going julie.

I'll post all about Christmas later. And my seventeen hour snoozefest. But right now, right now, I must blog about my new book The Bread Bible. I am in love. I made recipe number one first thing this morning. It's White Mountain Bread, and I don't know what the word Mountain is doing in the title. It's just white bread. Simple. Plain. Scrumptious.

Recipe number two is french bread. Oy.

Here's the thing. I've decided that I'm going to pull a Julie Powell and cook every single recipe in this book. All of them, and there are at least 300. I say "at least" because the cover says "300 favorite recipes," and I don't know if that includes the variations or not. And I don't know if I want to make the variations. I must do a bit more investigating.

And here's my right-off-the-bat dilemma. I'm not going to make bread every day. It would go bad before we could eat everything if there were multiple loaves around all the time, and I am not about to waste perfectly good food. Especially when it's homemade bread. So, I'm just going to make bread as we run out. Of course, today's recipe made two loaves and we've eaten one already. We'll get through loaf two tomorrow in all likelihood. So, Tuesday will see the baking of the next recipe...unless. Unless I decide to perfect each recipe before moving along. I should've let today's bread rise longer during it's first rise, but I didn't. It was still delicious, but I feel like an extra half an hour would've made it divine. So, do I make White Mountain Bread again or do I proceed to French Bread?

Opinions? Talk amongst yourselves while I finish looking through The Gentle Art of Domesticity, which is crazy awesome in that the photographs are so colorful it makes me want to sit down with a lot of paper and markers immediately.

no more nyquil

So, I've got this cold. It's annoying. It really only bothers me when I'm tired. Then my throat starts burning and my eyes get watery and my head starts filling with gnarly gunk. Sleeping is a problem. NyQuil solved that problem for a couple of nights, but the night before last it didn't help at all and I could hardly sleep and when I did sleep I had crizzazy dreams about being on an Olympic swim team and also having to be on the diving team despite the fact that I don't know how to dive...and I did a canonball. Anyway...

Last night I skipped the NyQuil. It took hours to fall asleep. During those hours one of the things I thought about was food. Specifically food that I don't like. I realized that there is a difference in foods that I don't like and foods that I just won't eat. Foods that cause my gag reflex to go into overdrive just from the thought. To break it down for you...I do not like grapefruit but I could eat it if I had to. Same with cream cheese or capers. I can scrape that mess off and still eat whatever it was on. But the following foods creep me right the heck out. Cottage cheese. Thousand Island dressing. Eggs cooked anyway other than scrambled and scrambled until they are very well done. The thought of the runny yolk of a fried egg makes my stomach turn every single time. Sauerkraut and all forms of cabbage. Aspics. Giblet gravy. Chicken Divan. Raw oysters. Lobster rolls. Anything pickled.

That's all I can remember right now, but I know there are lots more. Of course, everyone knows about the well-documented Ouiser family aversion to mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch dressing and the like. Yuck.

Okay, my coffee is ready, and after two nights of subpar sleep, I need it. How did I live through having a newborn without coffee?

Have a great day, peeps.

FIVE SENSES FRIDAY
Sight: the ornament that S made at school. her fingerprints are supposed to look like snowmen, but they really look like petrified terds wearing scarves. i love it.

Sound: S singing Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer

Smell: the Christmas tree, candy canes, oranges

Touch: my very raw nose. boo.

Taste: oranges and chocolate truffles

life with two kids.

This weekend was a bit of a whirlwind. Friday was The Inkwell's Harry Potter party, which was great. Especially the pumpkin juice and Bertie Bott's. Saturday, I dragged my butt all over Cool Springs (super mall land for those of you not in the know) looking for the Snow White Snow Globe that S has become mildly obsessive about. She has given up completely on acting like she'll ask Santa for a babydoll. Instead, it's always "Snow White globe." I had checked at our Lowe's and our Walmart and both were sold out. My stepmom checked at her Walmart, and I checked her Lowe's. Sold out. So, Saturday, after leaving Columbia, I headed to Cool Springs. Mall area traffic two weekends before Christmas is kind of my nightmare. Anyway, both places there were sold out as well. So, I braved the mall and the Disney store within. Chaos is putting it nicely, people. Anyway, I've got a snow globe now. And it features Snow White. It's not the one she's seen, but I'm hoping it's sufficient. It's actually much nicer than the one she's seen, but she's not really at an age to appreciate it. Oh well. Hopefully, it's good enough. But, uggghhh, the mall. Vomit.

Moving along...

Saturday night, we kept L so Feathernester and her hubby could go out for her birthday. Here are the pictures...
I will say that the girls were great. So great that yesterday morning, M tried using his authoritative dad voice on me declaring, "I want another one. Let's have another baby." Then he remembered that we had to change L's diaper.

I've now come down with some sort of cold, so the Ouiser ladies are laying low today. I suppose I'll nurse myself back to health with the leftover chicken and dumplings from last night. And in case you're wondering, I will never again make chicken broth anyway other than Alice Waters's. Oy. Vey.

inventory.

I know I've mentioned before how sparsely stocked our refrigerator normally is. Lately, though, it's been packed. Mostly because I've made things that have leftovers (chili, beer cheese, chocolate gravy, baked apples). This morning I'd had enough. I hate feeling like I don't know what we have because I can't see through the clutter. Luckily, it's trash night, so cleaning out the fridge today is great. Here's what's left...

• Coffee creamer (4 bottles of it),
• Salsa,
• Homemade pesto,
• Juice (apple, orange, and grapefruit),
• Beer (Fat Tire, Guinness, and Sam Adams Winter Lager),
• 1/2 granny smith apple,
• Milk (2),
• Eggs (huge bowl filled with fresh eggs from granddaddy's chickens),
• Yogurt,
• Applesauce,
• Bacon grease (I am southern.),
• Butter (salted and unsalted),
• Shortening,
• Carrots,
• Celery,
• Cranberries,
• Minced garlic,
• Cheese (brie, cheddar, feta, string, babybel, parmesan),
• Sprite (for tummy aches),
• White wine (for Feather nester), and
  
• Condiments (including a variety of mustards, soy sauce, wasabi paste, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, balsamic vinegar, ketchup, maple syrup, Bonne Maman, sweet pickles, and barbecue sauce).

Seems like a lot, but the fridge is looking bare. Life is back to normal. Whewwww.

a lot of ribbon later.

Yesterday, I finally finished wrapping the gifts that are in my house. Most of the presents were already covered in old newspaper, but they were lacking bows. I had saved most of the ribbon from last year's gifts, so I reused that first. Then I had two new spools of lime green grosgrain. Those are now gone. Then, when I realized that I was going to have to trudge out into the windy cold for more ribbon*, I decided that was ridiculous. I searched the house and found some red mylar ribbon from something like five years ago. And, voila, the gifts are beribboned. We made gift tags out of S's old art, and then S helped me put the gifts under the tree. She also helped by taking a marker to several of the packages, but that's cool with me.

She then requested a present of her own. When I told her that I didn't have a gift for her, she said, "Hey, what about my Kessel and Freddles (Hansel and Gretel) book that we bought yesterday?" (Note to the Reading Rock, I am not cheating on you.) All she wanted was to unwrap something. I taped a piece of newspaper to her book, and she was so happy. It was pretty cute. I fear that there will be lots of needless wrapping of old books and toys in the days to come, but she was very sweet about it. She got all excited and gushed, "Oh, thank you, mommy. I love it." So, maybe I'll consider it as practice for showing gratitude when receiving gifts.

And, that's that from here. It's a pretty simple existence. Just the way I like it.

*I am still working on being green with the gift wrapping. There has been zero paper purchased. The new ribbon was purchased long ago and has been sitting in my ribbon basket for months. I use a lot of tape, but I am not about to make paste to wrap gifts. I've got to draw the line somewhere. I didn't use any gift boxes this year. I just wrapped gifts as they are. I even shipped gifts in re-used containers. I'm feeling pretty good about it, thankyouverymuch. Of course, I was drooling over some really beautiful chocolate brown wrapping paper that I saw in a magazine the other day. And in the future, I'd like to start doing this...even though I adore grosgrain ribbon. How are you greening your holidays? Or am I a freakazoid?

am i being the opposite of a scrooge?

I started to write a post the other day about "how many gifts does your kid get?" Then I decided not to write it, but now I have to. HAVE. TO. Really, my post was not only how many gifts, but what comes from Santa, what comes from mom and dad, and on, and on...

Here's the skinny. I just read this post and the comments (oh, the comments) over on Ohdeedoh. Because S can't read, I feel safe disclosing her Christmas gifts here. She's getting a digital camera (for toddlers), a Melissa and Doug Ice Cream set, some new toy food for her kitchen, magnetic letters, a puzzle, seven books, and some art supplies and jewelry and princess mess for her stocking. That seems like a ton when you list it all out, but it's a remarkably small pile. Of course, she's planning to tell Santa Claus that she wants either a baby doll or a Snow White snow globe, so depending on which of those she actually says when we take her to see Santa, we'll get one of those things, too. I don't feel like I'm buying so much stuff that I'm spoiling her. I really don't.

But then...then I read those comments on Ohdeedoh. The comments that indicated that most of those people limit their kids to four gifts based on some little rhyme about "something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read." Four gifts? Really? Was I that spoiled as a child? Am I that spoiled now? Or are these people totally on their high horse trying to make me feel bad about myself and my (apparently) shameless embracing of commercialism? Please. I've bought more than four gifts for my husband.

So, here's the million dollar question: what's the routine at your house?

And let me say this. I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. I think it's perfectly acceptable to handle Christmas however it works within your family. It's just that I'm curious...and I'm feeling like a greedy jerk right about now.

five senses friday.

Sight: s lighting up at seeing the nutcrackers this morning when she woke up.

Sound: sleigh bells outside the window just now. it's christmas in downtown dickson.

Smell: s's morning breath. i know it's gross, but i love it. this is not to be confused with my husband's morning breath, which i emphatically do not love.

Touch: a very fragile antique ornament crunching in my hand earlier. oops.

Taste: homemade beer cheese.

CKMH

So, today the Cute Kids of McCreary Heights gathered at our home and had a wicked awesome paint-filled play date. I cannot wait to share pictures of the finished projects, but you can see the process here. I will say that these suckers look awesome and the Ouisers will be doing this a lot more. It's so cool. I am beginning to think of The Artful Parent as a lost gospel.

I also finished S's quilt last night. Of course, it's in her room, where she is snoozing, so no pictures yet. Just the same, that's done, and I am very, very happy with it.

Next up: tomorrow night is Christmas in Downtown Dickson, and I decided to invite a whole lot of people over for a little pre-party of chili and cocoa and cookies and whatnot. Because, I wasn't stressed already. I had a little moment a couple of hours ago where I realized that I have people coming over tomorrow and I have zero Christmas decorations up in my house, and then I reminded myself that people don't visit their friends to stare at their nutcracker collection or to run themselves ragged trying to keep their small children from demolishing their friends' Christmas tree. They come for fun and food and conversation. So, I don't care. My house doesn't need to be perfect. It just needs to be my home, and for me to be happy, my friends and family just need to feel welcome and happy when they are here. I think I can accomplish that task without handmade pine garland. That is me letting go, peeps. Remember this...it's a first. Though I still feel obligated to clean the bathroom. Baby steps.

Now, I'm off to do a little light reading, and by "light reading" I mean that I'll be reading the CAD bylaws. Good night and good luck, right?

letting go.

Seriously, folks. Christmas is coming. The goose is getting fat and all that jazz. So, holiday stress is here and there is no reason for it. At least not at Casa de Ouiser. We've bought all but two gifts. They're even wrapped. The cards have gone out (if you didn't get one, I don't have your address). But somehow, I'm still a ball of anxiety. The decorations haven't even begun to come out. M is out of town, and I am actually smart enough not to try to haul them out myself...which would inevitably lead to a re-injured back. So, peeps, it's December 2nd, and our Advent Calendar is still in a box in the shed. Stressed. We're having a playdate tomorrow, and I don't know what to feed people. Stressed. My floors haven't been mopped in over a week, and the dust bunnies are taking over. Unless you can tell me a way to turn those suckers into Christmas decor...Stressed. I've gained something like eight pounds. Stressed. Holiday baking is coming. Stressed.

Now, let's back this up. Decorations don't really matter. They will be put out at some point, and M and S will love them when they're there. I know this is ridiculous. Feeding the playdate? As long as there's coffee, mamas are happy. A box of doughnuts would do it for the runts. No necessary stress. Seriously...who mops floors before a playdate? Hello. Eight pounds. Well, that sucks. I'm not going to lie. Holiday baking? Maybe I'll just make M's favorite and his dad's favorite this year. That might help keep those eight pounds from making friends anyway.

So, the kicker is that I know all this stress is unwarranted. It's just there anyway. I mean, I've got it good. I know how insanely fortunate I am, and I know how unfathomably unfortunate others are, and yet I have the audacity to be worried about all this trivial crap. It makes me sick. But it doesn't change anything.

Despite all that stress, here's the good stuff. S is feeling better. (Though I am a little stressed because it's 833 and she's still asleep and she's supposed to be at MDO in 27 minutes and I need to chill out because I'm starting to create wicked run on sentences.) S's quilt should be completed by the weekend. The binding is attached, but I have to finish it up by hand. I am actually really, really excited about this. We got our annual Christmas ornament from my family, and it is so perfect that I can't stand it. The cup of coffee in my hand is quite delicious. I am healthy. I am happy.

The bottom line is, I have to let go of the little things. Put it in a bubble, and let it go. Right? Right? Right. I'll work on that as soon as S wakes up and I get her out the door.

on the mend

The Ouisers are finally on the mend. In fact, yesterday was the first day that S didn't wake up crying. She's still got a pretty short fuse, but it's tolerable. Plus, her eyes finally look like she's feeling like herself. An entire week of a sick kid is a little much, I'm not going to lie. Especially when it forces you to cancel long awaited plans for visiting much missed friends. We would've been rotten company, though, so it worked out for the best.

The big news around here is that Christmas has arrived, and S has taken after her daddy. The kid is loving her some Christmas. We went over to my dad's Friday and she helped decorate their Christmas tree and the small tree they bought for her. She's also developed an obsession with snow globes. And we've been rocking out to Christmas music, especially this. It's going to be great.

But now... now we must get dressed and head over to Mellie Mellie's house. There is a large Christmas tree waiting to be adorned.

has anyone seen my sanity?

Where to even begin?? The past seven days have been utterly crazy. Actually, I think last Monday was really pleasantly calm. But then Tuesday showed up. Here's the rundown:

• Tuesday we headed northwest to Cadiz, KY to help Feathernester move some things to the new lake cottage. I don't actually think we provided any help because with my "help" comes the "help" of my daughter, which is decidedly unhelpful. Either way, let's just say that the day at the lake ended for us with a backed up septic system flooding a bathroom and leaking through the ceiling after yours truly turned on the dishwasher. I hightailed it out of there with both of the toddlers, leaving Feathernester with peace and quiet, a lovely view of the lake, and the stench of a backed-up septic system. No one can accuse me of being a bad friend. So, that day was a little nuts.
• Wednesday was my first PT appointment for my back, and it was mind-blowing. As it turns out, I've been doing things all wrong. There is, I now know, a huge difference between a straight or flat back and a neutral spine, and neutral spine is what I've needed to achieve. So, my brain is still processing that one. Wednesday night also saw the Ouisers heading out to the Springsteen concert. Traffic was a bit of a mess, but we found a seemingly great parking spot, we paid the meter, and we headed off in search of dinner. There was a lot of walking and a lot of my refusing to wait for tables at restaurants I didn't really want to eat at. So, we hit SATCo, which was great, and we ran into the Opry gift shop after we ate where we picked up a Christmas gift for ToddlerTamer's J. We were heading back to the car to stash the gift before the show, and our heart rates jumped as we looked down 4th Avenue toward the Honda. There were a lot of flashing lights and a couple of tow trucks, one of which was in the process of hauling off a car that looked a lot like a 2001 silver Honda Accord. So, yeah, our car got towed. We spoke to the police officers and they had the tow truck guy give us a lift to the impound lot. All we could do was laugh. I mean, hey...at least we caught on to our car being towed then and not after the concert. So, as they were unloading our car, we were paying to get it back. Ninety-five dollars later, we were on our way back to Sommet Center. In addition to being stoked that we got the car back before the show, we found it terribly exciting that we saved the Metro storage fee ($20) that we would've been charged after the show...and the cab fare to get us there. All in all, if you're going to get your car towed for failing to read signs, you should do it Ouiser-style. We finally got to the show, and Bruce started an hour late, so we didn't miss anything. He played my favorite*, Thunder Road, and M's favorite, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, so it was great.
  
• Thursday was CKMH play date day, and we had a blast. It was a great day all around.
• Friday was another great day for us, though L was sick, so there was no zoo-going. Instead, we made yoga-pies** on the stump in the front yard and played circus and then went to the farm for lunch.
  
• Saturday morning, we painted pottery with my fam, and S thought it was great. She wasn't actually interested in being thorough, so I am very interested in what her creations will look like. Very interested. Then we went to lunch with our peeps, and I could tell that S was feeling less-than-stellar. She didn't want to eat, and she didn't want to sit with grandma or either or her aunts. She was clinging to me like white on rice. She began running a fever that evening, and I ended up sleeping with her all night. It was, needless to say, a long night.
• Yesterday was an entire day filled with princess movies watched on the couch or in the bed. Lots of water. Lots of Tylenol. S's fever has stayed in the 101-102.5 range. She puked up her pack of gummies (the ONLY thing she ate all day). She slept pretty well last night. I only had to go up at 330 when she was crying for a drink of water.
• Today she's back on the couch and we're heading to the doctor in a couple of hours because she puked again and that fever is still kicking her tail. Now M has a sore throat and my head is seriously stopped up. The Ouisers are not in great shape, but doggone it, I am determined to get us all well in time to leave on our trip on Wednesday. Determined.

Okay, that is all. The kid on the couch needs her mama.

*I have consistently claimed two favorite songs since I was fifteen-years-old. Thunder Road by Springsteen and This Time of Year by Better than Ezra. These are unwaveringly my favorite songs, and if I died tomorrow, I would like them played at my funeral. Along with a little Elvis.
**Yummy, yummy yoga pie.

she's a winner

S has a new favorite phrase. M has said it to her occasionally, and now she says it a LOT. Without further ado, the phrase is, "Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner." It's hysterical.

That is all I have to say about that.

Beyond that, it has been lovely to have Mr. Ouiser home again. He's been gone so often lately, that yesterday I kept waiting for him to start packing. Then I remembered that he's home this week. We've been able to do things as a family for a couple of days, and that is insanely wonderful. I'm amazingly thankful for that simple act of being together.

Here are a couple of pictures of our weekend. Have a great Monday, peeps.

And, um, how 'bout those Colts. Woot.

Before walking to Mellie's Friday morning.
On our way to Fancy Nancy story time on Saturday.

what a day.

Today has been great. Really. Exhausting, but great.

We went to play with Feathernester and L this morning, then we all went to Reading Rock for story time and a CKMH (Cute Kids of McCreary Heights...McCreary Heights is our 'hood) play date. It was a blast, and S and L and their friends SR, AS, and BW had crazy fun. At the end of the stories, S, L, and AS were literally running in circles around another child as if said child was a maypole. Hysterical to us, maybe not to the mama of that kid, so we made them stop. The kiddos then ran wild around the store for a bit, then we all came back here for lunch and playing. Mamas sat and ate, kids played. Totally fun.

Now S is napping while I make a cannellini bean and pork stew for dinner. Then I have to take Abbe shopping for Mellie Mellie's birthday, which is tomorrow. Then there will be more playing with L. I have a hunch S and I will both crash hard this evening. Well, I know I will.

And tomorrow? Tomorrow M finally comes home from Boston. Finally. Thank goodness. Until next time, peeps...

what gives?

So, I'm here. Me and my crappy back. I've essentially been in the bed for five days, and I am totally stir crazy. I watched three movies yesterday. I've read two very long novels and most of another book. I've napped...and I've stared at the ceiling, thinking of all the things I would prefer to be doing. I am very fortunate to have family and friends who've willingly cared for my child since M has been out of town all but one day of my convalescence. So, here are all of the random things I've been going over in my head.

• Val Kilmer's career peaked when he starred in The Doors. That was one of the movies that I watched yesterday. Also, Jim Morrison was way more captivating than Val Kilmer.
  
• Away We Go is an awesome, awesome movie. For grown-ups. Little sisters, stay away.
• Phillipa Gregory should do me a favor and stop writing books. Please. (She reads my blog, right?)
• Robert Pattinson is pretty. Check out Vanity Fair. Oy.
• Today, when I could no longer stand being in the house (and I did actually have to leave the house due to an utter lack of coffee beans), I ventured out. S has needed some new panties, so I hit the Wal-Mart. (Gasp.) I am terribly saddened by the fact that I cannot buy my daughter's undies in the toddler section. I had to go to the GIRLS section and buy her undies next to the training bras. She must stop growing. Must. I am not prepared for this. If there are thong options the next time I have to buy her panties, I will cry. Right in the store. Real tears.
  
• I am hoping that Yum and my hubby had a yummy dinner last night. I am hungry.
  
• I am anxiously awaiting Thanksgiving. Anxiously.

I'll leave you with a couple of pics of our Friday afternoon. The weather was lovely.

S, playing under the table...there were dolls and quilts and stickers and crayons and all manner of fun for a two-year-old.
Then there was mama's fun. Coffee and Bill Bryson...too bad you can't see the heating pad.

princess on high.

While S was at school today, I picked up the rails for her princess bed. Around here, that means her big girl bed. She's been sleeping on the mattress for about a week, but I had to wait on the rails for the bed. Then I had to make a separate trip out for bolts, but whatever. So...S is currently resting in her new princess bed, and she is way, way up there. Her bed is so tall that I have to exert effort to climb onto it. It's a solid six inches higher than my bed. Wowsers. Now if I could just get around to making her quilt...which is all cut and ready to be sewn. Someday...

That's been the excitement around here today. The assembly of a princess bed. It's a pretty low key life around here. Tomorrow we're heading to Chattanooga for the day to visit Hil. Now, that...that will be exciting. Watch out, world.

walkin' the plank

Halloween has come and gone. So sad for S. Luckily, we've had birthdays to celebrate everyday since, so she's been occupied. I mean, there's been cake, people. She'll be okay. She is, however, terribly vexed because someone has stolen our pumpkins. They left the jack-o-lanterns and the mini pumpkin that my mini pumpkin drew all over, but all the rest are MIA. They weren't smashed anywhere that we can find, so someone just stole them. Some other friends had their pumpkins ganked, too, so I think I may have isolated the culprits. I'll keep you all posted.

In the meantime, if my daughter asks you where our pumpkins have gone, the story is that they went home after Halloween.

Trick-or-treating was a success. Our little pirate was awesome and way hopped up on sugar. Here are some pictures of the big day. Have a great Tuesday, peeps.

it's almost time.

S has been begging to go trick-or-treating for a couple of weeks now. We've had to practice at Mellie Mellie's. Needless to say, she's got it down.

Approach door.
Knock.
Say, "Trick-or-Treat."
Receive candy.
Say, "Thank you."
Binge on candy.

It's going to be crazy, people. Crazy. She is super excited about Halloween. She had a party at school on Wednesday, and we were lucky because we had dentist appointments that morning, so M was in town and able to attend the festivities. They had carved a pumpkin in class, so S will know what's going on when we hack into our pumpkins tonight...or tomorrow morning. Whenever.
The real question is: What the deuce is S going to be dressed up as for Halloween?

Her first response was, of course, a princess. But I had wanted her to be a fairy. So, I decided to pull out all the available old dance costumes, get some accessories and let her pick on the big day. Princess costume? Check. Fairy costume? Check. Ballerina costume? Check.

She had been saying for over a week that she wanted to be a ballerina, so I was happy and prepared. Then- BAM! She decided that she wanted to be a pirate. ARRRRRGGH.

So, we went to Target yesterday, and she now has a pirate hat and sword...and a fake earring, an eye patch, and a hook.

I am prepared. She's probably going to end up as a ballerina/princess/fairy/pirate hybrid, and I totally don't care. As long as she says thank you for the treats.

Have a good one, peeps. And be safe.

getting a little too personal.

I have a problem. I need some new undergarments. Well, need/want. Whatever. The problem is that a couple of years ago I swore off Victoria's Secret because their crap is overpriced, under-quality, and doesn't fit me well. Since S was born, I've been going the GapBody route, and I've been happy with it. They've always got basic: white, nude, black. They usually have some colors that I like: scholastic gray, modern red, deep fog.

Right now, they've got some color options that I'm really liking online, but they are very few matching bra/panty sets for my little 34A wearing self. (I think I may have mentioned this before, but I miss my boobs. Love my daughter, miss my boobs.) So, I'm stuck. I'm kind of particular about matching bras and panties. It's like when your mother used to tell you to make sure you wore clean underwear because you never knew when you might be in an accident and you wouldn't want the EMTs seeing you in dirty panties...as a grown up, I've taken that to mean, make sure you wear clean panties because you never knew when you might be in an accident and you wouldn't want the EMTs seeing you in dirty panties and make sure they match your bra because the paparazzi might be following you and take a picture of you and the EMTs and you want them to think you care about yourself enough to match your bra and panties. Plus, it makes me feel a little more like an actual woman and a little less like a full-time former milk factory. I know, I'm strange.

So, dilemma. If I can't get matching sets from Gap, and I refuse to go to Victoria's Secret, where am I going to go? Undies must be cute, comfortable, matching, and leave NO panty lines but still have backs. I am over the thong thing except for dire circumstances. What, oh what, shall I do? Help me, people.

a little tudor obsession

I think I need a break. I've been fairly inundated with the Tudors lately. Reading Philippa Gregory novels. Watching The Tudors*. Watching Cate Blanchett portray Queen Elizabeth I. The thing is, I'm wearing myself out with it, but I keep going back for more. I took a little break and read Les Miserables because, really, there's nothing to get you out of an "I'm Henry VII, and I will rack or behead you with the quickness" funk quite like the French Revolution. Right?? And then there's Catch-22, which I still can't finish. So, I'm in need of a little something new. I picked up a copy of A Wrinkle in Time today, and a friend recommended Mere Christianity, and I've got a couple of books on the shelves here that I'm planning to read, but they're mostly classics and therefore, most likely, depressing.

Any suggestions? What are you all reading right now??

*I do not regret watching this awful show. Really, it's a little too pornographic for my taste. However. However, it has introduced me to my new favorite eye candy: Henry Cavill. Oy.

okay, okay.

I know I've been beyond remiss in my blogging habits. I wish, a la SouleMama, I had some great excuse, but I don't really. M and S have been sick, and now I'm sick-ish, but those aren't valid. Really, I've just been supremely lazy...and I've been spending all my spare time reading. That, of course, means that both my blog and my house have been sorely neglected. Sorely. So, since I last blogged...

• S had the highlight of her life. She met a queen (not drag). She met the DCHS Homecoming Queen and some of her princesses. She got to touch the queen's dress and gloves and crown. It was magical, and I am sorry that I don't have a picture.
• M and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary. We watched Vanderbilt get their tails handed to them by Ole Miss. The game was awful, but we had a fabulous day together, and it's so easy for me to see why I love him. We have a lot of fun together.
• Pumpkin Spice creamer has made its way to the grocery for the season. When I thought life couldn't get much better, they put out some Peppermint Mocha creamer, and M bought me two bottles to get me through my little sickness.

Sadly, that's about all that's gone on here. M is out of town for the week. S and I are holed up in the house. It's not so bad...there is peppermint mocha creamer. So, I'm out, folks. Until next time, here's a little S to tide you over.

i'm going there.

Okay, Julia. I'm pretty close to done with you. My arteries just aren't up for this. Nor is my wallet.

So, here's the scoop. If you saw Julie and Julia, you might remember the scene toward the beginning where Amy Adams is having a little moment talking about butter. She's basically having a verbal love affair. And, I was buying it. I have purchased a lot of butter in the last few weeks. And today I weighed four pounds more than usual. I'm not saying they're connected, but they're probably connected.

Anyway. I've made Supremes de Volaille a Brun. Sounds fancy, huh? Not really. It's chicken breasts sauteed in butter. With a brown butter sauce. Served with buttered potatoes and buttered peas. I mean, come on. Are you sensing a theme here? Butter. Butter. Butter. So much butter. I am getting more than a little sick of it. When M took his first bite of the chicken, he bore a quizzical expression...one that said, "seriously, what are you feeding me?" He asked what was in the dish.

"Nothing really," I answered. "Just a little parsley and a squirt or two of lemon juice in butter."

The light bulb flashed on.

"Butter, that's it," he replied.

When the first thing that hits your palate is butter, there is too dang much butter. I mean, the chicken was good, but if I'm going to give myself a heart attack, I'm going to add some flavor and make fried chicken the way I always have. And I'll make mashed potatoes. Julia's buttered peas can stay.
I've also made another clafouti, and it was good, but it wasn't great, and those suckers do not keep well. That's a strike against in this house. We like to keep a dessert around for awhile.

So, Julia isn't faring well around here. I find myself looking over her recipes and consulting Ina Garten's versions. Then I remember that I love Alice Waters. And Orangette. And I've decided that, for the most part, I'll only plan on immersing myself in French cuisine if I'm in France. So, toodles, Julia. For now.

I'm going to make Orangette's tried and true chocolate cake.

did you know?

Sunday is the beginning of Banned Books Week. I had never heard of it before, but A was telling me about it the other day on one of our many trips to Reading Rock last week. Now I feel like I should start a crusade on behalf of all the challenged books in America. I really don't understand banning books. Really. If someone could explain it to me?? Probably I still wouldn't get it because it's just not the kind of thing that I can understand. My brain doesn't wrap around things like banning books or art and hatred and all those things that I think are basically the same thing: a product of a lot of fear and a healthy dose of ignorance. Anyway, I'm planning to devour as many banned books as I can next week (though mostly classics that I've never read). I've already started Catch-22. It's not a terribly easy read, but I'm determined. And you know how stubborn I can be.

Anyway, here's a link to some information and some lists of books. I would love it if at least one of you devoted readers would pick up even one of those books next week. I don't know why it seems important, but it does. Maybe it seems extra important because of the ridiculousness happening in our beloved county right now.

That's it for me today, peeps. I'm going to go nurse my sore arm. Stupid flu shot.

quit buggin' me.

The Ouiser family has been victimized by the stomach bug. Well, not the whole family. I've been drinking Emergen-C like mad, so I've stayed well. S has been hit by what seems like two separate bugs...one that caused projectile vomit on Thursday and one that caused ED (explosive diarrhea) yesterday. M had something last weekend, and his stomach is still a little wonky. Anyway, there's been way too much belly-achin' round these parts. Otis even did some barfing yesterday to get in on the action. Peer pressure, you know?

Anyway, it's kept us on our toes.

Other than that, things have been pretty low key. I haven't been able to do too much cooking since there are sensitive tummies in the house, but I did manage a couple of Julia recipes last week, and I obviously think really highly of myself because I tinkered with her recipes. I will say that the results of one experiment were delicious, so I'm not sorry. I was making her potato and onion soup. Her recipe called for just simmering all the potatoes and onions in water before pureeing them. Then there was some salt. That sounded a little bland, so I cooked the onions in butter first, then I added a little garlic. Then the potatoes and some chicken broth. It was very yummy. Not bland. I also made her blueberry clafouti, and it was good, but my tinkering with that one did not end as well. I cut the sugar a little, and it needed it, so I added a little extra confectioner's sugar to the end product. So, right now ol' Julia and I are tied 1-1. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Okay, that's enough for now. I need me some coffee. Stat.

i'm going all emily dickinson

I know the Ouiser posts are kind of few and far between lately. Sorry, but it's only going to get worse. "Why?" you ask. My copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking came in today at Reading Rock, and I feel obligated to immerse myself in its saucy goodness. Also, I pinched my grandma's copy of The Joy of Cooking when I was at the farm yesterday. Now, I will say that I look forward to TJoC, but mostly because it's a little creepy. I was ruffling through the pages and passing things that involved canned tuna and potato chips, and it was freaking me out. I am almost certain that I will make few, if any, of the recipes within that tome, but I'll read it for its, um, historical value. Really it's just like watching Fear Factor for me...much like reading the instructions for making aspics in MtAoFC.

Just the same, I'll likely be a bit reclusive for awhile. Until next time...

FIVE SENSES FRIDAY
Sight: clothes hanging on the line
Sound: S singing "You are My Sunshine."
Smell: basil. always.
Touch: dozens upon dozens of seed tick bites...this is not a good thing.
Taste: oh, dear Rigatoni with Gruyere and Brie, I will love you forever.

delicious.

Sorry I've been missing. We've been busy peeps with trips to the park and cookouts and ballgames and whatnot. Of course, I've been horrible and not taken my camera to document any of the fun. I was too busy actually participating in the fun to take photos of it. I'm not really all that sorry.

Today, however, M is back at work, and life is back to normal. Sort of. S slept until 9 this morning. I guess we wore her out yesterday. She's eating breakfast on the couch and watching Cinderella. She has dance class in a few hours, and we've got a soccer game to attend this evening, but that is all we're doing today. That's it. A quiet day.

Here's a quick shot of our delicious breakfast, which you may have already seen on FB. Oh, and if I had the second at my house, I'd sit there all day, everyday sipping coffee and eating palmiers and reading cookbooks. Wouldn't you?

thirtysomething.

Thirty. I'm loving it so far...except I've either gotten a cold or in my thirtieth year, I may have developed seasonal allergies. But even with a sore throat and a stuffed up head, I am loving thirty. I had a great weekend with my family. My actual birthday revolved completely around food...apple fritters from Dickson Donuts, lunch at Sister's Cafe, cupcakes from Silver Spoon, and dinner at Lugo's. An entire day of food at Dickson's finest...except I never got my coffee from HouseBlend that day. We also snuck in a trip to the Dickson Farmer's Market for a watermelon and a jaunt into the library. It was a great, great day.

Saturday we went to my family birthday extravaganza at my Aunt O's farm. My daddy's family is chock-a-block full of August birthdays, so we always have a thing. This year, O had an "international buffet," and if you've never had a burrito that you accidentally sat on your General Tao's chicken, you've never lived! Then I had dinner at Feathernester's. M and S did not get to accompany me as S was out cold from all the fun at Aunt O's. She played football and croquet and was totally worn out.

Yesterday, we drive out to Turnbull Creek Farm to pick up our Fresh Harvest order for the week, which included a chicken this time. I am really excited about cooking that bird. I've also heard that they are trying to get organic turkeys for Thanksgiving. I might have to score one of those even if we're visiting the MoWasks for the holiday. I don't know that I could pass it up. After the farm, we hit the playground in White Bluff, which is awesome. Then we had pizza, cake, and ice cream at Mellie's. It was a really, really wonderfully perfect birthday weekend. How could I not love being thirty?

So here are thirty things that I'm thankful for/love...in honor of being thirty.

1. My husband. He is the perfect one for me. Seriously.
2. My daughter.
   
3. The rest of my family. It is lovely to have people who love you.
4. All of my friends.
   
5. Blogging..because without it I may never have learned to love and really appreciate MoWask, who I truly adore and miss.
6. Anne A, who I try to be just like as a mother.
7. Michael Pollan. I finished The Omnivore's Dilemma the other night. That man just speaks to me.
8. Reading Rock Books.
9. All things antique.
10. My relationship with my aunt Mellie.
11. Markers and cardstock.
12. My sisters, who crack me up.
13. Otis.
14. Stone fruits.
15. The banana I'm eating right now.
16. Main Street, Dickson...home.
    
17. My house.
18. Warm sunshine.
19. Cool rain (in the summer...not in the winter. That's just depressing.)
20. Happiness. Mine and everyone else's.
21. Barack Obama.
22. My health. My daughter's health. My husband's health.
23. All of my quilts.
24. St. Ives Apricot Scrub and Dr. Bronner's Liquid Baby Soap and Tom's of Maine Spearmint Toothpaste.
    
25. Alice Waters.
26. Fresh Harvest.
27. Good-writing pens. Angie M, you know what I mean.
28. Wine on the porch swings.
29. A warm bed with good sheets.
30. Another year with M, S, and everyone else...
    

help a sister out.

Seriously, I have never been into bikes. I had a lot of bicycle accidents as a kid, and I'm a 'fraidy-cat. My dear friend MoWask, however, is a bike lover. She also wants that bike over in the sidebar. So, click away dear readers, and let's see if we can't win that bike for her. All you have to do is click. That's it. Maybe every time you're bored.

bits and pieces

Here's what's on my mind today.

• I love Mothers' Day Out. Love it. I am looking forward to hitting the gym without stopping at the nursery, grabbing a little something at House Blend, and checking out the linens and fabrics at Goodwill all by myself.
• I am very sad about Ted Kennedy. S asked me what was wrong, and I answered, "Mommy is a little sad for a minute." She hugged me and said I was okay. And I was, just like that.
• I love that my family is able to sit down for dinner together at night. It makes me so happy to be around the table with my favorite people.
• I am just two short days from thirty. Finally. I've been waiting for it for YEARS. I told that to a high school friend that I ran into the other day and his response was, "yeah, you've been pushing thirty since we were about fourteen." I know. I know.
• The fabric for S's quilt came yesterday. Once she has a quilt, she gets a big girl bed. I'm not in a terribly huge hurry. I'm not going to lie.
• I think I ate my eggs too quickly. I may hit Goodwill before the gym just to be safe. Yowsers.
• I'm out, peeps. Have a good one.
  

redeeming humanity

For starters, this story has made me so happy and hopeful. Starting a day off with that bit of news is a great way to start your day. It makes me want to start a website that only reports uplifting stories for everyone to read before they hop on the train or into the car or upstairs to rescue their toddlers from their cribs. Maybe someday...

So, I'm looking forward to a wonderful day. S has her first dance class today, and I'm really looking forward to it. I think she'll love it. I'm also looking forward to some more tomatoes for dinner. How can this day be bad?

that crazy quilt

Remember that quilt I was making for my cousin Hillary a couple of weeks ago? I managed to score a picture of it from Facebook, which I find a little funny. It is nothing special. Everything but the binding was done on a machine, and the only quilting is in the ditches. But, hey, the kid has something to sleep under, right? Anyway, here's a shot of said quilt underneath my very favorite college freshman. I'm just happy that there is no beer in the picture :)

weekending with the ouisers

We had a wonderfully low-key weekend here in Ouiserland. Saturday morning we went to the Frist Center to see the Chuck Close exhibit, which totally did not disappoint. His work is so amazingly interesting. Then we grabbed a little lunch and headed home. Saturday night, I had a little ladies' night that included some brie, a couple of bottles of wine on my front porch, and Julie & Julia. I do love some Amy Adams. And I now want some checkerboard Vans. Yesterday, we picked up some produce from Fresh Harvest and hit a local playground before having lunch with the fam. And that was just about that. Like I said, low-key. Here are some pics.

more of the same

My daughter continues to entertain me. I guess it's the new routine.

• This morning, when we dropped Otis off at the groomer, S started bawling as we walked back to the car. When I asked her what was wrong, she looked up at me with the saddest eyes I've ever seen, and said, "he stole our dog."
  
• On the way to our playdate, after explaining the the two-year-old that no one stole Otis, he was only getting a haircut, she explained to me that, "he will miss me a lot. He loves me the best." (Sure he does, kid. I'm the one that feeds him, you know. All you do is step on his tail.)
• According to S, Otis is the "best dog she ever saw in the entire world." She also loves my brother the best she's ever seen in the entire world. And she loves M the best she's ever seen in the entire world. She loves her some hyperbole.
• She woke up screaming bloody murder last night because we'd forgotten to put Princess Pinky (her hot pink, tie-dyed teddy bear that now wears a tutu- but not to bed because, "you can't wear a tutu to bed, mom.") into the bed with her. When she got calmed down and I returned Princess Pinky to her rightful place, second position to the left of S, she told me to have good dreams.
• She thanked me for giving her a time out at our playdate today.

That's all for now. I've got to go make some Arthur macaroni and cheese.

geographically content

So, in reading blogs like SouleMama and All Buttoned Up, I sometimes wish that I lived elsewhere. You know, like Maine or Oregon... but then I remember one of the main reasons that I love the south. Heat. Long, long months of warmth.

SouleMama is currently "savoring summer" because it's winding down up there in Maine. Winding down? I've got over a month of scorching, how-big-can-my-hair-get-from-this-humidity days left. Followed by at least two months of warm days and warmish evenings. I remember when she was gearing up for summer, when she and her kiddos were totally jazzed about summer days at the shore and playing outside. We'd been enjoying the summer for at least a month at that point. So, really...she only gets like two months of summer. I get five. She, however, gets snowed in for almost half the year. It's not my thing, people. I like to be warm.

So, even though everything is beautiful there, and I'd love a ton of blueberries and lobster, I'll stay right where I am, thankyouverymuch.

Here's to loving where you are.

a first time for everything

S has successfully completed her first day of "school." Or what we're calling school. It's really just Mother's Day Out, but that's a mouthful for a toddler. She loved it. She didn't even flinch about being left. She asked me where I was going. I told her I was going to run some errands and I'd be back in a little while. She said, "Oh, okay. Bye." She gave me a kiss and turned to play. That was that.

She made it through the day with no tears and no accidents, and she ate the turkey from her lunch but not the strawberries or crackers. She did however take some other little boy's pears, and she says they were very good. Awesome. We were afraid she'd steal food. What can I say? We know our daughter.

Here are some pics.

S's new school bag. Check out the awesome map fabric and the GIS patch!
A would've-been-great photo that she refused to re-cheese for.
Off to school.

In other S news...

• After weeks of sickness and having the floors refinished, we hadn't seen Mr. P in a good long while. When M brought him over for dinner last night, S walked up, shook his hand and said, "it's nice to see you, Mr. P." I almost peed.
• She's now telling Otis to, "chill out, buddy," when he gets overly excited.
• My kid loves a musical. We are now listening to the soundtrack of Oklahoma! nonstop in the car.
• She picked out her first set of sheets for a big girl bed, which we don't have but are looking for. They are white with hot pink and light pink polka dots, and they have a nice thread count.
  
• She is a potty machine. If we can just graduate from the potty chair to a real potty, she'll officially be like...a big kid. How did that happen so fast?
  

you learn something new everyday.

We've been out of the house for several days now as the floors get refinished. We're staying at my daddy's house. Here are some things that I've learned in the past four days.

• Otis can be trusted off a leash. This is a really wonderful discovery that M still doesn't trust.
• S is destined to become a world-famous dancer. She has watched my sisters' dance recitals non-stop since Monday. We're all getting a smidgen sick of it.
• I love Dickson County. We went to downtown Franklin on Tuesday, and there are some awesome shops there with some awesome stuff, but I really, truly love the lack of attitude in Dickson. I refuse to purchase anything from a store where no one speaks to me (unless they are super busy). It's like Drum Eatenton says, "an ounce of pretension is worth a pound of manure."
• My sisters' have the world's greatest book sitting above their computer. It's The Words You Should Know by David Olsen. It's a little dictionary of "1200 essential words every educated person should be able to use and define." It's crazy cool. Most of the words are words that you know, but today I learned the meaning of the word "bugaboo." It's an object of fear. Something that causes worry or dismay. Okay, so now I have to wonder who the genius is that named Bugaboo strollers. And, um, would you buy one knowing the literal meaning of the name? I don't think I would.

That is all.

what a week.

There's no sense in lying about it. This week was a doozy. Maybe I should say has been a doozy as we're only partially through Saturday. M is working on the world's most intensive proposal, so we've seen next to none of him over the past few weeks. Last week, I made the request that he come home in time for dinner at least once. I didn't even request it this week, though he did make it home one night...after I'd informed him that I had, in fact, contracted hand, foot, and mouth disease from the little one.

So, I've got a fridge full of produce to cook, which I'll feed our extended family tomorrow because we're going to be out of the house next week to have our floors demolished and refinished. In case you're wondering, that means we've got to move furniture if the ol' hubby ever makes it home. I've been moving all the stuff I can move alone, but I'm getting bored with it, and I've also got to finish binding a quilt for my cousin before we leave as she leaves for college next week, and I need to stain the inside of the front door before the floors get done so that any accidents will be taken care of when that portion of the floor gets removed. Plus, I've got that pesky little virus, so the inside of my mouth feels like I've burned the heck out of it on straight-out-of-the-oven lasagna. It's not been my week.

But there have definitely been bright spots. S inherited old dance costumes, so there has been a constant parade of tulle and sequins for days. It's cute. Really cute. And Hillary's quilt, which I started on Tuesday, is looking good. I had the entire thing pieced and quilted (very minimal machine quilting...nothing to write home about) by Wednesday evening. And S and I had ice cream for lunch today. And, honestly, packing all my stuff away to have the floors done has provided me with an excellent opportunity to look at all of my stuff and remember how much I love it. So, I'm looking for the silver lining...but I'm wishing that M's proposal was done and the Ouisers could be the Ouisers once again.

not for bovines

S has been to the doctor again. It's like we're trying to keep the pediatrician's office in business. Between the bladder infection, the 2.5 checkup, and this weekend's visit, I am seriously sick of it. The kiddo has hand, foot, and mouth disease, which should not be confused with hoof and mouth disease. So, we're quarantined for a few days. Oh, well. Maybe the floors will get mopped. Maybe. I'm currently baking strawberry and basil scones instead of mopping. I have, however, done laundry and hung it out to dry on my new clothesline. (Thank you, M, for putting it up for me. I love it.)

Really the reason that I'm posting is to tell you to do the following things.

• Make Lemon-Rosemary Salt and rub it on something. Steak, fish, potatoes. Something. Anything. It is so good.
• Make some scones. I used this recipe from my friend Holly. She used strawberries and added fresh rosemary. I made them last week with fresh cherries. Now I'm working on strawberry and basil. Seriously, these suckers are good and quick to make. Plus, they are not brick-like in the least.
• Find yourself a locally grown fresh cantaloupe. Do not hesitate. I picked one up from Fresh Harvest Saturday, and I just cut into it. It is one of the single best things I've ever eaten, and I don't even really like cantaloupe that much.
• Go read some poetry. I've been reading poetry lately to S, and we're both loving it. I had forgotten about the following: So much depends upon/a red wheelbarrow/glazed with rain water/beside the white chickens. I do love that. Love it.
  

is that a kookaburra in your chest...

...or are you just happy to see me?
Background. For some reason S is weirded out by doctors listening to her. She does not like the idea of the stethoscope, despite the fact that it doesn't really bother her. It's just the anticipation that's a killer.

Anyway, when she was diagnosed with her bladder infection a couple of weeks ago, we told her that the doctor was listening to the butterflies in her chest and looking for butterflies in her ears. She thought that was funny, and she kept telling me that she had a pink butterfly in one ear and a green butterfly in the other.

Then, yesterday, we had to go for her 2.5 checkup. The whole way to the doctor's office, she whined, "I don't want him to listen to me." So, I told her they weren't going to listen to her, they were going to listen to the kookaburra in her chest. (Kookaburras are the fave animal du jour.)

Now, she keeps coming up to me with her play stethoscope and telling me she needs to listen to the kookaburra in my chest. Then she wants me to listen to her chest, and then she tells me what animal I'm listening to. Sometimes it's a kookaburra. Sometimes it's "just a ladybug." Sometimes it's a mary-kat (meerkat).

This kid. She wears me out.

my girl v2.5

S is now officially two-and-a-half. Here's a look back...

0.0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5 (She is apparently so old now that she requires the use of a cane.)

our morning at carnton

Since I just finished The Widow of the South last week, Mel and I decided to head over to Carnton Plantation today. It was a gorgeous day outside. So, despite some hiccups the day went well.

We left late because the floor guys decided to come over this morning to give us a quote on fixing our floors. When we got there, we had to wait about a half an hour for the next tour of the house to start. No big deal. We hit the cemetery (or "cemquary" according to S) before touring the house. I know what you're thinking.

"You took a two-year-old to a historical tour of a plantation?"

Well, the tour was supposed to last between 45 minutes and an hour, and she can hang in for that long. Unfortunately, we got the long winded tour guide. Seriously. Long. Winded. We spent twenty minutes in the first room, and we were stuck in a corner. I thought S would burst. When we went to the second room, the furniture wasn't roped off, and S took that to mean she could climb all over it. When she first went and calmly sat down on an antique sofa, I was cool. When she climbed down and calmly sat on a footstool, I was cool. Then she got back on the footstool and she leaped off. Not so cool. We decided to go outside. There were outbuildings and a very nice garden to tour, not to mention that the weather was divine. So, we went out to play, leaving Mellie to tour the house, which meant I was going to miss seeing the bloodstains and the view from the back upper gallery, but that was alright.

Over an hour later, after a tour that started after ours had ended, S and I were getting a little cranky and hungry, and we had to pee. Alas, the keys to the car and my wallet were in Mellie's purse. Luckily, she finally made her way out just after I sent her a very smarty-pants text message. Really, we had a very nice time, but S is not invited when we hit the Hermitage. And, I got some nice photos of my girl.

for MoWask.
I'm not entirely sure this is appropriate. At all.

My favorite little face.
Holly Hobby in her new bonnet.
Running in the garden.