first friday gathering

hey all, the first friday of the month approaches! still up for a leetle get together? i was thinking: friday mornings work well for those of us who homestead, but it's hard for the paid members of the workforce to make it. maybe every so often we could have a night out - instead of breakfast - to include everyone. what would you think of meeting this friday night at the brazen head (or other pub of choice), say 7:30 or 8:00, for drinks and conversation? any takers?

more whocares business to come...including: a birthday party for caron over thanksgiving weekend! AND meal sign-ups to provide julie, matt and finley with nourishing victuals after baby waldorf-astoria neher arrives. i'll be back with posts on these subjects later today.

spain...on the road again

did anyone catch the first episode last week?  if not, you can download it for free on itunes this week.  i've watched 1/2 of it so far...and it's a pretty good "show".

Watch (and help?) this one grow

One of my colleagues at Creighton and his wife started a farm this past summer: Squash Blossom Farm. I just talked with him and they're moving it out to 180th where they're embarking on an "urban farming" project. There's the possibility that they'll be opening it up for folks to come work their own plots, or just be in the space, etc. In any case, they have lots of super cool ideas, including raising chickens and selling eggs.

I told him that I thought I knew some folks (ahem, you all) who would be interested in knowing what's going on, and he sent me a link to their blog. Click on the title of this post to go there. I know this is a case of planning, well, WAY ahead, but they'll probably be selling starts and such in the spring--a good resource for those of us who want to have our own backyard gardens. Anyway. Just a little FYI.

Oh! And the site has recipes on it, organized by vegetable. Fun. (The link's up in the right corner).

He loves me even when i'm writing silly songs

This reminds me of chapel service at my little-teensy-tiny-old-school Christian school:



(*note: it still doesn't hold a candle to that raucous little ditty courtesy of The Way. i doubt anything ever will.)

new old bgt's song

the be good tanyas have a new old song on their myspace page. it's called "cabin in the woods," and it's got jolie holland on it. and when they all come in on the second chorus, oh man. that good feeling. i found a place where you can download it too. click on the link in the title and then right click on the song title when you find it and you can download it.

night. er, morning.

allow me to tell you a story.  a true story.  

a girl practices songs she's written.  she performs them before an audience.  a panel of judges chooses her songs for the next round.  she is slated to perform against a performer that she thinks/knows she can overcome.  she gets on stage.  she starts performing.  then, during her rather quiet song, a blonde-haired man walks up to her (while she is on stage) and kisses her hand.  she has no idea who he is.  he winks.  she continues to try and hear herself play but the crowd gets louder and louder and louder to the point that she hears nothing.  she finishes her set and know it wasn't good.  why was it so, so, so, so loud in the bar?

announcer gets on stage and says, "ladies and gentlemen....RASCAL FLATTS".....and the crowd goes even wilder.  the band had been playing downtown and decided to bring their "after hours" mini-show of half-formulated cover songs (ie: summer of 69...but know the lyrics next time, dude) to the first local talent show finale!  WHAT!!!  so some country singers think they're gracing us with their presence...and meanwhile they're ruining someone else's shot at something meaningful.  

and this guy named ron white was with them.  in a pin-striped suit and cigar.  grr.  i'm not happy.  it's 3am.  i was eliminated.  and i'm blaming it on this STUPID NEW COUNTRY BAND. i wish i could have slapped one of them!  sheeeesh. 

i live in the country. and i hate bugs.

i love living in the middle of nowhere... it is very peaceful. there is a nice creek. there are old trees. the moon and stars shine brighter at night. the squirrels frolic peacefully. you can hear nuts fall off the trees.
but there are bugs. let me tell you - a ridiculous amount of bugs.

garden spiders.
wolf spiders.
daddy long leg spiders.
baby spiders.
HUGE spiders.
black and brown spiders.
ants. little and big.
flies. gnats.
bees. wasps. hornets.

but none of those bugs bother me as much as the STINK BUG. there are stink bugs everywhere. it is like a plague. i big, gross, stinky plague. i'll admit, i haven't smelled their stink yet, but i don't want to. my main goal is keeping them out of the house. so far, there has only been two inside. but i never had a stink bug in my house when we lived in south omaha. never. i never even saw them outside the house. they make me not want to leave - and when i do, i feel like i need to wear a hoodie so they don't get in my hair. gross. i get the shivers just thinking about it.

other than the bugs, living in the country has been great.

a modest proposal

let's have whocares breakfasts every month. whaddaya say. a girl needs something to look forward to, specially as the dark days of winter approach. okay, i'll keep my seasonal affective disorder out of it. but i'd still love a chance to gather with a bit more regularity. i propose we meet the first friday of every month. or whatever works for the most people. any thoughts?

DARBY!!!!

happy birthday darb! you are loved by all.

i like this photo because you are in thought, smiling to yourself. i think of you like that.

we were at aromas, drinking a presspot and eating an almond tart. i have a lot of good memories with you in them, and they usually are accompanied by an interesting thought, a smile and something warm in my hands.

Happy Birthday Cheryl!

"Turns out I like who I am."

Cheryl said this about herself during a conversation on motherhood I believe. It was at her co-birthday party with Darb on Monday. Definitely my favorite quote of the evening.

I really like who you are too, cher-roll.

(least favorite words heard at the party = hooter hider)

2008 Artisan Food Preservation Workshops

My coworker sent this to me. it looks interesting! wish i could find out more without calling (phone phobia). anyone head about this?

Learn how to can, dry, freeze, ferment, smoke, dry, and cure food at this workshops series.

Info session, Sept 19.

Workshops on Sept 26, Oct 3, and Oct 10, with a harvest dinner Oct. 17.

Sponsored by Metro Community College's Institute for Culinary Arts and Whole Foods.

For registration and more information contact Chef Kevin Newlin (knewlin@mccneb.edu or 402-457-2758).

on the money!

a very happy birthday to professor a. hope you have a good one, cousin.

global warming is just God huggin' us closer

regardless of your political views, you can count on SNL to make fun of everyone in that way that just makes you feel good. click on the title for a link.

the renewed mind

here's a little gem my sister lindsay passed on to me.

be sure to stick around for the dance solo around 1:51 if you can keep from looking away out of sheer embarrassment....

baby goat

ben just ate the cover off the new urban outfitters catalog.

shake, shake, shake, shake the house

i watched this "tiny desk concert" by thao nguyen on npr the other day and did something i rarely do: promptly downloaded her album, "we brave bee stings and all." with each listen, it just gets better. it is sustaining me through the trying times of the early weeks of a new semester. with "bag of hammers" running through my head, i can face anything: including mini-rebellions led by my students.

you might enjoy it too.

oh, and it looks like you can download some tracks (that are also on the album) for free from daytrotter.

another cheap thrill

the other day i shopping for baby clothes at marshall's on north 72nd street (the only place i can find carter's onesies in ben's size), and saw this bag of kona beans for $5.99. i believe a pound of kona goes for about $18.99 at whole foods. it's so good. i'm drinking a cup right now. go getcha some!

Africa... here i come!

i thought i should post something after all the recent press, medals, etc.
so, here you go:
the LORD has opened the way for me to go to Niger, West Africa for October. I'll be working in Galmi Hospital (through SIM). I'm actually trying to post on my own blog :) about the specifics, and will hopefully be able to do so while i'm there. so here's the link to my blog in case you've given up completely on anything every turning up fresh there.... www.katevenable.blogspot.com

Caron and i are playing at a little Pizza Shoppe (yes, how it's spelled) in Peoria this Friday - the first real gig in quite a while, for me at least. so, so sorry to have missed the award-winning performances at the WhoCares talent show! you sure are a talented bunch, ladies.

First day of preschool

Linus was beside himself excited when he found a brand-new red backpack on his chair this morning at breakfast. When we were leaving for preschool, he proudly put it on and then said, "I won't look at my backpack. Big kids ignore their backpacks."

weiners

we are sitting in my kitchen.  flaxseed chips.  boulevard wheat.  electric guitar, amp, percussion brushes, voices, and itunes!  kate just endured, er LOVED, being my captive audience as i scrolled through the myriad of 80s songs that i do so cherish.  we lip-synced.  there were actions, dramatizations, new lyrics learned (it's not: "all i need is a pair of wings.  it is: "all i need is a pair of wheels...st. elmo's fire!").

and here's a funny little fact: in our quest to dominate small town races, kate and i swept a decade of participants in the farmington, IL italian fest 5k.  yes, we each won first place for our age group.  did you know only 40 people ran in the 5k?  and there was only 2 people in my age group.  and i won't tell you my time (i don't know it) but kate really did leave some tar on the road (at least we hope that was tar...and not...um...the scoots).  so, we're thinking that central illinois-ness ain't so bad when people are handing you medals left and right for just showing up. 

(ps: daphne confirmed this little fact: do not run with kate.  she is fast. her pace will make you feel like you're going to barf in the first 1/2 mile...and then you will be kicking yourself for the rest of the race. and wanting to kick her when you see her at the end of the course. in fact, when i'm done writing this...i have an idea...)

live lighty tour - in Omaha this week!

Hey gals - some of you read the Walk Slowly Live Wildly blog, and if you do (or if you don't!), I thought I'd let you know Sara and her family will be in town tomorrow and Thursday on their Live Lightly Tour - powered by an RV running on veggie oil. Click the post title for her website & more information.

Seems like I'm always asking for help on this blog...

... but you are an extremely helpful group of gals.

I need:

1. A new primary care physician (preferably female)

2. A new pediatrician


OR 3. A family practice doctor that can be the Dyer family doctor.

4. A specialist in pediatric asthma OR natural medicine doctor for Ada who can help us prevent symptoms, not just deal with symptoms.



We obviously need someone(s) who can do traditional medicine, but ideally (though maybe not possible?) I'd love to have someone who at least acknowledges that alternative medicines can be workable options.

Looking for doctors is a grueling task for me. So, any help is much appreciated.

Restaurant.com

I've not used this service, but have heard great things about it. Have any of you tried it?

You can purchase extremely discounted gift certificates for use at local Omaha restaurants. I believe it is a way for local restaurants to market themselves and pull new customers in. There are some amazing deals. A lot of restaurants allow you to purchases $75 gift certificates for only $30. Here's a short list of ones of interest I've found in Omaha: Hitz on Howard (in the Magnolia hotel), Le Voltaire, Taste, Tandoori Fusion, Urban Wine Company, Sushi Japan....

Sounds a bit too good to be true-- but from what I've heard it actually works!

i need all the friends i can get

so, anybody want to get a whocares breakfast on? you know...to celebrate the beginning of autumn...or whatever?

i propose:

friday, 9/12
8:00-10:00 am
my house
bring a breakfasty item to share
we can make merry in the back yard (swing set) or around the kitchen table

be there or else.

time for some campaignin'!

Get a laugh at this:

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Recognize anyone?