7 Quick Takes: Volume 16

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Recommended perusing: This week, the radio program Fresh Air featured an interview with Harold McGee, a chef who has a new book out and who had all kind of interesting things to say about cooking and food science. Fascinating. And for a fledgling cook like me, who is forever pondering the difference between wood cutting boards vs. plastic ones, the show was an education.

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Recommended listening: Playing for Change: Peace Through Music. I am watching PBS right now, in a Friday evening red wine-soaked haze, and the station is featuring the story behind this incredible CD. On the CD, the producer took the song Stand By Me, recorded a musician "in the joy business" in L. A. playing it, and then went all over the world to record musicians playing along with that recording. Beautiful! Listen. Buy.

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Recommended attitude adjustment: For my 4 year old. Who asked me ever so sweetly yesterday if I will forever be her mommy. When I said yes, she said: "But what about if you get old?" I told her that no matter how old I get I will always be her mommy. And she said: "I don't want an ole lady for a mommy."

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My oldest daughter is getting curvy. So that pretty much tells me that it's time to completely FREAK OUT! She's EIGHT. Hyperventilating now. Need more red wine. Before I go fill my glass, I will be researching convents for her to spend the next 30 years in, followed closely by her younger sisters.

Aaagh. Insert Choking Sounds Here>

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First birthday party: canceled because the birthday boy had a fever of 104.

Second attempt: canceled due to injury, and if you think in this age of internet research that I am sharing the nature of the injury so that some insurance company someday can somehow deny coverage to some member of my family based on some silly blog post, well, I am not playing that game, peeps.

Third attempt: canceled due to rain, since the party was a camping trip.

Fourth attempt: skeptical 12 year old pretty much thinks it's never going to happen. I vow upon All Things Tween that it will indeed happen.

Mom's next attempt: to convince the 12 year old that life does not suck.

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Food always, always, tastes better when someone else cooks it. The love of my life made homemade pizza tonight. It was so good, I'd say yes again if he asked me to marry him tonight. The wine helped too, because instead of buying 2 Buck Chuck, like I do all the time, he brought me Ravenswood. Proof he loves me. Proof that God loves me. Proof that love and truth and beauty and all things awesome will prevail in the land of canceled birthday parties and mean 4 year olds.

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Some of the things my kids did this week: made acorn flour in the woods...climbed into a cave made by the roots of a redwood tree...waded in a lake...went rock-climbing...read a little...painted a store window for Halloween...went to Carpentry class...rehearsed Fiddler on the Roof...put together a magnet model of the solar system...painted pictures for their grandfather, who is turning 75 this week...got used to a new chore chart...complained bitterly about the chore chart...gave the dog a bath...practiced soccer in the rain...started working in their new math workbooks...cheered on the San Francisco Giants in their Pennant Race...and reminded me every day how much I love them and how much I want to pitch them out the window 33% the time.

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Happy Friday everyone! Visit the original 7 Quick Takes; you'll always leave with food for thought.

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