. Our defense should begin at the table with Slow Food. Let us rediscover the flavors and savors of regional cooking and banish the degrading effects of Fast Food. In the name of productivity, Fast Life has changed our way of being and threatens our environment and our landscapes. So Slow Food is now the only truly progressive answer. That is what real culture is all about: developing taste rather than demeaning it. And what better way to set about this than an international exchange of experiences, knowledge, projects? Slow Food guarantees a better future. Slow Food is an idea that needs plenty of qualified supporters who can help turn this (slow) motion into an international movement, with the little snail as its symbol.

Iced Tea

Today Claire and I had the pleasure of venturing into Costco to get milk and supplies for The Abbey (coffee lounge at our church). After unloading the goods Sarah was kind and offered me an iced tea for the road. How had I forgotten what good tea tastes like I don't know, but I was reminded. The tea was intense and flavorful, it tasted so crisp and fresh. I don't know how Starbucks gets away selling the iced tea that they do, but they have deluded a lot of people into thinking that it is refreshing. As it might be decent, it is not fresh and bright like the iced tea that I experienced today. The drink was almost the highlight of my day. But Claire just laughed herself to sleep and I have to say that that takes the top honors, but the iced tea from The Abbey is right behind it.

Dinner

Jared insists that I share with you all about our dinner too, so here it is. We had a marvelous dinner at Rio Adobe, our favorite place for New Mexican food. The gazpacho was fantastic as it always is and so was my shrimp burrito. The crowning moment of the meal was the sopaipillas. The three of us sat enjoying our fried dough covered in honey and powdered sugar while chatting with Jim, the owner. He told us about how he is able to serve lettuce for lunch that is picked that day, awesome! We talked about how great the bounty of the Salinas valley is and how lucky we are. Then we discussed how rough the winter is, with so much less growing. Beets, and that's about it. We decided that having a winter full of beets with an absence of snow isn't the worst thing in the world and we will be grateful for what we've got and where we are.

Snack Time

Today Claire and I had the pleasure of going to the city and seeing my cousin Zach. I love going to the city and the more I go, the less stressful driving there is. Today we had the pleasure of rich sourdough, which always tastes better when eaten in San Fransisco. We sat outside the ferry building and had sourdough dipped in apricot sauce and fresh strawberries. It was so nice to sit and chat and enjoy fresh air and some simple good food. Claire has been working very hard. Yesterday she worked with 4 therapist and Friday she has 3 scheduled. She is making such good progress, it is hard to not constantly be doing therapy type activities. I think that is what made today so sublime. She got a day to soak in all of the things that we are working on. She laughed a lot today. It is so great that she can laugh and have fun without challenge. Isn't that all that really matters?