feverish

Éamonn had a mild fever this morning and was very clingly so I put him on my back and did house work to keep moving and lull him to sleep. My floors are nicely swept and the laundry is all folded but having a hundred-degree baby sweatily sleeping on your back while you dash around tidying up on a humid August day is hot.

After the nap Miryam joined us for a cool bath and with ice cubes to keep us from completely melting into the woodfloors. It felt like floating in a glass of ice water, thank goodness.

fishing

In my mind I have an unofficial list of skills that I consider necessary to being a productive and capable human being. Some of these (canning, sewing on a button, making butter) I can put a big check mark next to but others still elude me. Being able to catch a fish, clean it and cook it is very clearly on the later.

I have, honestly, only been fishing twice. Both were on one of our pre-children cross country trips; once in Yellowstone and once in Oregon. I got the hang of casting but it was Andy that, on the second outing, caught a rainbow trout, cleaned it and cooked it (barely, yum) on the camp stove. That was the freshest fish I have had, clearly, at about 20 minutes post-catch.

Miryam showed some interest in fishing so on a trip back from Maryland Andy brought her a rod and small tackle box that all fits in a carrying bag for her back. She was very proud and very excited to give it a go.

She picked up casting surprisingly quickly and caught a sunfish on her first trip out with papa, but so far nothing for the frying pan. We found a company that sells biodegradable fishing line and other earth-conscious tackle so we can impact the rivers as little as possible while we try to catch our dinner. We've been reading over the Fish section in the River Cottage cookbook and dreaming of meals to come.

five years

Last friday was my five year wedding anniversary. My mom stayed with the children so Andy and I could go out to dinner. It was fun to dress up and be able to linger over our food and talk about our dreams for the future and just chat without interruptions.

In looking back at the wedding pictures I remember, so clearly, what an amazing day it was. It's hard to write about such a memorable day without sounding cliché. It's hard to write about the love of your life without sounding trite. The wedding was outdoors on the grounds of a local college. We were up on a hill surrounded by trees and mountains.

We wanted the wedding to be an expression of our love, but more importantly, a statement to our community of our commitment to each other. I had often wondered if anything would feel different once we made it official. Would I look at Andy differently once he was my husband as well as my partner? Truly, I knew that the wedding was not so much for us to solidify our commitment to each other, but to proclaim it to our loved ones and to ask them for their blessings.

newly married

We were married on a hill beneath a linen chuppah supported by birch poles to symbolize fertility. The chuppah represents the home and marriage and so we had friends hold it above us to show how the community supports our new family. The marriage was officiated by a dear friend, the wine was blessed by another. Poetry was read and our siblings held the broom for us to hop over. We said our vows and then asked for our community, our friends and family, if we could have their blessings. To hear a hundred and fifty people loudly responding with love that they supported our marriage and wished us well was amazing.

Jim, our friend and Justice of the Peace for a day

After the ceremony we walked down the hill and around the corner to have our Yichud. This was traditionally the time to consumate the marriage but modernly it is a time for seclusion before the reception. Our friend had layed out a blanket with pillow and peacock feathers and wine and fruit. We had a few moments to be together and smile and giggle that we are now married!

the bouquets were blue and purple hydrangeas, the tables had wildflowers

The reception was so much fun - great local music, delicious food and for the toast our friends made us a blueberry mead. My dear friend, Laura, make us the most amazing apricot cheesecake decorated with local, organic, flowers.

some folks were worried about putting a very pregnant woman up on the chairs but they were very careful not to drop me

I could not have asked for a more amazing day. And I could not have asked for a more loving and wonderful husband. I am blessed everyday that we are together. My children are so blessed to have them as their father. I could not want for more.

just a few cherries, thank you

Ah it is cherry time around here. I have to say, however, this colander represents the sum total of all the cherries I am purchasing this year. After last year's cherry-box-panic, where in which I spent two days pitting cherries by hand with a paring knife, this season I decided I would by one pint and eat them fresh that day and that would be that. Maybe I'll get a cherry pitter before next season and my courage will return. If so I should get one early - my friend Hannah asked the only store in driving distance that still had one in stock to hold it for her and they had to turn away 3 or 4 other potential buyers in the hour it took her to pop over. Wow. Apparently the money is in cherry pitters this season - who knew?

fire pit

While we were digging in the garden bed we kept hitting stones. Big stones. Stones that broke a shovel and two forks in the process of putting in our kitchen garden. It seemed only fitting to find some pleasure in them so Andy took to the task of making a fire pit for us.

So far it's just been used twice for after-supper s'mores but I'm looking forward to trying out some kebabs and stick-bread as well.

In the back of this picture you can see a big pile of stones - that isn't even half of what we dug out. We have to repair our stone wall and I'm hoping to us as many of these as we can. After this, I really understand why New England farms are bordered by stones walls. The joke always that rock is what New England grows best and I'll tell you we had a bumper year!

the cape

Someone very dear to us has recently been diagnosed with cancer. We spent a week, as a family, in Maryland staying with them during surgery, and spent a week at home without papa while he helped them transition home from the hospital. We are very optimistic but it has caused a lot of upset in our routine and rhythm. The next round of treatment should be starting soon so while we had the time we escaped to Cape Cod for a week by the ocean to soothe our souls and take a step outside of the trials of life.

We rented a cottage with my mom, uncle and niece in Truro, our favorite outer-cape town. The beach there is like none other. The dunes are dramatic and protected so there is only an occasional weathered-shingle house up on the hill - the rest is sand and grasses and the sea.






We came home rested and rejuvenated, and happy to sleep in our own beds again.

rhubarb yogurt

rhubarb yogurt, originally uploaded by birchmama.

The drink of early last summer was rhubarb soda with vodka (I added a lot less water and sugar than this recipe though). This summer we decided to try rhubarb bellini. I quite liked them though Andy couldn't get by the texture. I would have taken a photo of it but they looked, to be honest, like glasses of gravy! The batch of rhubarb wasn't very pink so the puree wasn't very colorful - more like apple sauce. Instead, here is my breakfast the day after - left over puree spooned over yogurt. I think this may be my favorite yogurt flavor now. Rhubarb freezes so well that I can make this when it is out of season. I already have a gallon of it chopped and frozen now but I think I'll do some more while I still can.

I'm trying to eat rhubarb and asparagus as often as possible because it is such a fleeting season. Already some of the asparagus fields have gone to seed, but I can feel the abundance of summer coming over the horizon. Soon the farmers' markets and roadside stands will be full and we'll have more choices than we know what to do with. Such bliss.