Monday, June 11, 2012

Summer Post No. 1

A picture of the compost bowl before it went out to the bin. The Man took the picture, of course.

Well, hey there. So much to tell you, but how to begin? School is out. The 7th grade pool party went off without a hitch. First of all, my fellow room parent, Ellen, made the middle school front the cash for the party, so we didn't have to come up with ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS out of our own pockets.

Second of all, the rain that hung over the party for the first thirty minutes got blown away, the sun came out, and the pizza arrived on time. The parents who volunteered were a great group. Jack appeared to enjoy himself and actually interacted with his peers. A friend left chocolate and wine by my minivan as a "Congratulations on surviving this ordeal" gift, then texted me frantically to tell me what she'd done, afraid I might not see her care package and run it over. Clearly she did not understand that I would never run over chocolate. Never. I have a sixth sense about these sort of things.

Wednesday night, I went over to my neighbor Amy's house. Amy is the vegetarian I wrote about a while back, the one who got served a hamburger instead of the veggie burger she ordered, took a bite, and ended her meatless streak of thirty years. When I told Amy recently that I wish I liked tofu, she invited me and the Man over for a tofu cooking lesson. Anthony, Amy's husband, actually did all the cooking, and he didn't measure anything, not even the rice. I was shocked and amazed. The meal was all delicious, and I am now a tofu convert. We ate spicy, Asian tofu, and simple cornmeal-encrusted tofu, and tofu braised in tahini, and it was all delicious. It turns out if you know what you're doing, tofu doesn't have to taste like pencil erasers. I had no idea.

Other news ... I went to the orthodontist today to get more information about braces. I still can't decide. The Man is concerned that I will be in constant discomfort and take it out on the family. Ah, he knows me too well.  What everyone tells me is that I will be in pain the first week or so, and then things will be fine. I sort of want to get them, but I think anyone who has seen pictures of her mouth, lips pulled back with plastic spatulas, would want every orthodontal and dental procedure available. My teeth are terribly yellow and stained and there's a space and they're kind of crooked ... But unless I'm looking at pictures of my mouth with my lips pulled back with plastic spatulas, I don't care all that much. I really don't know what to do.

Our garden is insane. The tomato plants are eight feet tall. It's a jungle out there!

Tomorrow: root canal. The funny thing is? Root canals aren't really that bad. Dentistry in general these days isn't all that bad. You know what's bad? My teeth. My teeth are awful. The only thing worse would be not having them, which at this point is a distinct possibility.

Blogs to watch out for: I am quite taken with All the Blue Day, and I think you should be, too. Another fabulous blogger from the land down under. Please go say hey!


9 comments:

Gumbo Lily said...

The man is quite a photographer. He can make a compost bowl look lovely and artistic!

Congrats on surviving the pool party. Blessings on your Summer Experience.

About the teeth. I had braces a long time ago and you might not even know it for the tooth that sticks out a little. I won't get them again tho. Maybe a little whitening will help you like your teeth more? Maybe. It's likely cheaper than braces.

Pom Pom said...

Flossing is MUCH easier after braces and they don 't hurt that bad.
I'm with Jody, the compost is beautiful!
How's Travis? I think a Travis post is in order. I like him.

Tracy said...

That's the most artsy bowl of compost I've ever seen!

I wanted to jump up and down and cheer that your pool party was pre-financed and went splashingly well. Of course *I* knew it would be fine - I have lots of faith in you.

I don't mind tofu. I dont' like my chances at convincing the rest of the family.

Thanks for the new blog recommendation - I like her already.

GretchenJoanna said...

My new and youngish dentist recommended that even now, in my senior years, I consider Invisalign treatment, which seems to be a sort of braces, to get my teeth moved into positions that might forestall more stress and root canals. I can hardly believe it, and haven't researched it further. But you are a lot younger...maybe you should do it, as it probably wouldn't have only cosmetic benefits.

Jo said...

Thanks for your kind blog recommendation Frances, I like yours too!
I had braces a couple of years ago, mainly because my parents had let me choose whether or not to get braces at age 13, and of course I chose not! It really does not hurt after the first week, and I had mine at the same time as my two teenagers, so we suffered together (and almost had to remortgage the house...)

Leslie said...

I love your husbands photos, but it got me to thinking. Can I ask a question? Does your husband just take photos of things he likes and then you share what catches your fancy, or do you say, "Can you take a picture of this?"

I am not sure what you should do about the braces. If we could afford it I would be tempted. Perhaps wine would be a good way to handle the pain? :)

Left-Handed Housewife said...

Leslie,

Most of the pictures are ones the Man takes and I ask him to email me so I can post them. But when I saw this compost, I suggested a picture might be in order, and the Man totally agreed. If I'd taken the photo, I never could have captured the beauty of what I saw, which is why I'm so happy to have the Man!

Yes, wine would be helpful with the pain of braces. It's the 15 months of wine that would be concerning.

Thought of you today as I had my root canal; isn't that sweet?

xofrances

Heather said...

I am so jealous that you still get to help out at your children's middle school. My son's middle school and daughter's high school seem to want zero parent involvement. My daughter was in the Spelling Bee one year at Middle School and I showed up to watch (the only parent that did so) and there was a big discussion in the office about whether or not I should be allowed to come on to campus! (and no, I am not some crazy mom with a criminal past or anything) When they were in elementary school, I was always the room mom. I miss those days.

I agree with you, root canals are not so bad. I've had 3 and I think they hurt less than getting a filling.
Thanks for your kind comment the other day. I'm really happy I found your blog. I love it. I check it for updates every time I'm online.

debbie bailey said...

You're right about modern dentistry. Root canals are no big deal anymore. I remember the ones I had 35 years ago and shudder! As for your teeth, if you're embarrassed by them, I'd get the braces. They'll be sore for a day or so and then it's fine. Even the soreness isn't so bad. You can still eat. Go for it if it'll make you happy!