Happy Sock Day!

Several years ago, three to be exact, my daughter heard me griping that there was nothing to look forward to. Cat, being the inventive sort, thought a while, the came up with a brilliant idea. "Let's make up our own holiday." So, we did. On the third Saturday of May, we celebrate Sock Day. It's a holiday that is to be interpreted and celebrated as you wish, just has to have some vague reference to socks. Why? Why not?

The first year, we gathered with another like minded friend of hers, and went to Kohl's, and bought....socks. Interesting, funny socks. Then we went to see the movie, Shrek....um...cause someone in that movie wears socks. Yeah. Last year, we celebrated again by seeing a movie, then by having sockies for dinner. What are sockies? Think a traditional pastie (that's pastie, not pastry), but jut out one end, so it looks like a sock. :)

This year, we had to delay our celebration for a morning, so that a very kind man could come and repair our dryer (though we air/rack dry our socks, still need a dryer). I gave Cat a very unique pair of socks...the kind you put in water, and it hydrates, and poof! it turns into regular sized socks. Then we went to the Farmer's Market.... not sure what it had to do with socks. Still, it was fun. We are making sockies tomorrow, so we are continuing the celebration for a weekend.

The whole point of this is to have something to look forward to, and simply to relax and have fun. And think of new ways to celebrate Sock Day every year.... Hmm..wonder how long before Hallmark starts selling Sock Day cards!

Happy Sock Day!

Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

I love listening to the Retro Lunch on 105.5 every weekday. There's an old song I've heard, and yes, remember when it was new... and the main line is "Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes". That's been on my mind a lot lately, changes, no the song. (though songs do get stuck in my head often. Doesn't everyone have music playing in the back of their minds?)

Anyways, (as Connie always says)... Change has been on my mind a lot lately. Life keeps changing, as it should. One minute I'm a parent of elementary school children, and my world is filled with crayons and Lego's. With one blink, and it's Final Fantasy and Lincoln Park. I try not to blink, but it happens, and then my sons are off foraging their way in the wilderness of the world, and my daughter is preparing for the same.

So, change keeps coming, no matter how tightly we hold on to it. So, I have been preparing, in many ways. Recently I have begun a major decluttering of my home & shed... I have two decades worth of paraphernalia to sort through, and decide what to keep and what to find new homes for. The very air is rife with memories and emotion, but I have to continue to forage on. I have to prepare for the new adventures in my life.

Gentle Evening

This post is not going to be amazing, probably not even amuzing..but it is what it is. It's just a 'random musing'... It's been a gentle evening, something I've needed for a while. I made a simple dinner: turkey burgers with Swiss, french fries, corn and salad. Cat's friend, Jessica, came to have dinner with us, and as I write this, are playing some Japanese sounding game. Because Jessica is here, I baked cookies...yes, of course, mangled bunny cookies, especially good whilst warm. (If you want the recipe, or to know what they are, look at last Tuesday's posting). Cookies are done and cooling, laundry & dishes done...There is a quiet, cool breeze blowing through the window, the one where Sabby is sitting, staring longingly at the birds... and I have no other mandatory tasks ahead of me tonight.... I can relax, sew, or better yet, do some writing. Think it's time to tackle my book again.

Tune in Saturday, for another random musing....

Farmer's Market

I have had such a hectic week. Put in a full day at the office, then run what felt like a bazillon errands afterwards. It was tiring, but worth it. Why? Because if freed up my Saturday for me to enjoy. And what did I choose to do with my beautiful, though somewhat soggy, magical Saturday morning?

With my favorite basket in hand, appropriately called a medium market basket, I drove through the misty morning rain, and went early to the Flint Farmer's market. I had three things I wanted to come home with: fresh lettuce, dried beans and a loaf of whole grain bread.

One thing you should know about me...being an avid reader, I stumbled upon two books, that changed the way I buy good. Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and Plenty-the 100 mile diet. Both talk about the fact that most of the food we eat comes from across the entire country, or worse, even further. Fruits and vegetables begin to lose vitamins, and obviously, freshness the moment they are picked. Just how fresh do you think a tomato from southern Mexico is then? So I have begun reading labels, and at the Farmer's Market asking where things were grown.

Even at a farmer's market, it is smart to ask... unless you truly believe Chicita bananas, watermelon and even pineapples are grown locally! Yes, truly did see these items in a vendor's stand. I said, sorry, I prefer locally grown. The gentleman told me in a snippy voice that I would not find anything fresh there today. I turned around, walked away, and over to a stand selling fresh locally grown spring lettuces, radishes and turnip greens...from an educational farm, in Beecher, grown by kids. This is where I purchased, inexpensively, a big bag of lettuces.

I found an array of dried beans that were packaged in Perry. The seller was honest, and admitted that some of the beans were not grown locally, because many could not be grown in Michigan. I picked up white northern beans and cranberry beans (!!) there. At a stand nearby, I got the whole grain bread (and a cinnamon roll).

I think the highlight of my morning experience was talking to a sweet older lady, at one of the outside stalls, who was selling a variety of crafts & old books...She was the picture of everyone's gramma. From her I splurged, and bought an tulip print apron, for myself!

Freshness and locally grown are the main reasons I frequent the Farmer's Market in Flint. You just have to ask..and not believe that there are pineapple trees in Michigan!