10:52 – I am in a car headed to Brattleboro, VT. We need coffee and a generator. Waiting for things to happen, not really an option in our house. We are #75 on the list for one at the Greenfield Home Depot. There was power in a few places, but nothing was open.
We’ve been talking about getting one for…five years now. But necessity is the mother of invention, or in our case action. Read the rest of this entry
Sometimes I have to remind myself of things I do, and why I do them. I do a lot. More than I should. I teach six classes, manage ten independent study students, advise four extra curricular activities, and chair the English department. I am raising two boys the best that I can, and co-managing a household with my co-navigator. I make play dates and mama dates, and sometimes I sit in front of the tv, and sometimes I write. Sometimes I host parties, and sometimes I think of a project too big to manage. And sometimes, well, not sometimes, actually, more like currently, I sit on the Board of Directors for MotherWoman. Read the rest of this entry
From UMass, with a
view of the West, Hatfield, home,
on the Horizon.
I’m excited for gymnastics mama.
- me too bud, you’ll have fun.
What if I don’t know how to do something?
- it’s okay, you’ll just keep trying.
Do you think I’ll be able to do a back flip today?
-maybe not today.
Yah, you’re right. Next week.
A quick rundown of what we are doing to prepare for the 79mph+ winds forecasted for Irene’s arrival here in the Happy Valley -
1. Drinking water, a gallon a day per person, theoretically enough for four days. Stop & Shop has Poland Spring, 2.5 gallon containers on Sale for 2/$5.00. If anything, this storm is going to be annoying, in that we may lose power for a few days. The Northeast is crowded, and the electrical grid is packed, if this hits NYC and Boston, lord knows, WMECO isn’t going to be able to get the help it had in the past to fix the grid (the HillTown ice storm, June 1st tornado), folks might be without power for a few days. In fact most of my tips have to do with dealing without power. Read the rest of this entry
. . .and its name is produce.
Lame right? Yeah, well I’m making my 2nd batch of rhubarb bars in just two days. Tonight I ate asparagus, fresh from the field’s of Hadley, with enthusiasm that lions don’t even know as they’re felling zebras.
The goal for the rest of the summer is local, and in season. And if not super local, at least East Coast. It’s hard habit to break, having grown up with the world’s produce at my beck and call – but it’s just insane to eat bananas that had to burn jet fuel to get here, when I can eat strawberries that grow around the corner.
We planted peas last weekend, and I think they are nearly as cute as the kiddo I let help plant them.
how long till snow pea stir fry?
loving the garden
Okay, that’s pushing it.
In my Valley we
marry who we fall in love
with, no matter what.
snowing. grey all day. temperature at 10:23pm, 36°
I obviously live in this bubble for a reason. This is the map of the Happy Valley, as lifted and modified from NYT (I only went NYT b/c the Globe was lagging) - true Blue all over. Except Hawley – where there was a tie. 63 for Coakley, 63 for Brown, 5 for Kennedy, no seriously, 63.
how blue is your valley?
tomorrow’s to-do list looks like this-
cloudy. snow- left about an inch more on top of the ice pack. 29° at 2pm.
Sustainability – There’s something about the Valley. There is a road on both sides of the river north of my house. When we’re in the mood to take a ride, we go “up the river, down the river” - And every time we do, I’m awe-struck at the straight up gorgeousness of the ride. Though the mountains to the north-west make a nice background, it’s the miles of neatly tilled fields that get me all achy. And the farm stands – this time of year when the ground is solid, and the trees bare, I dream of berries and tomatoes and sweet corn – I dream of them in bags and cartons piled high on the passenger seat – I dream of little boys covered in blueberry goo, as I pull them out of the car seats – I dream of dinners with more sides than meat.
