Curious Bird

art makin' in the tub

Whew! We had a great time visiting with family, but it's so good to be home again. Felix did some bathtub watercolors to celebrate our first full day at home -- a fun activity indeed...and the cleanup was as easy as it gets.

Take care,

Leya

We left town suddenly a few days ago flying home to celebrate the life of Dustin's dear grandfather. What a great man he was.  We're so happy we made the trip and had the chance to spend some time with family. But now thanks to Hurricane Irene we are having a difficult time getting home. Don't you just love it when the airline leaves a  message saying your flight has been canceled, followed by informing you that you must call back (and stay on hold for an eternity while being forced to listen to horrid music) to reschedule?!  Not nice. 

Anyway, I'll be back in a bit.
Stay safe, fellow East Coast friends.

xo,
Leya

early birds

One of my favorite moments from the weekend. 7:30 am on Sunday morning. Before coffee. Before breakfast. Before the fuzz from sleep had even cleared from our heads.

And I'll be honest, some days I feel sorry for myself for having to get up with the birds and immediately be "on". This wasn't one of those days. There was  just too much shirtless harmonica playing and giggling for me to even think about going back to sleep. ♥

Hope you had some fun this weekend, too. 

L.

out and about

While Dustin got settled in at UNC (he's there one day a week and at Duke the other days), Felix and I went exploring...and collecting little treasures along the way.

We also tried Sandwhich. Thanks for the recommendation, Meg.

dear compost guru, it's me leya

We haven't had compost since our beloved days in Portland, Oregon, which leaves me confused about a few things. I'm hoping one of you might have some wisdom on the subject. If so,  lay it on me. I have one main question right now, and since I've done some research and keep getting different opinions, I thought I would just ask in this space.

What's the story with putting stonefruit pits in the compost? I know they will eventually breakdown, but I'm wondering if this is wise in general?  Any wisdom on the subject, dear readers? Also, any good compost/gardening books you'd recommend?

As always, thanks a bunch.

Cheers,
Leya

Peeking out

Hello out there, 

Phew! I'm just going to take a deep breath, exhale, and start writing. Here goes...

First of all, I should take deep breaths more often. They do wonders for me.

Anywho, this is what I know at the moment:

It is taking longer than I would have guessed to fully comprehend how many things just took place in my life. For starters, Dustin and I both finished graduate school days before we relocated our family from Philly to Durham. I suppose we're still a bit dizzy from all the chaos. Dizzy and exhausted. But even though it has been a complete whirlwind, the most important thing is that we did it, and we're here, and boy are we happy about it all. Big time happy.

Durham is going to be so great. Many of you sang its praises and you were right. Not that I ever doubted you.  We are very excited about slowing things down a bit. I mean, we loved living in Philadelphia, but if we're truly honest with ourselves we don't need quite that much hustle and bustle. Turns out, we are swinging on the porch-swing kind of people. And spying on the  little finches outside the kitchen window kind of people. And we are definitely puttering around in the backyard kind of people. There is still tons more to discover about this whole adventure, which is one of the things that makes us so happy. That and watching Felix explore his new world. He is beyond excited about the house and the yard and the big, beautiful park up the street.  Even Mortimer (bless that old, sickly kitty) has forgiven us for stuffing him in his cat carrier and making him ride in the cab of the moving truck for several hours. Poor dude. But, alas, he is really resilient and forgiving. As my grandma might say, bless his heart.

Since checking some fairly huge tasks off the ol' to-do list, I have done some of the things I have missed immensely. Dustin can attest to the fact that I've been whining about not being able to do any "fun reading" while in graduate school. Well, all the whining has ceased because the fun reading is in full swing. I am reading three books at once right now and LOVING every minute of it.

I've also...

Made up a batch of hummingbird nectar.

Filled up the bird bath.

Set up four birdhouses around the yard. (Felix has a way of making the cutest face -- his mouth quickly forms into the shape of an O -- upon hearing or seeing a bird).

Made lots and lots of homemade ice cream.

Met some new friends and their adorable kiddos.

Explored some of the wonderful restaurants in Durham -- this town knows how to eat!

Started planning what we're going to grow in our Fall garden. Greens! Lots of greens!

Joined some of friends for a lovely mountain getaway.

Listened to the new Eleanor Friedberger record on repeat. Can't seem to get enough of it.

Found a swimming hole and a few good hikes nearby.

Watched my baby boy take his first steps. So far, he walks  just like Frankenstein!

Started scheming some new crafty projects. Felix is well on his way to having a nifty "book nook" in his room. More pillows stat!

Watched my husband fire up his new grill on nearly a nightly basis.

Noshed on a ton of grilled veggies ;)

And the list goes on and on.

There is still much to do. There always is. But for now I'm just going to read my books, watch Felix explore his new world, and continue to celebrate all that has been accomplished.

Be well,

L.

The dog days of Summer at our house

Hello! It has been a little while since my last post and SO much has happened.
But before I say anything more, I must first say Thank You Thank You Thank You to all the lovely ladies who so graciously agreed to guest post in this space during my time away. It was beyond helpful to put everything here on autopilot and be able to focus on moving and settling into our new home in Durham. It was also fun to see what other people do to get through their own dog days of Summer. So, again, THANKS a million. I owe you one.

Like I said earlier, a ton has happened. Lots of really good stuff. But for now I wanted to wrap up the dog days of Summer posts with my own words on the subject. Nothing mindblowing, just what I/we do (are doing) to get through these final hot days and nights of Summertime.

As I've mentioned many times before, for years I spent most of the months of July and August running a summer camp, which caused me to live away from home (in the woods. out of a suitcase). This meant that my dog days of Summer looked a little different than they do now. They felt hotter and longer and filled to the brim with tasks that needed to be completed so that camp kept running smoothly. Phew!

Nowadays, things are a little different. One major difference is that instead of having people --the camp kitchen staff -- cook all my meals for me, I now do it myself. We make a ton of different things (although last night was one of those nights where I was was just too exhausted and chose to have a bowl of cereal. ever have those nights?) One new thing we've been obsessed with since moving to NC is making LOTS of homemade ice cream. Fresh peach ice cream. Fresh strawberry ice cream. Vanilla ice cream. Pistacio ice cream. We are in ice cream making overdrive here and we're not stopping anytime soon.  I'm even thinking about making a batch with pretzels in it. Perhaps I will do that and it will be delicious and I will have to call it Leya's dog days of Summer ice cream. I can see it listed among the other recipes in one of those spiral bound family cookbooks, can't you?

I'll be back soon, friends

L.

 

 

The dog days of Summer: Erin from House on Hill Road

I have been a fan of Erin and her lovely blog House on Hill Road for years now. She is one talented lady who could likely whip up a beautiful skirt or blouse in her sleep. Seriously. And don't even get me started about her beautiful quilts. Like I said, she's talented...and smart...and funny.  Erin writes House on Hill Road from Kentucky where she lives with her husband and two daughters.

When another hot weekend is in the forecast, my husband, Fatty, and I like to beat the heat with some Mexican inspired cocktails. Margaritas are my drink of choice whereas Fatty prefers a refreshing a spiced up beer, also know as a Michelada. Here's how we make them. Cheers!

 

Fatty's Spicy Michelada - makes 2

2 - cold 12 oz. bottles of Mexican lager, such as Pacifico

the juice of 2 limes

2 tsp. Chipotle Tabasco

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

Salt the rim of 2 16oz. glasses and then pour the beers into the glasses. In a separate cocktail shaker filled with ice, mix the other ingredients. Shake and then strain the spice mixture into the beers. Stir a bit and enjoy!

Erin's Favorite Margarita - Makes 1 large and strong drink, or 2 small

2 oz. lime juice

2 oz. Cointreau

3 oz. silver tequila

Agave Nectar

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and squeeze some agave nectar over the ice - about 2 tsp to 1 tbsp. Add other ingredients and shake well. Serve in a salted glass over ice. Garnish with a lime and sip slowly.

The dog days of Summer: Amber from Open Roads Mama

Sometimes I stumble upon a blog after receiving a comment here in this space, which is exactly how I discovered Amber's blog, Open Roads Mama. I've always wanted to live in Vancouver, so perhaps by reading her blog I'm living vicariously through her a little too. Over at Open Roads Mama, Amber writes about motherhood, knitting, exploring beautiful outdoor spots, and lots more. Amber resides in Vancouver with her husband and son. 

I love summers in the Canadian West Coast, they're only occasionally unbearably hot. But we sure do get visits from the summer heat waves!  And when the dog days of summer hit, my family and I tend to instantly think: 'WATER!'

 

I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to pack the car and stand at a lakeside in a very short period of time.  The Vancouver area is famous for its nature and I'm one who takes full advantage of it. It's not hard to turn your whole summer into a stay-cation around here, especially if you're just looking to spend time in nature. We walk and bike and spend lots of time outside every day. But when the real heat of the summer comes, we gravitate towards the water immediately. The city beaches are great, but they're often too crowded for our liking. So our choice is usually a short trip to one of the lakes in the area surrounding Vancouver. We set up camp for the day, or half, or however much time we have, and just chill - feet in the cold water (always an instant relief from the heat!), munching on fresh berries or raw vegetables we brought form home in our little day-trip sized cooler, inhaling the fresh air, enjoying the massive amount of trees all around us, and just being in the moment. If I could, I would plant myself here for good, on that beach, feet in the water, holding hands with my love, next to us - our little one playing in the water with other little happy kiddos, it's just a really great place to be on a hot summer day.

The dog days of Summer: Jessica from Montalino

I don't remember how I found Jessica's blog, Montalino. How ever it happened, I'm just glad it happened.  Jessica often writes about birth and motherhood. And sometimes she writes great posts about gender. I love that about her blog... I never know what to expect, but I always leave having learned something.  Jessica lives with her husband and son, Oliver, in Holyoke, Massachusettes. 

This summer we've done many practical things to beat the heat like puttering around the garden early in the morning. Some days you'll see us out there as early as 7am with jammies on and sleep in our eyes. Oliver will dig in his sandbox or "inspect" the plants for me, while I water. It's been a terrific way to get outside while the air is cool and the yard is shady.
Up here in New England we sometimes forget to slow down and meet the heat. Many times we bustle around at our regular pace and get overheated and irritable. Having an exuberant toddler during the heat wave I've learned to keep our schedule to a minimum, to be satisfied staying in and finding entertainment in the simple things (that garner lots of laughter).



Stay cool,

Jessica