Life on the farm's new address is:
http://www.tracyjean1016.blogspot.com/
Adieu, livejournal.
That's it, livejournal has got to go. I just deleted yet another post. I do not think it is operator error, either. Stay tuned for info on my new blog.
Until then, some photos for your viewing pleasure.
Some photos of Andreas' visit. We went hiking at Silver Falls. Trouble is, you can't go on the trails that actually go past all the waterfalls with a dog. Oh well, it was pretty anyway.
Hmph.
- Mood:
irritated - Music:NPR
I wanted to make bread this morning, but I don't have enough flour and I don't feel like going to the store. I am thinking about ordering a 25 pound bag of ww flour from Bob's Red Mill and then I don't have to ever worry about running out! Maybe I could even order it through Provvista and get a wholesale price. That would be sweet, but not sure if it is appropriate. I already feel sort of awkward "shopping" there, but Joe and Karen don't seem to mind, in fact they seem to encourage it. I was there on Thursday and picked up some salt, red wine vinegar, tomato paste, muscovado sugar, and sardines. Yes I know, things that you can buy at any average grocery store, but I simply cannot bear to use regular salt, and the Cannoneau red wine vinegar from Sicily is soooo good and cheaper than an average bottle of red wine vinegar that I could find at Freddie's, and don't even get me started on muscovado sugar! I could eat buckets of it, and I really don't have a sweet tooth. It makes the best cookies, and just a spoonful with a ripe banana, some yogurt, vanilla extract, and milk makes a fabulous smoothie. Oh yeah, I also got an 8 oz. bottle of Nielsen Massey vanilla extract. So's I don't run out. I love food.
As you can see I haven't yet moved my blog, but I think I will. My mom commented that the pictures on this one are better, which I think is true, but perhaps blogspot has improved its photo tools since 2004. I also will probably change the font color so it's not white on black, which is annoying. The only thing I really like about this livejournal template is the header picture, with the people harvesting grapes. I thought it was quite a propos to my current situation. If I were computerly inclined, I would probably just design my own, but I am not so inclined, so I won't. Or can't. Er, am currently unable to perform that task (I had a dance teacher who never let us say "can't", we always had to rephrase it. Dumb. Or maybe smart, but I just didn't really like that teacher. Anyway).
The 4th of July was fun. We are cheap, so instead of paying $ and canned food to go to the blues festival, we parked our butts in Waterfront park for like 5 hours and just hung out until the fireworks started. People watching is just as interesting, in my opinion. (Yes, I know that the canned food donation goes to the food bank, as well as the admission price, but I have already donated like a million hours to fight hunger in Oregon, so please don't judge me too harshly). Mateo had a good time overall, I think. There were tons of babies and kids around, we were sitting right in back of a family with an 8 month old girl who was super cute and crawling everywhere! Only a few more months of immobile Mateo, then I'd better watch out, because I have a feeling that he is not going to want to sit still. Ever. Anyway, Mateo started getting a little fussy right before the fireworks started, but then as soon as they did he was just FASCINATED! He watched the whole thing and smiled and laughed...I held him through the first half of the show, then passed him to Mike for the second half...well that was just too bad, because as soon as the grand finale started, he was not. happy. at. all. I think he didn't like the rapid succession of loud booms, plus the poor guy was just tired as all hell and probably wanted to sleep at that point. But what can you do, we didn't know how he would react. Boy did he sleep well last night. I think Andreas enjoyed himself too, although he told me he thought there would be more people dressed up...dressed up like what I don't know, but I think maybe he envisioned more red white and blue, and people waving flags. Of course, this is Portland, and we don't have a reputation for being the most patriotic city in the US...or at least, not the most overtly so.
Wow I feel better! Amazing how therapeutic writing can be.
Over and out
- Location:ireland
- Mood:
bored - Music:clang clang
How's this for a trip down memory lane.
http://www.tracyinfrance.blogspot.com/
I am disappointed in livejournal and am thinking about moving back to blogspot. I can't get rid of the livejournal ads without paying for an account. Plus I don't like the format of my blog, and looking back at my old one, I think I prefer blogspot. Would it confuse people if I switched back to blogspot? I think that was my original reason for creating a livejournal anyway, because I thought that it would confuse those of you who remember my old blog from France. I don't know.
Andreas is here visiting from Sweden. It's very surreal to see people from different times in your life out of context. Funny that I just found my old blog - he's actually in one of the pictures! He is the guy with the spiky hair in the kitchen in the Thanksgiving photo.
I'd wax nostalgic here, but I don't have a lot of time. Gotta get ready for the 4th! I think we're going to go to Portland for the Blues Festival. It should be fun, just hanging out on a picninc blanket all day long. I hope Mateo likes the music, I think he will.
Oh, and how's this for an even crazier trip down memory lane.
http://www.stinkyfrenchcheese.blogspot.c
Funny to read, especially now that I am a cheese professional. For real.
- Location:same old, same old
- Mood:awake
- Music:slacker radio - wilco
Many of you have expressed an interest in seeing just what this "life on the farm" is all about.
Before I go any further, however, I feel like I must confess something.
I don't really live on a farm. "Life on the farm" is somewhat tongue in cheek. However, having grown up in the burbs (of Chicago, New York City, and LA, respectively), and then lived for a good dozen years or so in very urban areas (Berkeley, Bordeaux, Oakland, San Francisco, Montpellier, Portland), it's pretty much a farm to me. Plus, we have tractors on our property, and a barn. To me, that's a farm. However, we aren't "farming" the land so to speak, unless you count my poor excuse for a garden...and, well, there IS a small vineyard on the property, plus a young orchard, and did I mention we also have an Andy Gump? OK, maybe I do live on a farm. I'm just not a farmer. Someday, when I am rich from winning a million dollars on Don't Forget the Lyrics, I will buy a property similar to this one, and make cheese. Or raise alpacas for wool, which would be less stinky, but they spit.
So, BECAUSE YOU ASKED, dear reader, and I do love thee, dear reader, here are some photos of the farm that I took yesterday morning while on a walk with Mateo and Maisie.
The cherries are ripe and ready for the picking. The apples still have awhile yet.
Blackberry bush, complete with quail family (not pictured).
Fermenters. These are used during harvest to...well, ferment the grapes. Mike even turned one into a swimming pool! I haven't used it yet. Can you imagine.
Tractor! John Deere, even. Although Mike tells me Kubotas are better. Who knew that I would know more than one brand of tractor!
Some pics of our little vineyard.
Scrap metal for the meth heads.
Looking west. There is a path mowed in this field where we walk Maisie, I think it's probably 1/4 mile around. Our property ends at the border of the hazelnut orchard in the distance.
The pond. So Giverny like.
Evil hayfield. Die, hayfield! Die!
The back of our house. We live in the top half, Swig's office occupies the bottom half.
The shop. This is where they fart around fixing tractors and stuff.
WC.
This is a tanker truck that is often parked outside our house. The crews fill it with water to mix with whatever spray preparations are needed at the vineyard site. It's called a top kick! Like drop kick, with a t.
The front of our house.
Thanks for taking the farm tour!
- Location:why isn't my banana bread ready yet?
- Mood:
tired - Music:ho-hum
Even though I am a stay at home mom without a traditional "work" schedule to rule my life, I still find Mondays difficult. I am not sure why that is. I just can't seem to get moving in the morning! Maybe it's because Mike has been home for the past 2 (well, 1 during this season) days, and I have gotten used to him being around to help. Maybe there really is a disease called the Mondays, and I have a case of it. Speaking of, I should really finish those TPS reports.
My goals for this week:
1. Organize my life.
2. Get Maisie licensed (cheaper to do when she is spayed, so we waited).
3. Consolidate my retirement funds into one account. Bye bye 401K, for now.
4. Put up a clothesline.
5. Take the recylcing in to the recycling center, or at least redeem the beer bottles for $.
I think every Monday I will post my 5 goals for the week and see how I do! With the entire online community making sure I stay on track, I'll be sure to succeed.
Mateo is napping right now, so maybe I should try and get one of these goals accomplished, rather than blogging.
But blogging is more fun.
OK bye.
Kidding, sort of. See, my friend Betina started a blog too, because she liked mine. Or at least, the idea of my blog, since I really haven't written much in the past week or so. I guess I was too busy reading hers. Anyway, it makes me realize that I need to write more often, since people actually read this thing (who knew). Especially after habitually checking hers every morning, getting disappointed when it's the same entry as the day before (no pressure B!), it makes me more determined to bring you all the most complete, latest breaking news about the Smith family.
So...um...yeah. Right now Mateo is chewing on a rag, Mike is weed-eating, Carl is hiding from Maisie, and Maisie is sitting next to me. And I'm, well, updating the blog, duh.
Mike's parents came for a visit last week. They live in Nebraska and don't get out here too often, so it was great to see them. They are wonderful with Mateo and I know he enjoyed their visit! The last time they were here, he was about 6 weeks old and still in the “blob” stage, so it was fun to have them experience fun, interactive Mateo. I'll post some pictures later.
Today my parents are coming for a visit – they'll be here this afternoon on their way down from the airport. They went to a wedding in Santa Barbara this weekend – sounds like fun. I love Santa Barbara! If I were independently wealthy I think I might like to live there. I would just hang out on the beach all day, and then dine in fine restaurants every night. And live in a villa right on the beach. I don't think I'd want to live in Santa Barbara and work. What fun is that? I think that is why UCSB is reputed to have a high drop-out rate. Can you blame them?
Maisie got spayed Friday. No puppies! I think she would have been a good mama. She seems to be doing OK – we picked her up yesterday. For the next 2 weeks we have to be careful she doesn't rip out her stitches, either by too much activity or by chewing them, but so far so good – she doesn't even have to wear a lampshade! I'm sure she's happy about that, even if she doesn't know it. So, even though the females outnumber the males in this household 3:2, I am the only...um...fertile lady here.
On that note, how about some photos!
- Location:mi cama es su cama
- Mood:awake
These pretzels are making me thirsty!
I don't like to take conventional medicine as a general rule, but when it comes to allergies, I make an exception. However, I have to be especially careful about medication while breastfeeding, so Claritin is about the only option (according to my doctor). And it doesn't really work. I've tried everything else - wild nettle, local honey, Neti pot: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nasal_irrig
Thanks for listening to my sob story. I know that there are many people out there with allergies way worse than mine, like Sarah, who will die if she comes within 5 feet of a peanut. But I felt like complaining today.
Speaking of grass, Mike is out mowing the lawn right now. Good thing he enjoys it (we have a riding lawn mower which I hear is fun, although if I tried mowing the lawn I think I truly might die). That is what he wanted to do on Father's Day, so he's happy. I think he also wanted to go canoeing, but it's already 11:30 and I don't think that's going to happen today.
OK on to bigger and better things...no pics today, sorry.
- Location:next to a hayfield
- Mood: cranky
Someone stole our mail.
Yes, friends, it will never happen to you, until it does.
The other day I put a bunch of bills in our mailbox and lifted the red flag - which normally I don't do here, I usually drop them in the drive up mailbox at the post office, but I happened to have the bills with me when I checked the mail and figured I'd save a step. A little of background for those of you who haven't been to our house: since we are a bit out in the country, our mailbox is across the street with about 5 other of the neighbors' boxes. Our street is rather busy, the speed limit is 45 mph but people routinely drive 60 mph plus past our house. There are no sidewalks. In order to get to our mailbox, you really have to make an effort.
Cheri Bakhub made the effort.
I know this because yesterday when I checked my bank account online, a check I had written for $97 to T-Mobile had mysteriously turned into a $600 debit from our account. Wamu has a feature where you can look at a copy of the canceled check online, so I did, and lo and behold, same check I had written to T-Mobile was totally altered (except for my signature), made out to Cheri Bakhub for $600 for "childcare". I must say it was pretty impressive - you couldn't tell at all. Had I been the teller cashing the check I wouldn't have bat an eyelash. I of course immediately called Wamu, they credited us the $600 and immediately froze our account. Today I went into the bank and re-opened an account, so we're all well and good, but that doesn't change the fact that a) Cheri Bakhub (although I doubt that's her real name) has committed a federal offense; b) violated our privacy, and c) is a trashy bitch.
So what do we do now? Press charges? I don't think this deed should go unpunished. I'm just not sure that I really want to get involved. Any lawyers reading this blog have any advice?
The moral of this story is, get a PO Box.
Oh, and I'm looking for a good whole wheat bread recipe. I have a pretty good one, but it uses nonfat dry milk, which I'd like to avoid, since the demand for dried milk in the past few years has set the dairy industry spinning and has been responsible for spiking up the price of fluid milk for cheesemakers (not to mention folks like you and me) like nothing we've ever seen before. If you have a good recipe, send it my way!
Goodnight!
Kitty
and
Peaches
The reason why I consider it to be excess is because I feel these songs have should have died back when I was in high school when their first album was released. Sure, they're catchy. Kind of funny...sort of. But honestly...
"Kitty on my foot and I want to touch it - meow meow meow"
and
"Millions of peaches, peaches for me"
are lyrics that any second grader could write. OK, that's my piece.
In other news, we took Maisie to the vet today for a checkup, and she is quite the picture of good health, despite her infrequent urination. She maybe goes once every two days - totally not normal, but her urinalysis came back OK and she didn't show any signs of illness - the vet thinks she might be nervous and will regulate herself soon enough. She got all up to date on her shots, so she won't give us rabies, and has an appointment to get her junk taken out at the end of the month. Until then we have to keep her faaaaaaaaaaaaar away from our friend Dan and Catherine's dog Smokey, who will try to make cute Smokeybiggiemaisie pups with her, which would be adorable but not exactly desirable for us right now. Damn they would be cute though.
Mateo has started really figuring stuff out. He loves watching us eat. We are not going to introduce solid foods until 6 months, at which time we'll give it a shot and see how it goes, but I think he might enjoy food as much as mom and dad do. Until then, he'll have to settle for the plate.
Here are some photos Mike took about 20 minutes ago...so they are uber recent!
omg I'm married to the Unabomber. Kidding. Kind of.
- Location:el coucho
- Music:los smithos
of noodles! I finally christened my new-to-me pasta maker with the help of my friend Jen - she too is a foodomane (I made that word up because I hate the word "foodie" - lovers of ballet are called balletomanes, so why not foodomanes?), plus her husband slings ramen Tampopo-style at Biwa, so I figured she might know some insider noodle secrets.
We started with your basic egg pasta dough. At the time, I had roughly 3 dozen farm fresh eggs in the fridge, so we decided that egg pasta with carbonara would be a nice way to use them up. I made the dough before she arrived and of course forgot to document that part, so as Jen would say...SHABLAM!
Here is the dough shaped into "rough rectangles" as the recipe indicates. The recipe also advises the use of an inverted bowl to cover the pasta not being worked with, which I felt gave the operation a rather mysterious air.
Here I am passing the rectangles through the flattening rollers. You pass them through several times at the widest setting to work the dough, then you pass them through once through each narrower setting (there is a dial on the side of the machine that brings the rollers closer together) until they are long, thin pasta sheets.
I'm concentrating really really hard!
The finished pasta sheets (I think they look like pantyhose).
Last but not least, the cutting of the pasta! We decided to make spaghetti (the machine also has a linguine attachment). 
It took us awhile to get the hang of it, plus I think we let the pantyhose dry a bit too much so it was difficult to pass through the machine. But by the end we were master pasta operators. Here is what we got to enjoy at the end of it all!
Mmmmm pasta!
I think next time I might try ravioli or papardelle - something that can be cut by hand - because the cutting was the trickiest part. I also really want to make orecchiette, which doesn't require the use of a machine at all. Jen mentioned wild nettle ravioli with a beet filling. It would look like a watermelon! Maybe I'll try it next time I'm feeling fancy.
- Location:le lit
- Mood:fancy
- Music:rien
I just got back from walking the dog. Oh yeah, we got a dog today.
Her given name is Big Girl, aka Biggie. She is a 3 year old yellow lab - very sweet and well-trained. Mike found her on craigslist - long story short, a family in Dundee inherited her earlier this year from one of their sons and already had a dog (an obnoxious Schnauzer named Jeter) and felt that she would be better off in a home where she'd actually get love and attention (they just didn't have the time for her). So....here she is with us. We debated on whether to keep her name - Biggie - but our friend Dan goes by Biggie, and also the name doesn't really fit her. We're going to try to call her Biggiemaisie for awhile to see if she will answer to that, then transition to Maisie. That name just came to me, like in a dream. I know it is kind of a typical name for a dog, but then again a lab is a pretty typical dog, and it suits her well. Plus I felt like I wanted to buck the hispanic name trend in the Smith family (Ernesto, Carlita, Mateo) and go with something a bit more, I don't know, amurrikin.
Here she is. Welcome to the Smith family Biggiemaisie!
My very first dog! I'm excited. I can't wait to take her for walks, to the dog park, to the river, everywhere! Mike is super excited too - he'll be able to take her to work with him sometimes, and he's always been a dog person. For his part, Mateo is fascinated, and I'm excited for him to grow up with dogs and cats (can you tell I'm excited all the way around!) So far she seems very at home here, I think she's gonna like it.
Stay tuned tomorrow when I document my pasta making with Jen Owen!
- Location:colonel mustard in the dining room
- Music:with the lead pipe
I was putting away our cd's this evening - a task that always makes me thing of my top ten "desert island" albums, you know the 10 albums that you couldn't live without should ever you find yourself stranded on a desert island. Or deserted island, whatever you want to call it. Deserted island makes more sense to me, but I always hear desert island, so maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about. Or maybe I'm just the only smart one. When I think desert, I think landlocked, I think sand dunes, I think camels. I do not think island. Anyway. Here are the 10 albums I would take with me, in no particular order:
1. Orchestre Baobab – On Verra Ça
2. Toots & The Maytals – Funky Kingston
3. 10,000 Maniacs – Our Time in Eden
4. Teri Moise – Teri Moise
5. Aretha Franklin – This Girl's in Love with You
6. Tori Amos – Under the Pink
7. The Beatles – The White Album
8. Neil Young – Harvest Moon
9. Zebda – Essence Ordinaire
10. The Smiths – Best I
There you have it.
- Location:the divan
- Mood:
weird - Music:ironically, nothing
Can I just say how much I love having a fireplace! Especially in a place like Oregon, where from September to...well, June, apparently, practically every night is worthy of a fire. No matter how many real fireplace fires I see, however, the embers always remind me of the fake fire on Pirates of the Carribean (Disneyland ride, not Johnny Depp movie). Does anyone know what I'm talking about? I think it's the part right before the jail, after the mail order brides chase the pirates around and around the hotel balcony...the pirates destroy the town and the way the Disney special effects team creates fire embers in fallen pieces of wood is quite stunning, and very convincing! Also, I always want to eat the embers like they're some kind of orange candy. Is that weird?
Feel free to comment and tell me if you've ever wanted to eat fire!
Anyway, here are some photos of Mateo! As you can tell, he appreciates the finer things in life.
He can roll over and push himself up! Note how in the first photo he is flipping the camera off.
Some photos of my parent's visit last week
OK gotta go eat some fire now!
- Location:the couch
- Mood: hot
- Music:a night in tunisia
However.
Mateo and I can go to baby story time at the library for free, where a nice, upbeat woman sings songs, blows bubbles, and dances around with stuffed animals. We can go to the playground for free, where he can swing, climb, slide, and jump on the equipment and interact with other kids. We can sing silly songs together for free. We can take any number of classes at the Y or the community center for a modest sum that benefits local and/or charitable organizations instead of a multi-million dollar corporation.
Anyway, I say all this because I looked on Gymboree's website to find out how much this all would cost, and classes START at $61/month. Not to mention a $30 registration fee. Now, it's not because we're on a budget, but I just don't think it's necessary to spend that kind of money so my baby can experience tummy time in a room with more primary colors than our living room has.
I am sure that down the line, I will give in to Mateo's whims. I will listen to the same children's music cd ad nauseum, much as I made my parents bonkers with my favorite Smurfs record. I will likely buy him that pair of Air Jordans (or whatever the kids are wearing these days, ha ha). He will probably go to McDonald's for a friend's birthday party. Heck, I'm sure I had a party or two there in my day, and I turned out OK. I am not a Nazi.
However.
Gymboree starts their classes at infancy, and once your child turns 5, that's it. I have to ask, will my baby know that he is at Gymboree, and not at the library or the playground? And if I don't enroll my baby in Gymboree, is he doomed to be an uncoordinated dolt?
After doing a bit more research, I found that that's exactly what Gymboree wants me to think. Check out some excerpts from an ad campaign they ran a few years back:
"Of course you want her to be normal. Only these days, normal plays the violin by age 7 and has a 4.3 GPA."
"If a college education is in his future, then think of us as an under, under, undergrad degree...picking a school might be premature, but preparing him for it isn't."
"Confident and happy kids. That's really what every parent hopes for. Well, Gymboree can help."
While I can see the humor in these ads, I feel that they prey on parent's fears that if they don't do all of these "things" for their kids, they will be at a disadvantage later on in life. That makes me sad. Enroll your kids in Gymboree if you want to, but don't do it because you think if you don't, it will make you a bad parent. I am sure that Gymboree is not inherently evil, and is probably a lot of fun for the kids. But there are plenty of other less contrived ways out there to stimulate and educate your child, in my opinion. Plus, Gymbo the clown is waaaaaay creepy.
Side note: I don't think I ever went to Gymboree and I played the clarinet AND piano by age 10 and had a 4.0 GPA, so I'm a bit behind, but I've learned to live with myself.
I didn't take any of her coupons at the end of mom's group either.
- Location:le boudoir
- Mood: irritated
- Music:the walkmen
I'm ready to give up on livejournal. This is the second time I've had to rewrite a post that mysteriously deleted itself. Maybe it's my new computer, I don't know. The mouse is a little touchy...anyway. Where was I. Oh yes, Katie. Well, she came to visit. It was rad. If livejournal hadn't deleted my post, then you would know what we did. But instead, I'm going to leave you guessing. Maybe we went fishing. Maybe we went on a hot air balloon ride. Maybe we had pillow fights in our negligees. You'll never know!
Ernesto ran away last week. Just up and disappeared. We hadn't been very diligent about making sure he was inside at night...just sort of figured he knew where the food was (the cat has never missed a meal) and wouldn't stray too far. I'm kind of afraid he got hit by a car...but I am hoping that he's just hanging out at someone else's house that might leave food out for their pets. It just sucks not knowing. Poor Carlita is very depressed...I really hope he turns up again someday, but I'm not really holding my breath.
My friend Lindsay had a baby on Sunday! A boy - William Mason Mack. If that doesn't sound like an attorney's name, I don't know what does. I'm excited to see the Mack family in September when I go back for my cousin April's wedding. Yay babies!
And, as always...a totally unrelated photo of Mateo! He is wearing a hat that I saw in a window in Germany when I was 6 months pregnant that Joe was nice enough to buy for me. I just hope it still fits him next winter! Just for fun I'll also post a photo of Mateo wearing the same hat when he was just a few days old. I think he likes it better now.
- Location:A Celtic dream
- Mood:
relaxed - Music:The Bends
Our friend Sarah came to visit this weekend! Some of you might remember her better as Reverend Murray, the officiant at our wedding. Others might know her as the girl who lived in our closet in France. She is all this...and more.
It was bloody hot all weekend so the days were a bit of a drag...we're talking high 90s which for May in Oregon is pretty freaking hot. Luckily, Sarah is from the desert of Arizona, so she was a champ and didn't complain ONE BIT! Really! We didn't do too much, just hung out and chatted, drank some Andre (only the finest champagne for Sarah!), played gin rummy, went wine tasting, and of course, played with the baby!!!! Which, let's face it, is the only reason anyone ever comes to visit anymore. Oh well.
Sarah took most of the pictures...she forgot her camera which is actually a good thing because she took like 60 pictures with my camera which is about how many pictures I take in a year. Here are some highlights from her visit...
Mateo is so tasty! 
OK Sarah didn't take these last 2 photos...but I think they're cute!
And...Mateo just woke up from his nap, so I must go! Ciao for now!
- Mood:accomplished
I thought I'd post a few pics of Mateo's new favorite thing to do. When you pull him up to a sitting position, he will automatically "stand" on your legs, the couch, the bed...and shriek with delight. Here is Mateo with Mike at dinner a few nights ago.
Now face west...think about direction, wonder why you haven't before?
- Mood:
hyper
I just found out that the noodle maker I bid on ebay is MINE for the low low price of just $6! Woo-hoo! Pasta party at the farm. I think this noodle maker is identical to the one my grandma used to have:
It is a Marcato brand, made in Italy, brand new stainless steel hand crank style machine. I'm so excited for fresh pasta!
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