Ford Excursions

Cheesy, yes I know.

In case anyone was worried, Hotel de Ford is back in full swing after a sweet little lull right at the close of the summer season. As mentioned before, we kicked it back off with the Giusti family escaping the heat of their AC-less house and getting in one last footloose jaunt before the booger picker, I mean, Mason started Kindergarten. (I am wrestling with whether or not I should re-word the previous sentence because I could potentially make my sister cry for two different reasons in-between that capital letter and period containing only thirty-five words. Well, if she's going to cry anyway, might as well leave it.)

This past weekend Matt and Heather, the married ones, made the eight hour trek from Savannah to come and spend a way-too-short weekend with us. This was their first time to our house (Matt came last summer to the first house we lived in at camp, remember, the big one.) and we were so glad they came up. The funny thing with them is that we go long periods of time without seeing each other, like since Christmas, and then it seems like we see each other a few times close together, like in two weeks in Tallahassee.

We ventured out to the Market Square Farmer's Market on Saturday morning, admittedly our first time going since we've moved here, and let me just say, I may have found my heaven on earth - or at least my heaven in Tennessee.

Fruits, vegetables, fresh bread, jellies and jams, handmade goods, hippies, diaper-clad bathing beauties, and sideshow-Joes galore. Heaven. We even got on "the list" to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) in the spring! We could have joined now for the rest of the year, but we decided that we would save up our cash and join next May - $17/week for a half-box containing 5-7 variations of farm-fresh goodness. I wish I could remember the name of the farm, but crazy enough, I didn't write it down or take a picture of their stand - come next May, say good riddance to Kroger's produce aisle.

The five of us grabbed lunch at Tomato Heads which happens to be right in the middle of Market Square - how convenient. And delicious. They are all about the local, in season, and fresh - music to my ears.
Our pizza was phenomenal and a victory all in one - it's not very often you find ONE pizza that all four folks, especially with me around, will agree on and love. And that's saying a lot considering I typically pick off at least one topping on every pizza I eat, but when you know it's so fresh and local it's hard to disregard the hours of love that have been put into that mushroom and olive.

Matt, Chris, Heather & Noah at the Market

Accordionist on stilts and his lovely lady.Noah and his daddy playing in the water.

Next year he will be one of the naked babes running around.This kid loves the water. Loves.

You would think after being surrounded by food galore we wouldn't be able to eat for at least a week. For us, this is not so. In Ten Mile fashion, we had to take Matt and Heather to eat at the Marina - it's a must if you stay with us for more than one day. And the Braves game was on - bonus!

Noah is trying out new smiles these days.
I am partial to this one.

The gang outside the Marina.Matt & Heather at Watts Bar Lake.

Sadly, or not so sadly depending on how you look at it, the more I educate myself about food, our food industry, where it comes from, where it doesn't come from, I find myself more and more picky about what I eat. Maybe not so much picky as I expect food to look good, taste good, and that I feel good about eating it. For me, this was not so with my selection at the marina. Breaks my heart because I love the little place, but it opens up a whole world of questions about the quality that they are serving when I can visually see the problem - makes me wonder what I can't see.

Anyway, that's for another post.

We had a briskly wonderful weekend with the married Uncle Matt and Aunt Heather...they have to come back when they can stay longer.

Oh... and one more thing:

Happy Birthday to my mama!
She had me 26 years ago so that makes her at least 37.

Here's to a year full of blessings and bliss!

Booger in the Sugar

...no it's-not.

To show that I play fair and not favorites, it is pertinent that I share a story that my sister, Heather, specifically looked at me and said, "Please don't put this on the blog,"... even if it makes her crawl out of her skin, it's a must read. Kids say the darnedest things and this kid in particular is quite funny.

Mason, age 6

The Giusti clan (minus Mike) came over and stayed with us for a few days last week. We were busily cooking dinner and maintaining the other wild banshees while Mason was taking a bath. (Note: The bathtub is practically in the kitchen. No children were left unattended while bathing.) He was playing, pretending, make-believing when he asked Heather what this blue plastic pot was that he was playing with. She said "That's Aunt Beth's snot-cleaner-outter!"...to which he promptly dropped in the water and scurried for something else to play with.

He landed his hands on a clear plastic cup that has lime green coloring on the bottom to which he asks, "Why is the bottom of this cup green?"...to which Heather responded, "That's where she puts her boogers." I tell him it's green because the boogers turned it that color. His face distorts and again, he promptly drops the cup.

Seeing the opportunity of a lifetime, because after twenty-six years and plenty of tattling I know the way my sister feels about the olfactory and it's functions, I ask, "Mason, what color are the boogers you eat? Green or yellow?"

He thinks about it for a minute.

"Yellow."

And if you listened close enough you could hear a little part of my sisters heart breaking. And her skin crawling. And her head spinning. And the steam blowing. And her innermost being dying.

And me laughing, quite loudly.

And Mason going on bathing.

Random Fact: There are studies that show that kids who eat their boogers turn out to be healthier adolescents and adults. The boogers boost their immune systems and ultimately help ward off the common cold and other such funkiness.

Explains why I've always been so healthy...

Sweetness

Nothing is finer than sipping sweet tea and blogging in the moooooorning. 

Oh yes. There is.

Doing all of the above with this little face looking up at you:

I mean seriously.

Fiiiiine.

Hi Ho the Dairy-O

...the Farmer in the Dell.
Remember that game Hi Ho Cherry-O? Oh my word, it was one of my all time favorites. I am sure I owe a lot of siblings, cousins, and friends many apologies for incessantly asking to play this game. But I was really good at getting those little cherries in my bucket.

And we're back...

We have been going down the road, literally, about once a week for the past couple of months to a local farm. And I mean local, as in, it doesn't even have a name. So "backyard" that I have tried to introduce myself to our "Farmer in the Dell" and I can't understand what he says when he tells me his name in response...and I've been raised a southern gal, still can't catch it. He probably thinks I am a stalker, always asking his name.

He has all sorts of stuff: corn, beans, melons, okra, tomatoes as big as your head, cucumbers, peppers, squash, zucchini, cantaloupe, potatoes, sunflowers for a quarter a piece. They are open ten in the morning til sundown and you can buy as much or as little as you want.

Just put your money in the jar that is screwed shut and bolted to the table to which Chris commented, "I don't even know how he gets his money out of the jar," when I asked him if he thought we could make change in the bucket.

And if you buy seven bucks worth of stuff and only have a ten, leave the three extra. It's going directly into local economy. It couldn't be more direct than that. Farmer Dell will greatly appreciate it and it will likely be fruitful for you next season. More money = more seeds = more crops. The plenty is bountiful.

These melons were beyond huge... like 42 weeks pregnant huge.

Corn anyone?

Find a Farmer in the Dell and take your kiddos. They will love it, too. And what could be better than feeding your kid fresh goodness grown in the same dirt you walk on everyday?

Noah is especially fond of the cantaloupe...and his daddy.

And get your canning britches on because your kitchen will be covered in garden goodness...that you can enjoy all year. Local and in season. Legit.

Kick the Can

In the spirit of our Earthloving reduce-reuse-recycle mantra, Chris has found a way to wildly entertain Noah with an empty puff canister.
For hours.
Days.
And it's hilarious to spectate:



I assure you, no babies were harmed in the filming of this video.

Can't Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

...but you sure can learn a new trick for the dog.

As promised, Noah's new trick that highly benefits our four-legged eating machine:


Come have a meal with us. I bet Noah will throw his beans to you, too.

Always, Sometimes, Never

I snagged this little self-assessment piece from Kacey, one of my co-counselors my first summer at Camp Crestridge. I stalk her blog frequently, well, because I am inspired by her creativity and insight on life's little blessings. So when I read this I wanted to turn the mirror on myself, Second Nature style, and see what I could find. Here it is and don't you judge me:

I always:

• laugh at myself for silly and random moments.
• love the smell of Noah's head after he takes a bath.
• kiss my husband good night.
• have at least two projects going on/unfinished at the same time.
• get annoyed when watchers clap after a good movie.
• could spend hours in a craft/fabric store.
• cringe at the thought of having a Popsicle stick in my mouth.
• go straight to the clearance rack of clothing stores.
• roam the "Natural" aisles of the Kroge looking for good deals.
• wish the crispness, not cold, of fall would last a little longer.

I sometimes:

• shower twice in a 24 hour time span.
• wish we still worked at Second Nature.
• over-commit myself to make people happy.
• miss living in Tallahassee - Gordos, you will be mine in three weeks.
• think it would be nice to have more friends our age in a close proximity.
• reminisce on Crestridge days, wishing I could go back just one more summer.
• feel shy and awkward when giving people things I made for them.
• act like a girly girl - pedicures are good for the tomboy's soul.
• wish I could prove the Ford's Nothing-Else-Is-Going On-When-Focused-on-the-TV-Especially-When-Sports-Are-On Gene to be absolutely genetic - and sometimes annoying.
• cry at PBS specials.

I never:

• lock the door to our house during the day.
• carry cash - though we may go on a cash diet.
• could be a vegetarian.
• want to see Noah feel pain, physical or emotional.
• have, do, or will like green beans - or any cooked greens, with the exception of okra and peas, for that matter. I am twenty-six years old, I don't need to "just try them" anymore.
• mowed a lawn.
• am good at saying goodbyes, I often avoid them altogether.
• have watched any of the Star Wars movies, new or original.
• air my dirty laundry on Facebook - if it seems like I am complaining I am likely being sarcastic. If you want the dirty drawers, you'll have to look here.
• thought I would live out in the country in East Tennessee - and love it.

So what does your reflection show?
Be honest, be real, but be kind to yourself.
I found myself going to a "picking" place quicker than seeing and acknowledging good qualities in the reflection.

We are often our own biggest critic - challenge yourself for the next week to put one positive thing in each category each day. I'll do it if you will...