Pages

Friday, March 12, 2010

7 Quick Takes Friday, #54



1. I had a gift certificate for Amazon that needed to be used up before it could burn a hole in my computer, so last week I placed an order. My new books arrived this week (oh, happy day!). I got In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan and began reading it immediately. It's really caught and held my attention, but also caused me to cry strangled sobs of longing for my beloved donuts: there's nothing natural or whole about donuts.

I feel bereft. Or at least the expectation of feeling bereft in the near future. It's only been a few days since I had a donut, so the next few weeks will reveal if I can keep Pollan's message in my head during the inevitable donut-withdrawals.

But I already feel strangely healthier, just from reading the book. It's unsettling.



2. The second book I bought was Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. It too, has caught and held my attention. Human women are fascinating creatures.



3. One night this week, Lauren and Justin were snuggled up on our bed reading stories before bedtime. At some point, she became bored with whatever story he was telling and started searching for something better. She picked up Taking Charge of Your Fertility -- a huge book in such a little girl's hands -- and started reading it from the beginning, jabbering animatedly at each new page.

She made a game of it with Justin: she'd turn a page, babble off some mumbo-jumbo, look at her daddy, and laugh uproariously like she'd just finished reading the best joke ever. Over and over, jibber-jabber, laughter, page turn, jibber-jabber, laughter, page turn. I pulled out the video camera to capture the cuteness, and -- whaddaya know -- she stopped. Just when she'd found a picture of the female external reproductive organs.

Lauren was highly interested in discussing it, but the problem was with her audience. When confronted with a highly graphic drawing of girly bits, her mature father just couldn't take it. Justin had to bury his face and hold his breath to conceal his laughter. (Junior high, here we come.) To make matters worse, she kept asking him what it was and he couldn't remove his hand from his face long enough to answer.

And I have this whole exchange on video. I'd show it to you, if I knew how to upload it and display it here. It's probably for the best, though. It doesn't bode well for my husband's future in discussing any feminine issues with his daughters.

Human men are hilarious creatures.



4. Mia's preschool class made a cute little craft that some of you might like. It's adorable and so simple:


It's a regular ziploc baggie, filled with tissue paper scraps and ribbons, tied around the middle with a pipe cleaner, and shaped into a butterfly. So easy and fun! You could have your little one cut or tear pieces of colorful paper, fill the baggie with pom-poms, confetti, fabric scraps...really endless options. A perfect spring craft!



5. On his way home from work one night this week, Justin called and asked what was for dinner. The food I'd made didn't cause him to erupt into joy or abundant excitement, so I (in some kind of moody, hormonal place) got my feelings hurt. I sulked about not being able to please anyone all the time and if I had to worry about the kids refusing the food, I shouldn't have to worry about him too. He was understandably confused; his reaction had been nothing short of normal. I was having an off day, though, so I pounced. We hung up and I began feeling dumb about it, but not dumb enough to call and apologize. Luckily, he called back a few minutes later and it was like nothing had happened -- like he knew I was being unreasonable, but didn't need to call me on it.

I was properly chagrined and embarrassed over my behavior by the time he got home, all set to make it up to him somehow. But instead, he had a surprise for me. He brought me a slice of cookie from the Cookie Company -- with my favorite frosting on top -- after I was terribly gripey and ill-mannered towards him. He's a good man.

(Wait. Do processed cookies fall in the same category of un-naturalness as donuts? Oh well. It wouldn't have been right of me to turn down a gift meant to assuage my hormonal frustration.)



6. The weather here is becoming so springlike that I'm starting to get excited about my garden. I bought lettuce and broccoli to hopefully get planted this weekend. Last year, I waited too long past the prime planting time and my broccoli didn't do very well, so I want to get it done a little earlier this year. Plus, I want to begin planting as soon as allowed so hopefully my gardening days will be complete by the hottest days of August. I start to get cranky about why I started a stupid garden in the first place around that time, and am ready to sow it all under by then.

But for now, I'm looking forward to it!



7. I keep meaning to thank you all for your lunchtime suggestions! They've been wonderful and helpful and plentiful, and I keep looking over them for continued inspiration. (If you haven't seen the ideas, you should check them out -- they've really helped me escape our lunchtime rut.)



Thanks for stopping by today, and be sure to check out Conversion Diary for more Quick Takes! Have a wonderful weekend!

13 comments:

  1. I love the account of Lauren "reading" "Taking Charge of Your Fertility", and that you got it on film! Poor Justin; at least he's able to laugh about the situation he's in rather than run for the hills screaming... which is what I think my husband will do if we ever have a little girl occupying the house :D

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love your randomness - always makes me smile. :)

    And thanks for sharing that craft! We will soon have ziploc butterflies fluttering around our house!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I loved Michael Pollan's book. When you finish that one then read his book "Food Rules" which sort of takes what he talks about in "In Defense of Food" and distills it into 64 rules that you can choose to follow or not.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I keep meaning to check out the lunch tips! Thanks for the reminder now that it's 11:30 and my stomach is growling... :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I thought found both of those books educational and fascinating. Great info for the whole family, too! :)

    Thanks for the craft idea. We have all of the materials around here so perhaps we'll do it this afternoon.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The dudes in our lives need to do nice things for us when we're unreasonable. We are unreasonable because something is wrong! Hormones, stress, whatever. So they need to cheer us up, not make us feel guilty. We already feel guilty enough. Good job Justin!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Life is about balance. So you cook/eat whole foods most of the time, but really enjoy a donut or other treat every once in a while. I could never go all whole foods all the time.

    ReplyDelete
  8. #1: Donuts. Last week, during a quiet car ride to our destination, I looked at my husband and blurted out: I hate that donuts are so bad for us!!! He looked at me like "Is that really the the deep thought you've been processing?" Yes, it is.

    #2. Careful. While reading that book, we randomly conceived twins!

    Love your list! By the way, I can't remember if I ever shared that I found your blog through une autre mere (Katie!). I'm sure I seem like a weird lurker...we all love your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for the adorable craft idea...gotta get some pipe cleaners!
    He brought you home Cookie Co?!! Um I kinda like that husband of yours, mind if I steal him? Maybe we just need to get together more often and he'll just rub off on my hubby a little.....

    ReplyDelete
  10. In Healthy Breads in 5 Minutes a Day they have a reasonably healthy recipe for homemade donuts. I haven't tried them yet, but I want to. Mmmm. Donuts any time.

    I find Taking Charge of Your Fertility fascinating. I bought it long before I became Catholic (not that it is a Catholic book) and found the whole idea of NFP or FAM very interesting. Not that I seem to be very good at it. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Debbie - It's on my wish list :)

    Sneaky Mommy - My husband said a little prayer when he heard you conceived twins while reading that book ;) And I loved your donut story! Sounds exactly like a normal conversation around here, too. Yes, I remembered that Katie dragged you over here -- and I'm so glad!

    Katie - More time together IS crucial! But Travis and Justin are already so alike, we may just be spitting in the wind. I just told Justin last night how much I love spending time with your family!

    Jordana- Donuts as healthy bread? Yes, please! And homemade = whole, right?!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Oh, I REALLY want to see your video of the fertility-book-story-time!! Really, really, a LOT.

    That is an adorable preschool craft!


    And hormonal or not, it is SO frustrating to work hard on a dinner, only to get the husbandly "oh, that again? okay..."

    ReplyDelete
  13. I also get annoyed anytime my husband does not swoon over what I make for dinner. Does he not know that it's his job to validate what I do all day??

    ReplyDelete

Hmm...And how did that make you FEEL?