Friendships, pies, and all that jazz

This morning, I called to the boys to feed Percy but didn't receive an answer or even an acknowledgment. As Tom was soon heading to Boston, I suggested he get up, feed Percy and investigate. Shortly thereafter, Jack jumped in to bed with me, and said "Don't worry, Mom, we weren't brought home by the FBI today. We were just downstairs." I suppose we've reached the humor phase of this story. ;) Later, as we arrived at school, the boys told me that I could walk in with them but once we'd reach the doors, I had to walk behind them. It was made very clear that it seem to everyone that Jack was the one accompanying Oliver to his classroom; I was simply there to get something from a teacher (a truth). I wasn't the least bit offended by this command. On the contrary I thought it was darling and a laudatory bit of independence from both kiddos. I suspect that from here on out, walking either of them to class will be a rarity. I'm just glad they still hold my hands on neighborhood strolls and snuggle with me in bed when we're reading.

Back home, I started in on a major day of cooking: granola; vegan walnut-date scones; pecan-oatmeal pies; and a coffee cake. The phone rang: a friend who'd just received bad news about someone very special to her family. Come over, come over, I implored (you know people never want to be a bother; even though most of the time they're not!), and she did. We'd been wanting to get together anyway, and the spontaneity of what turned into a long visit and lunch of divine kale salads was a special treat that I hope in some small way helped offset her sadness.

I love happenstance times like these. You're there, I'm there, perhaps there is a need, even if just a simple one of wanting to catch up. In the stormy whirl of life, somehow a clear path opens, a calm in the storm you can and do take advantage of. I always leave these moments with such a light and happy heart, rejuvenated in the purest of ways.

Meanwhile, the baking continued, and I've gotten quite a bit of my list crossed through. After my pal left, Percy and I went for a walk; it's a beautiful pre-fall day, and people just seemed to be in good moods. I saw Joe, our UPS man, and the friendly security guard at the bank to whom I always talk. That sense of community that grounds and sustains me felt abundant, and I am grateful.

Who knew how gross Komodos are? Awesome ragu.

A new fascination for Jack and Ol is the Gila monster. In attempting to stay smarter than are they, I did a bit of research on Gilas this evening and, perhaps naturally, ended up reading about Komodo dragons. People, they are revolting animals. Just read through this passage from Wikipedia: Komodo dragons eat by tearing large chunks of flesh and swallowing them whole while holding the carcass down with their forelegs. For smaller prey up to the size of a goat, their loosely articulated jaws, flexible skulls, and expandable stomachs allow them to swallow prey whole. Copious amounts of red saliva the Komodo dragons produce help to lubricate the food, but swallowing is still a long process (15–20 minutes to swallow a goat). A Komodo dragon may attempt to speed up the process by ramming the carcass against a tree to force it down its throat, sometimes ramming so forcefully, the tree is knocked down.To prevent itself from suffocating while swallowing, it breathes using a small tube under the tongue that connects to the lungs.After eating up to 80% of its body weight in one meal,it drags itself to a sunny location to speed digestion, as the food could rot and poison the dragon if left undigested for too long. After digestion, the Komodo dragon regurgitates a mass of horns, hair, and teeth known as the gastric pellet, which is covered in malodorous mucus. After regurgitating the gastric pellet, it rubs its face in the dirt or on bushes to get rid of the mucus, suggesting, like humans, it does not relish the scent of its own excretions.

Possibly interesting, but completely DISgusting.

Bashar al-Assad is SO physically unattractive. What happened to his chin? Did he gas it? And why would anyone remotely sane sport a mustache so utterly reminiscent of Hitler?

OK! To the good stuff. Today was good but looong. As such, I was extremely excited to find one last batch of short rib ragu in the freezer and some wide egg noodles in the pantry. Ol and I had just purchased a gorgeous bunch of kale, and so...T and I enjoyed noodles and ragu and a raw kale salad with garlic oil, sultanas, tomatoes and young chevre. An awesome, slap your mamma, kinda meal.

Circle Yoga Arts Market is coming! Saturday, 9/7, 1-4p, 3838 Northampton St, NW!

Blackberry pie

I spent the morning in the loveliest way: snapping headshots of all the new students at the boys' school. They are all so cute and happy, and again I felt enveloped by the warmth and love that pervades the campus. It's like everyone is getting a big, firm hug all the time. And that's a multipurpose meaning of firm: literally, a good not weak hug, and also in the sense of firmness of expectation and schedule and purpose. Thank you school! A bubbling blackberry pie just emerged from my oven and is making my kitchen awfully fragrant right now. I'm off to pick up the kids but might just bake something more later. Though it's warm out, it was cool this morning, leaves are starting to fall, and you can sense that Fall is on its way. I love it!