do they ask more questions in wyoming than in any other state?

(That's for you and Dara, Jen.) So, my lovely and wonderful husband encouraged me to make the cross country trek this week to see Phoebe, one of my college roommates and dearest friends, get married. It was a totally whirlwind trip--flew to Jackson Hole on Wednesday and home on Friday--but it was completely worth it. It was lovely to finally meet Joe in person (their story is so unique and typical of something Phoebe would do) and wonderful to get to see Phoebe on this day of days.

I traveled light. No camera. Well, I took a camera--broke out our old Sony point-n-shoot. I guess that counts. It took pictures, anyway. But I really really really missed my camera. I am no longer qualified to use that little thing.

Phoebe was just radiant--this is what the camera did to me shooting around a handful of people as she and Joe "recessed". It's not in focus but I love the shot anyway.Sarah, one of my other roommates, was my date for the wedding and we took the long way back into town. Can you imagine getting married in a setting like this?

This mountain was our view from the hotel terrace where the wedding was.
I just liked this branch and how crunchy it was.
Congratulations, Phoebe and Joe!

panthers' first game

I know, the boys had a soccer game last week, but I can't count it since they mixed up the teams and all. I posted pics on my other blog already but figure not all of you are breathlessly checking that one (although you should be). So if you've already seen these, I apologize and you can sleep through or something. I will warn you as I warned the photo readers--I played with post processing on these quite a bit more than I normally do--it was pretty fun.

fritos: a fairy tale

So, Elanor wanted to join in the fun. I have to confess that the first story she told made me howl even more because the hero and heroine were actually eaten at the end of it. Guess she got a little gun shy for the camera.

I do have to say that this is about the level of video-ing with which I feel comfortable. Weird, I guess. But I still don't see myself wanting to be one of the moms who is too busy taping an event to really get to watch it. There are times when I approach that just with my real camera, but at least I can put that down and watch the game or show if I want to (and if I give a hoot or holler while in the middle of a shot no one has to actually ever hear it, thank goodness). I confess that I was looking forwared to the new 5D from Canon and I'm kind of disappointed that it has a video feature. I don't want to take video! I want to take pictures!!! It's still on my lust list, though.

where did he get this from?

This is Michael's current ambition. Why, I have no idea. If you know how techy I am, this may surprise you, but I have not actually allowed him near the computer yet, except for writing an email here and there. This is, however, on the list of things to change in the near future--now that we have an "old" computer where the kids can't hurt my work.

Never done a video before (we have never owned a video camera and don't actually want to, but I saw a great deal on these little cameras and we got one for the youth group and one for us, I think), so if it doesn't work for you, I apologize.

soccer season

Ever since the season was over last fall, Michael has been begging to play soccer again. We changed leagues because of some friends and Andy is being a "helpful" parent (I may miss some games due to client shoots, but hopefully not many!). I love this new league already and here are some reasons why:

• His coach (one of our friends) says that she (yes, she) would volunteer to coach a team even if her son wasn't playing.
• They are learning real ball handling techniques.
• The coaches (and "helpful" parents) went to an extra coaching seminar last week to learn what they are supposed to be teaching the boys.
• Once a month, the teams attend a special (extra) clinic, to receive coaching from an actual soccer player (well, today he was probably a footballer).

This is all pretty amazing to me. First game is Saturday. But I did take my camera to the clinic tonight and wanted to share pictures of Michael and the girls.

Not sure what Elanor was up to here. But yes, her tongue is always hanging out when she's concentrating.
Michael wasn't smiling at me--Ihad my zoom on. I think he was just having fun.
Normally when there are people in the background of a picture, they are all uncooperatively piled on top of each other. How did I get this lovely V arrangement?
Elanor, doing ballet with an extra ball.
Caroline, also balleting with the ball.
I love her face in this shot. And yes, Dad, I know she's not actually completely in it.
Getting them when they are just happy instead of cheesing it up for the camera is a real thrill.
Oh yeah, there was soccer going on here somewhere, wasn't there?
Dude in front of Michael was the footballer (at least he sounded like he'd say football, not soccer).
I could be wrong, but I actually don't think soccer is that much of a contact sport. Is it?

why is it that...

Caroline is naming all her stuffed animals after hurricanes? Only the girls, though. So we have Wilma, Fay, Josephine, Katrina (ew), and Rita.

on cooking

Most of you know that I love to cook. I've recently been reading Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto (oddly enough as research for a theology paper), and I wanted to share with you a long quote from this simply marvelous little book. Enjoy!

"As cook in your kitchen you enjoy an omniscience about your food that no amount of supermarket study or label reading could hope to match. Having retaken control of the meal from the food scientists and processors, you know exactly what is and is not in it: there are no questions about high-fructose corn syrup, or ethoxylated digliycerides, or partially hydrogenated soy oil, for the simple reason that you didn't ethoxylate or partially hydrogenate anything, nor did you add any additives. (Unless, that is, you're the kind of cook who starts with can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, in which case all bets are off.) To reclaim this much control over one's food, to take it back from industry and science, is no small thing; indeed, in our time cooking from scratch and growing any of your own food qualify as subversive acts."

I'll cheat and give you his rules of thumb: "Eat Food. Mostly Plants. Not too much." Breathtakingly simple, and profoundly wonderful. All the best things usually are. Into the subversion!

UPDATE on 9.6.08 - I planted some plants. I think they are growing. Of course - the goal would be to eat them, or rather, eat what they produce. I give myself a 53% chance of it working ...