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I guess we’re at that age now where everyone’s getting engaged, buying houses and having pets and/or babies. I’m not ready for all of that right now, so it’s good that we’ll be escaping/exploring/volunteering to South America and I won’t feel any of that pressure since our lifestyle will totally change. I enjoyed having a house and obviously having my own kitchen, garden, space but it’s time for a change. We can go always go back to it (I’m already missing not having a home or my kitchen..I hope someone is enjoying my spice rack!) There’s nothing like turning your life upside down to get some perspective on it. But it was so nice to visit my friends on the east coast and see how they are carving their lives out for themselves.

We got a lot of grandma time in this week. It’s hard to believe she’ll be 92 in a month. She’s still got plenty of spunk and is aiming for 100. We spent a day visiting her sisters and seeing the homestead they grew up on.

Two friends bought houses in the past year and two friends bought houses the year before, so there was much to see. One of the new houses included moving with two cats, a dog and a baby. I don’t know how people can move, let alone do major construction projects with an infant. They moved the basement stairs from one end of the house to the other…amazing. Miss Bedilia is now a year old. She’s so beautiful, calm, happy and balanced. So much development happens in a year-I remember spending a week with them when she was three weeks old and slept in my arms. I hope I can be as good as a mommy as she is; she’s so patient and relaxed and HAPPY. Another friend got a puppy with her new fiancé (congratulations my bouquet toss diver, it was not in vain J). Not just any puppy, a Rhodesian Ridgeback, my dream dog. After a day with Miss Savanna, I still want to have my own ridgeback. They are amazing dogs. Loyal, independent, laid back and a bit stubborn. Their hair is short, so the shedding is not insane and somehow they don’t smell like dogs, they smell like seaweed. That’s not unpleasant, considering my backpack stinks like skunks.

We went to Ithaca for a day with friends to see the gorge-ous #1 Most Enlightened Town in the US. It is also one of the most culturally liberal, lesbian-friendly and vegetarian friendly small towns in the US. We brought the thunderstorms there with us as well. It rained while we were driving in but stopped before dinner so we were able to squeeze in a little swimming and rock scrambling in an unnamed gorge and a stroll along Treman State Park. We ate dinner at Moosewood (my review is on the food blog), ran in the rain to snag yummy desserts at the ABC café and hear live music (J-San, dancy reggae dub tunes) at the Chapter House bar, where there were lots of yummy beer on tap, especially the Cascazilla! We did randomly come upon the farmer’s market, which was huge and was open-air with roofs (thank goodness because it was pouring rain while we were there as well). I was surprised at how much ethnic food was available at the farmer’s market…especially since it’s upstate New York, but there was Japanese, Cuban, Thai, Caribbean and a lot of other foods I can’t remember. It was a fun visit, but a bit short so I think I may have to return to get a better feel for this highly rated small town.

After stuffing our u-haul, husband and I headed east and spent a relaxing, in-lawed week. I think I slept enough to balance out the shortage of sleep during the hectic school year. We spent a lot of time in the sun, catching up, reading and enjoying the dry hot summer of eastern Washington. We had a really nice thunderstorm one day and the sun was out immediately afterwards. I was just thinking about how much I missed hearing thunder and seeing downpours of rain and we got our fill. We took a side trip to see Tofu Phil, of Small Planet Tofu. His headquarters is in husband’s hometown and I met Tofu Phil once upon a time at VegFest in Seattle. I mentioned my in-laws to him at the food fest and of course he knows them; small town. Who would have thought a town on the border of Idaho would have a fabulous tofu factory? Phil was nice enough to give us a tour one day and we got to see all the machinery and mini assembly lines. I can’t believe he pumps out all that tofu in such a small place. It seems like a LOT of work. He has a handful of employees and the equipment was really neat, a lot from old dairies and defunct soymilk/tofu factories (hooray for eBay). He used a pneumatic press to press the curds together, that must be the secret in his dense, cheeselike tofu. Phil used to be an engineer and it really showed in his design of the plant. I really liked seeing the factory, and it reinforced my desire to not start my own tofu factory. Too much machinery to keep track of and the details of everyday production to marketing. I think I could work for a place like that, but I’d hate to be responsible for all of it alone. How would I make time for circus? He did have some labels on a table for new flavors to come, but I think we need to petition stores to carry them: Lemongrass Ginger and Green Tea excited me the most.

We had some quality in-law time. We played some Euchre, drank some of my father in law’s homebrew and had two family picnics. Luckily, brother in law was between climbing trips and stayed with us for a few days with his girlfriend. I enjoyed getting to know her better and catching up with my new extended family.

I have been perhaps always obsessed but not always knowledgeable about childbirth and what it entails. I cringe thinking about pain but get excited thinking about little creatures that live in your body. I find it interesting that specifically American culture views childbirth as a painful negative event that must be “endured” for the end result. It wasn’t like that 100 years ago. It’s not like that today in Japan and the Netherlands, both economically similar to the U.S. I’m currently reading Ina Mae Gaskin’s “Guide to Childbirth.” I will update another time.

I am now a married woman, but that doesn’t mean I have to grow up and be all boring, right? The wedding and everything leading up to it completely rocked. If you were there, thanks for being part of it. If you didn’t, tough noogies. Feel free to read Matt’s blog regarding the details or perhaps contact me personally. There is too much to regale the masses with tales of reunions, new meetings, and lots of dancing and laughing on a lovely crisp fall afternoon.

I spent one of my weeks in New England with my friends Amanda and Art from UConn. It was great to spend some one on one time together before the wedding pulls me in a million directions. I have come to the conclusion that Amanda is NOT human. She was in labor for, oh, about an hour and a half and by the time she thought some drugs would help-it was already too late-the baby was on her way out.
All 7lbs and 4oz of Miss Amelia is the cutest, most well-mannered baby I have ever met (not counting her explosive farts and untimely poop schedule). I’m not saying that because I’m biased. I’ve babysat for tons of brats and this little fragile doll is pink and calm and reminded me to slow down for a little bit. I’m sure most of her attitude is because her parents are calm around her and provide a secure environment, even if dogs and cats sniff her and chase each other around the house. I felt a quite maternal spending so much time with Amelia. Not right now, but one day, I have been inspired that having my own little parasite could be a lot of fun.
Welcome to the world, Amelia Grace.