Beauty School Dropout

Team Rabobank
Originally uploaded by waterboyzoo

It's that time again... the Tour de France! Actually it starts tomorrow (July 4, but I think I'll probably have something a little more patriotic to post then). Also, I'm not really a huge cycling fan, although I am learning to love riding my bike and I'm sure I can learn a few tricks from these guys if I pay attention.

No, I'm excited because it's time again for the Tour de France Knit-Along. I joined this group on a whim a couple of years ago, and had a really great time learning more about cycling and getting to know some new knitters.

This year I am competing for the polka dot jersey, which means I'll be trying to finish up as many current knitting projects as I can. Right now, that would be a pair of socks (from my Colorado trip), a cotton sweater for myself, a scarf that I meant to give as a Christmas gift last year but still isn't done, and as many baby hats as I can possibly crank out for Craft Hope.

I have been assigned to Team Rabobank, which in addition to being a real Tour team, is a team of 10 knitters from 4 different countries.  I'm hoping I can talk them into some kind of swap at the end of the KAL - I love getting mail and random goodies from other countries.

I have also agreed to adopt Stage 12 of the Tour, so be looking forward to learning more about the French towns of Tonnerre and Vittel on July 16th.

Picking green beans
Originally uploaded by kerner

Chicken coop
Originally uploaded by kerner

Washing beets
Originally uploaded by kerner

Yesterday I posted on twitter that I had spent my morning picking green beans, and I almost immediately got a response asking if I had a new job. Um... no. Somehow I doubt I could make my mortgage if I decided to quit the attorney gig and take up vegetable gardening. (Besides, that's hard work!)

Actually, I took the morning off to work at my CSA - we are required to work 12 hours as part of our membership. I spent the first part of the morning picking green beans, while a more mechanically-inclined member got put to work repairing farm equipment, door frames, and more all over the farm.

I cut some salad greens for a while with Karen, one of the unpaid interns on the farm.  She graduated from Rice University with a degree in civil engineering over a year ago, and hasn't found a job yet.  She would really like to teach English abroad, but apparently with all the teacher lay-offs around the country, those spots are getting harder and harder to come by.  To pass the time during her job search, she took a position at the farm for the summer working for room and board.  I am so thankful for my job right now, even on days that I daydream about doing something more creative.

I finished the morning by washing beets... I never knew how much work went into preparing the food on harvest day.  All the greens are washed on a large washing table and spun dry, all the produce is washed and counted, and smaller items have to be counted and bagged or tied into bunches. 

My favorite part of visiting the farm is talking to Curtis, the farmer.  His enthusiasm for his work is amazing.  He is already planning for the winter farm share in addition to growing for the summer season.  Seriously, you have never heard someone get so excited about onions!  But to try to make a living and support a family of 9 (!) by running an organic farm, I think you have to be completely dedicated to your way of life.  It's very inspirational.

Hostas are lookin' good, though!
Originally uploaded by kerner

A new month is here... I love the opportunity for a fresh start. Here are some things I'm looking forward to or challenging myself to in July:

* New floors! My husband I have have been saving to put new flooring in our home almost since the day we bought it. This will be a major upgrade, but also a major disturbance as construction workers invade the house for a week.

* Summer reading, continued. My book club has gone on hiatus for the summer, so I am trying to get a jump on things by pre-reading some books that we might enjoy for future meetings. It's a group of women that I go to church with, so sometimes we read Christian books, sometimes books focused on women's issues (ie, Deborah Tannen's "You're Wearing That?" or Jonalyn Grace Fincher's "Ruby Slippers") Any suggestions for us?

* Third Triathlon of the summer - the Concreteman. This is the only local tri that offers an Olympic distance race. I am really intimidated by the distance, but I would love to say that I'd done it.

* Vacation Bible School. Every year I volunteer to help with the crafts at VBS. Even though they tend to be pre-packaged projects that don't require much creativity, I still enjoy working with the kids on crafty projects.

* Quilt for myself. I started this in January... all the squares are done but that is all. I am challenging myself to finish the quilt top in July.

* Downtime. To try and avoid future meltdowns, I am committing to schedule one evening of free time for myself each week. I'm kicking this off with a bang with a relaxing weekend at my parents' house over the 4th of July.

Late May Garden
Originally uploaded by kerner

This is my garden exactly 1 month ago. So pretty - peas threatening to climb off the trellis and into the trees above, tomato plants growing strong, lettuce plentiful...

My sad, pathetic garden
Originally uploaded by kerner

Here is my garden today. The peas and lettuce are done, so I ripped them out. They are spring crops so I guess I'm not that surprised that a week of 95 degree weather did them in. One of my tomato plants mysteriously turned yellow, shriveled up and dried, so I ripped it out. The remaining cherry tomato plant looks pretty decent, but the big tomato plant is growing like gangbusters, yet only has about 3 blooms on it.

How frustrating. Not that I really know what I'm doing when it comes to gardening, but I really had my hopes up this year. Even though I know it's too late, I planted some beans along the trellis just to try to salvage a little something out of the garden this year.

How is your garden doing not that we are in the heat of summer?

What a difference a day makes!  After having a minor freak-out over how busy my week was, I decided to take a "mental health evening" and stay home from church activities on Wednesday to do some much-needed catching up on household chores as well as just get some time to myself.  The evening started with quite a spectacular rainstorm, which I assumed would put a crimp in my plans for a bike ride that evening.  Luckily the storm cleared after about an hour and I was able to get in a ride in that brief low-humidity window that follows a good storm.

Between the physical activity and the gorgeous weather, I was able to clear my head and start to look forward to the rest of my week.  Of course, it didn't hurt that I have fun things on the calendar for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings!  But I can manage to stress myself about fun things too, if I don't get a little downtime in there to balance it out.


IMG_3762
Originally uploaded by kerner

Last night, Matt and I went out to dinner with our dear friends Will and Nicole and their 1-yr-old daughter (see her in the green & pink striped.  We see them all the time these days, since Matt and Will conspired to convince me that we needed to buy quarter-season tickets to the Springfield Cardinals, which just happen to be right next to Will and Nicole's quarter season tickets.


IMG_3761
Originally uploaded by kerner

Before the game, we went to Maria's to celebrate Nicole's birthday (that's where the "beer" part of the blog post title comes in.  I mostly needed something to add to the alliteration.  But - Negra Modelo - yum!)

I asked Nicole what her coworkers did for her birthday and she told me about this fantastic breakfast spread they brought in for her, including some wonderful homemade granola.  Well... what a coincidence!  Guess what I brought for her birthday!  (excuse the messy counter)  I used Africankelli's recipe, and it turned out very well (if I do say so myself!)  What a great gift, too - relatively cheap and easy to make, and it makes a TON of granola.  (1 jar as a gift and 3 for me?  Yes, please!)

IMG_3764
Originally uploaded by kerner

I am not really much of a baseball fan, but I am so happy that we bought those baseball tickets.  We were already friends with Will and Nicole, but we are getting to be so much closer from spending all this time together at the games.  I may even be a Cardinals fan by the time the season is over!

 

IMG_0838
Originally uploaded by kerner

Was it really only a little over a week ago that I was sitting on a balcony in Colorado, wearing a fleece jacket, knitting a wool sock and trying it on over another sock so my feet wouldn't get cold? I think the recent 95 degree days must have fried my brain, because it seems much longer ago than that.

The good news is, with the long drive to and from Colorado, I almost finished the entire pair. I just have the toe to finish on one sock (ran out of yarn) and about half the foot on the other sock.

The bad news is, I have zero motivation to knit these days. I am busy with work, church activities, and community groups I am in... I find myself having some meeting or event every night of the week. About once a year I try to do a "purge" of extraneous commitments I have somehow managed to get involved with, but I'm not really sure what I want to cut out this year.

Probably what I should cut out is watching TV, but I really do find it relaxing to collapse on the couch at the end of a long day and just zone out for an hour or so. I always tell myself I am going to schedule downtime on my calendar, but it never really happens.

Resolved: I will put nothing on the calendar this Sunday... a total rejuvenation day. (I couldn't quite call it a "rest day" because I know I have to do some tri training that day, but I'll get it out of the way early in the morning and then - I promise I will really rest!)

BenCady6.21.09
Originally uploaded by kerner

I intended to blog about some socks I have been knitting, but instead my weekend was mostly preoccupied waiting for this little guy to make an appearance, and then to find out his name! (They didn't find out the sex in advance, and I think my sister was convinced she was having a girl. so they never settled on a boy's name.)

My sister and brother in law live about 4 hours away, and she told me not to jump in the car and drive there when she went into labor, as she already had plenty of visitors. I can't wait to visit next weekend to meet Mr. Benjamin Robert and see proud mom and dad. (Seriously, how weird is it that my little sister is a MOM?)

I am very excited to be Aunt Sarah!