The Bandwagons I Jump On.

I always seem to jump on the bandwagon a little late, but I'm always glad when I do.  I started True Blood   a few episodes in, and couldn't believe there were three Sundays of my life that I had not looked forward to Bill and Sookie.  I read the Twilight books after I was sick of hearing everyone else talk about them (I also complained repeatedly to my sister that they weren't getting steamy enough for me... until she informed me that such was my fate if I chose to buy books in the pre-teen section of Borders.)

Most recently - Hunger Games and Madmen.  I had no good reason except that I didn't want to buy the books, didn't have netflix to watch back episodes, blah blah blah.  But then the first movie in the Hunger Games trilogy was impending, and I panicked.  I borrowed all three from Allison and neglected my family and home for days until they were read.  And I loved them.  So yes, I was one of the random single people with a diet coke and a tub of popcorn at the movies on Friday...the kind of people who take the afternoon off, or leave the kids at home with the sitter...the kind of people who quietly lift the noisy movie theater napkins to dab their tears - because it was so damn good!

I really have no excuse for not seeing Madmen sooner, except that it just wasn't on TV.  But finally, a few weeks back, there it was.  Every Sunday morning, starting at 6 a.m.,  my DVR quietly recorded three episodes whilst my family sleep soundly in their beds (because who watches Madmen at 6 am on a Sunday?  Crazy AMC people).  So every Sunday afternoon I would neglect my family and home and watch my episodes, which lead right up to the season premier on Sunday.

It was good.  We fell in love with the new, kinder and gentler Don Draper and got some good shirtless shots of him.  But even better was the Madmen premier party at Allison's - complete with 60's apps and cocktails, and even better company.  Coco had a fever, so poor Joe did my hair up nice, and then put his jammies on to snuggle in with the little one for the evening (but I did bust home to watch the show with him, bearing leftovers and cheesecake).

Allison's Avacodo Crab Salad

Mark's Whiskey Sours

Chef Alex's Beef (that sounds kinda dirty)

Bye the bye, Joe came home bearing fruit trees today!!  Two peach and one cherry.

Good thing I already ordered the bees ;).

He's Got the Moves Like Jagger.

Joe and I officially will have loved through a decade this month.  It was a cold March night (snuggle in and get a drink, this could take awhile), and my friend Jeremy insisted that we had to go see Bob Log III at the Elbow Room.  He also insisted that we get there early enough to see the opening band, Scotty Karate and JoJo Buns because, well, how could we miss that nonsense?  And from there something beautiful was born.  Spring bloomed quickly that year, just like our love (did you like that? did you see what I did there?)...I'm kidding, and we'd better stop this story before there are impromptu tattoos involved.

If you know nothing else about my husband, know that he can dance.  And so it was in the beginning.  He wooed me with his moves.  In those first few weeks, he only wore a powder blue three piece suit as his "going out" attire.  Sometimes just a vest and pants, sometimes a suit coat and pants...rarely a shirt to be had.  We danced.  We got sweaty and he and that damned suit smelled like my man.  And I was done for.

Fast forward 10 years.  Now I know some of you can't handle the Ypsi Value World, but for me, the dingier the better.  The darker and dirtier a thrift store is, the more likely I am to find something amazing there for 49 cents.  We were checking out last week, and out of nowhere "I got the moves like Jagger" came on the loudspeaker....like an omen, or a prophecy.  Joe couldn't stop himself, for he did, indeed, have the moves like Jagger.  The cashier looked from me to him helplessly, not sure how to proceed.  But he kept right on dancing, and she laughed, and laughed, and laughed.

I love me that man, and he did a lot of work around the farm this week.   Xoxo JoJo Buns!!

First Date probably looked something like this (Joe at the drums)

And he still takes me dancing.

And he paints my bathrooms.  I really love this color...but I loooove the upstairs bathroom color 

(almost done)!!

And I had the best fence painters around.

Coco is totally wearing a Scotty Karate and JoJo Buns tee shirt to paint, one that I bought at that first show.  I used to wear it with my J Lo jeans.  Yes,  that shirt used to fit me.  And yes, I owned J Lo jeans.  Sweet Dreams ;)

The Miracle of Life Tent...at Kelly's.

Just when you think you have your whole day planned out, Kelly's goats start having babies, and any well intentioned responsibilities go to pot.   The head count as of this afternoon was as follows:  Mean Jean had one healthy baby girl, and Grandma Goat had pretty little twin ladies.  Tina was in the "labor and delivery" pen, because she was surely going to go next.

Coco and I headed over after school.  We snuggled the babies and wandered around the farm - every corner just thriving with life on a beautiful spring day.

Wait!  What is Black Sheep doing over in the corner?  She's not even in the birthing pen!  "It's too early, I'm not ready"  Kelly gasped.  You see, Black Sheep was the "special" goat.  She was emaciated, looked sickly, and even got a private feeding session each night to boost her strength.  No way she could be pregnant.   Yet here we were, sweetly coaxing her with gentle voices and inspirational words.  Kelly handled it like a pro.  "Is that a nose or brains?"  It didn't matter, she was gentle, and loving, and a natural goat midwife.  I was SO proud of her!  And, in all of 5 minutes...out popped one perfect tiny little goat.  

Those are hooves popping out!

What???  And another.  Two perfect little boys.

I could have stayed and watched goats drop all night long, but Joe informed me that we needed to eat dinner and put Coco to bed.  Killjoy.  Anyhooo, it was really just glorious out a Cornman Farms today...enjoy some pics!

Coco Rosie & Baby Annie Goat

Grandma Goat's Twinsies

Carlos, stay there - I want to get a pic...

Carlos!  Too Close!

1940's Cow.  Perfect little finger waves in her hair. 

And a rooster for good measure...Happy Tuesday!!

Girls Put Your Records On.

My good friend Allison has a lovely food blog, The Last Bite, and she often tells us what is playing in the kitchen.  I am directly pilfering this idea from her (because if you steal blog ideas, give credit where credit is due...right girls?).

I try to do photo shoot for the shop once a week, because it's an ordeal.  I move furniture, clear walls, and collect all of my little pretties - and then plow through for a few hours (and then clean it all up ;).   I love the pictures I take of my items, like little still life vignettes.  When you take beautiful pics, people feature your items in treasuries - shop owner curated collections with a theme - some by color, some by thought or whimsy. And therefor,  your items get more views.  Like free publicity.  Here are two that were made this afternoon featuring my goodies... Vintage Charm, and Bubblegum Vintage Style.

On to the point.  To get me through photo shoot day, I put my records on.  Here are a few things playing on repeat in my life...enjoy!

It's no secret that Jack White and I have a thing (in my head anyway).  But good Lord, can you blame me?  Everything this man touched turns to gold.  Jack's new album, Blunderbuss, comes out April 24.  Until then, enjoy the first single (featuring the sweet Miss Ruby Amanfu)!    Love Interruption

I am waiting to get tired of this album, but I just don't.  I listened to it as I packed up the old house, and I still am.  Anytime really, but always - always - in the bathtub.  Have a little minute for yourself with Mr. Ray Lamontagne...Like Rock & Roll Radio

I have a patient right now that looooves old country and gospel.  I get to run through all of my Secret Sisters covers with her (which are mostly just old country covers themselves)...Oh My Heart Skips a Beat

Anytime, anywhere, Neko Case (featuring the just-as-delicious-Kelly Hogan)
I Wish I Was the Moon Tonight

And I would, of course, be remiss if I didn't include the Indigo Girls...the quintessential music of my springs, past and present.
Closer to Fine Live, Lilith Fair  (well this one brings back memories of Lilith Fair debauchery)  (And, when Amy and Emily tell us to sing along, they are speaking directly to me.  They like it when I sing along.  Don't get any ideas.)

Photo Shoot!!!

My etsy shop workers.

Kittenpants is on break.

Wait, so is Martha.

Wait, so is Florence.  Ok, so I don't pay them much.

At least the painters were busy working today...home improvement pics next post!

These Are Our People.

We live in a community of small towns.   Clusters of farming communities spring up between the larger, gentrified cities.   We know our neighbors, know who sells the good hay, who puts on a good rummage sale, who has the best fish fry.

Coco recently had a day off for conferences, and we went in to Stockbridge for the morning before we met with her teacher.  We mailed things at the post office, ate lunch at the diner, and got a good cup of coffee at the little coffee shop.  We chatted with Larry who runs the antique mall, whose uncle once owned Uncle Ken's house.  We went into the pharmacy and bought baked goods from the little girls raising money for their choir trip.  "Does the carrot cake have raisins?"  Joe asks..."I don't know, my grandma made everything" said the little doe eyed girl.  Your grandma?  Great, we'll take one of everything.  We walked through town, munching on cookies and pumpkin bars, being grateful for small town life.

Last night we witnessed small town life go into action.  I'm in Cincinnati, and I started getting panicked texts asking if we were ok....???  We're ok, wait - what's going on there...panic.  Joe said it was sunny at our house, but he was watching the storm in the distance.  Al had him put the cars in the barn, not knowing where the storm would hit - where the tornado would hit.  It hit Dexter.

Our beloved community of 8 years.  We love Dexter.  It's where our friends live.  It's where our people live.  Frantic texts went out.  Charity wasn't responding, Kelly wasn't responding....helplessness.  Finally everyone accounted for, and then Facebook kicked into action.  Pics and videos of the giant beast.   Busch's opened their freezers to everyone.  Hackney Hardware would open early today and  have supplies delivered all day.  The mill got hit.  The pine trees are down on Fleming.  Everyone heard the roar of the freight train, everyone thought it was coming right for them.  Kelly said there were sheds flying in the funnel could.  Sheds.  Good God.

Tragedies hit small towns, and then small towns jump into action.  Alex set off with the mule, a chain saw, and a good heart.  The Lesser men helped neighbors through the night, tarping holes and roofs.   This is what hope is made of.  We know our neighbors, we love our community.  These are our people.

13 Homes destroyed, many many damaged, No One Injured. Aerial Footage of the aftermath.

Photo Credit to David Rossiter, WILX News 10

And it Smelled Like Spring.

If I had made some arbitrary "to do" list for myself today, and if that "to do" list included cleaning all of my kitchen cabinets and drawers, it never would have happened.  But at some point this afternoon, it was clearly warmer outside than it was in the house, so I started opening windows and doors.  And then it hit me...

The smell of spring.  The grass warming in the sun.  The hyacinth on the kitchen table.

It smelled like Holy Saturday at grandma Dorothy's, making potato salad and slicing the ham.  Each year we packed beautiful baskets, carefully lined with linens, doilies, and perfectly ironed hankies.  We marched them down through the old polish village to St. Hedwig's for Sweinconka, the polish blessing of the food.  A little sampling of everything we were to eat on Easter Sunday - ham, kielbasa, ketchup, candy... (even a little cat and dog food for the animals).

It smelled like singing in the choir at the Easter vigil.  Verse upon verse of Alleluia's as the newly baptized marched down the isle, each one holding pots of tulips, and lilies, and hyacinths, transforming the alter into a magical garden.  These sweet familiar smells layered upon themselves, filling the air, year after year.

These are smells one can count on.   And these smells have some unspoken way of telling you it's time to clean out the cupboards.  And so I did.

After a good winter of rest, the girls are back in business!  

P.S...Crack is Whack, but the bathrooms are getting painted!!

Birthday Bliss and Neighbors We Love.

We moved to the farm in the dead of winter.  We met a few of the neighbors in passing, but out in the sticks no one really socializes in the winter - we hunker.  But, some magical person was plowing our driveway with every snowfall, so we knew we were in good company from the get go.   As summer rolled through, we decided to throw a little soiree.  Before the big summer hootenanny, Joe and I put invites in all of the neighbors mailboxes.  On the big day, at the stroke of 2:00 on the nose, lovely people - old and young - started walking up the driveway with pies and casseroles.  Each one looked hesitant, not really sure if they were supposed to be here with their tupperware and folding chairs.  But they were, indeed, very welcome.  The neighbor contingent set up camp on the porch, and talked the day away into the sunset, telling stories of the different owners, just happy to be together.

And that was the beginning of something beautiful, especially with Al and Lois.  They live across the street.  Al plows our driveway in the winter, and mows the lawn in the summer if he gets an extra wind.  He truly likes helping others, and beams with a sense of pride when you need something and he's got it (which is often the case, because Al has everything).  Al and Lois have us over for ribs and classic country karaoke night,  and I send over sweets.  We call and check on each other - each conversation ending with a heartfelt "I love you kids" and "we love you too."

So when Al called on my birthday this week and needed Joe to help him for a minute, I should not have been impatient.  But Joe was supposed to pick up Coco, and we were late for sushi night at Allison's, and, and, and... Little did I know that Al needed Joe's help getting me a boatload of goat fencing into the trailer!  (And in case this doesn't seem exciting to you, my birthday list included bees, goats, and goat fencing).

So, thank you.  Thank you to Al for my fencing.  Thank you to my sweet friends for sushi and heirloom seeds and chicken themed home decor.  Thank you to my parents for a lovely birthday weekend on the farm, and for being my parents.  Thank you to my sister for indulging me with fancy new make-up.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Leisurely Sunday morning with dad.

Spring is springing!

And bye the bye, we worked our sweet polish dupes off last summer kicking these gardens into shape...stay tuned!