help.

now that the school year is almost over, i'm tickled to be making a summer reading list for myself.  i'm looking for recommendations.  i'm not much for throwaway pop fiction...i try to like it and enjoy it but i don't.  anything else goes.

Apparently the Perfect Farmer's Market Soundtrack

Listen Here

hang on little tomato

on this gray morning, with the prospect of a cool and rainy day ahead, i pin my hopes on saturday, may 2, the first day of the farmer's market. want to meet up? a few of us have talked about this already, and it feels like the time to make a plan. so. since the crowds and geography make it hard to stop and talk, shall we (separately) grab a baklava or cinnamon roll from the greek bakery stand and meet together for coffee on the aromas porch? shall we say 9:00? 9:30? what time suits you? it's better than waving to each other across the onions...

for everyone but darci...

you can stream bob dylan's new album, together through life, for free, at paste.com.

notes

it's good to give notes to people.  here's one that was passed to me a few years ago.  i find it every once in awhile and get a good laugh:

"your music was a lovely blessing. i worshipped. god, not you."

Thank you, over-priced SUV lady.

Thank you for making me feel like a teenager again. When I was interrupted by your rude honk while I was kissing my husband through the driver side window standing in the Whole Foods parking lot, you made me want to flip you off. Ah! The rebellious feeling of youth surged though my blood! I looked into your stoic eyes through the windshield of your enormous "green" vehicle wondering why you had chosen this spot among all the empty spots. With a perplexed look, a shoulder shrug and a slight gesture towards the other parking spots surrounding to my van, I left my husband (whom I kissed again IN the van!) and joined my children allowing you to pull into your prized spot and stop the appalling show of public affection.

enjoy

this beautiful little treat courtesy of my friend katherine in iowa city.

i can't get no

jay's outta town for three nights, so after a race meeting i hosted this evening, and after talking with my wonderful sister-in-law caitlyn (god bless her for keeping the easley gals quiet!), i've started to wind-down.  and what in the world directed me to this 1988 movie, "satisfaction"?  ah, who cares?!  i'm not used to an adult-free house.  so many things i could DO...and here i am watching justine bateman & liam neeson.  sheesh.

happy friday to you.  kate, myself, & my 3 progeny are meeting in the a.m. for bagels and theological discussion.  join us, if you like.  ha!

i miss good friends something fierce these past 2 days. maybe it's the weather...or the thaw of my feelings.  whatever it may be...my deepest & most sincere love to you today.

Help us curb overspending

Anyone have a digital scale that could live at our house for about a month? Promise to give it back.

feels like i'm going to lose my mind

if i live til i'm 102

1. afternoon coffee brewing.

2. blueberry yogurt cake cooling.

3. dyer's favorite red sauce simmering.

4. an old playlist repeating.

5. chilly out & sprinkling.

6. wishing.

breakfast.

i am fairly unoriginal with breakfasts. i do not like the early morning. i RARELY make anything that involves using any appliance besides the microwave. only when we have guests.

our usuals:

miette - baby cereal/oatmeal
finn - oatmeal. everyday, no matter what, that is what he wants
corrie - multigrain cheerios, pretty religiously
justin - no breakfast, maybe cereal on weekends.

but i DO like breakfast food. which is why we have breakfast-for-dinner once a week, every week. usually mondays. eggs. bacon. pancakes. hashbrowns. mmm. yum.

jo-leeee-hee-hee

i'm pretty crabby when musicians don't seem too into their set, so of course you & i both have been burned by jolie holland.  her performances can be so musically memorable (mad tom, anyone?...or how about hearing "mexican blue" LIVE?).  but heaven forbid someone talk during a song...or wear perfume...or if there's a cloud in the sky before hopping on stage, you might witness pouty, sullen behavior that would make a tenth grader blush.

but it's so worth the risk, so go to her show in springfield, nebraska.  it's at a winery @ 3pm.  may 31st.  

carolina gator

here's something you don't see every day--or ever!--in the midwest. this. is an alligator that my friend heidi and i spotted on saturday while we were walking on the trail by the congaree river. we had seen this gator once before--a ranger showed us his/her haunt--but we didn't have a camera then. this time, i came prepared. pretty remarkable to me.

hey

somebody post something

light-hearted parenting

i stop by the happiness project blog regularly and thought i'd pass along today's post. it's ten ideas to help parents cultivate cheerfulness in the way they relate to their kids. it's perfect for whocares because i see you moms in the group doing most of these things already, so check the post for a nice bit of affirmation.

Potty Party

Exciting day today around the Dyer house. I'm tired of changing diapers on my lovable but stubborn daughter. We're confining ourselves to the kitchen today, letting Ada run around in a dress sans diaper. Cupcakes awarded with every successful potty. Present awarded with successful #2.

nomad it

this is SO tempting. especially since it seems we're in limbo between winter and spring.

fulfilled

here's a link to tara's performance of "was it a morning like this"?  you'll see it listed as the 3rd track on my myspace page.  i couldn't figure out any other way to post it online.  it was perfect.

he is risen!

a happy and restful resurrection day to you.

(was it a morning like this?)

moxie

if you have an iphone or an ipod touch...get "moxie".  it's as addictive as tetris but involves word strategy.  i've been dreaming in "moxie" lately.  fortitude & determination!

save your trouble

so yesterday i went to work out at the gym at my apartment complex, and there were two women there already working out--one on a stationary bike and one on a treadmill. and they were both eating cookies while they were working out. the both of them. eating cookies. maybe they were there for the cardio.

csa, anyone?

i'm looking for a local csa accepting subscriptions for this spring...anyone have a lead? i keep checking the squash blossom farm blog brooke posted last year, but haven't seen any updates since last year. or we could do our own whocares "csa," like, you grow cukes, i'll grow lettuce and we can divvy it up when it's ready. whatever. i'm dying for a fresh tomato.

don't...buy...it

read this article. 

the junk

anyone in the mood for junking/thrifting/garage-sale-ing? one of these days i'm going to hire a sitter and spend the afternoon trolling for assorted used goods. if you want in, post.

crabby

here's my crabby post about threadless.  they've changed their t-shirts and guess what...the new shirts are crummy.  don't buy any.  the sizes are all wrong, they're really thin, & the inks don't last.  in the case of their $5 sale, you get what you pay for...or never even what you pay.

end rant against threadless.

Any Suggestions are Welcome!!!

Ladies, I need help planning the Chicago weekend. All the places I find require a minimum 3 night stay during the summer months. I found these two units that I like a lot (#1: Here & #2: Here), but for 11 of us to stay there, it evens out to $150.00 a person (roughly)... regardless of whether you stay 2 nights or 3. If that is OK, just say so, but if anyone wants to do some footwork and research to find a better spot, PLEASE FEEL WELCOME!!!

Thanks for any help ya'll can offer in advance AND I think it goes without saying, but time is of the essence in locking down a summer place to stay in Chitown.

irrigate your sinuses

last week (while on vacation, of course) i caught a nasty respiratory flu. in desperation, i bought a neti pot. it's a weird experience, but i'm a total believer. feel so much better.

did the grass sing?

i've been scheduling special music for the sunday services at our church.  and one of the hidden benefits of this job did not occur to me until a few weeks ago.  ladies, one of the most exciting things of the season is about to occur in a small town in central illinois--i've recruited a lovely alto to sing "was it a morning like this?" on easter morning.  no corny track, just piano & beautiful vocals.  you know what this means.  i'm going to record it & listen to it repeatedly.  

c'mon down!

you guys should come to this in honor of this. and this.

decode

first, all you LOST watchers out there...do any of you keep the set on for the show following--"life on mars"?  if you answered yes, you're not alone.  come clean!

second, anybody recommend a particular variety of clematis as a favorite?  i'm also looking for a new hosta, though i have my eye on this pandora's box hosta.  should have been taking notes when we lived in dundee right behind the hosta king & queen!