adventures in home-making

Johnny Shines in Holt.

This past Saturday, Patrick stayed home with Milla while Bunica and I went to the 1st Annual Johnny Shines Blues Festival in Holt, a few miles away from our home. It was lovely- the blues always make me so happy, such a beautiful tradition and amazing slice of history. The festival itself took place in the backyard of Carol Shines (pictured above), Johnny's daughter, who made all of us feel at home. One kind lady offered Max and Micah free hot dogs and juice after they wore themselves out dancing and wrestling together. I missed having a camera so so much (our camera is dead and we've missed SO MANY amazing moments to photograph), but my mom took a few photos and made a video in which you can watch the munchkins break it down.

Leave it to Debbie Bonds and Carol Shines to present a Hungarian bluesman in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Enter Little G. Weevil, whose accent added a special touch to his blues performance.

I'll share a Little G. Weevil tune soon... 

The mosque debate is disappointing.

Sinclair Lewis once said that "when fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross". As dismal as the prospect seems, I fear there is more than a kernel of truth in that statement. German National Socialists (aka Nazis) wrapped themselves in the flag and buttressed their claims to racial and ethnic superiority with the cross quite effectively. The Christians who protested such blasphemy were few and far between. And I guess that is how it feels to me- it feels like blasphemy to hear people put the American flag next to the cross and suggest that they are somehow equivalent or even related. I don't see our government as a particularly good spokes-entity for Christianity and I prefer to keep my church and state as separate as our liberal democracy permits. When the US government begins to suggest it is doing God's work in the world, then we will have to begin asking unanswerable and horrifying questions like, "Does God really want American to be a superpower?" or "Does God really want regime-change in the Middle East?". I don't think God speaks to "America", though he probably speaks to some of its citizens. Milla is hungry, so my thoughts are cut short. But I can't help thinking we are far too comfortable with harnessing God to our own political ideologies.... and I am so grateful for the God whose main work in my life is love and mercy.

Recipes for the week.

To keep them in one place as I get ready to cook each one:

• Quinoa with Rosemary and Apples
• Swiss Cheese and Ham Quiche
• Salmon Quiche
• Alice Waters' Lentil Salad

Broken water pipe.

Patrick, Mike, and Pops managed to fix our broken water pipe on the hottest day of the year. I have to give my husband credit- I doubted he would be able to do the job and urged him to wait to hire a professional. I'm so glad he proved me wrong.

Absent-mind.

I've been conspicuously absent from myself and from my meager attempts to chronicle this adventure-turned-temporary-circus. The past few weeks have been busy with visits from Suebee and Pops, broken water pipes, a short foray to the beach, and the never-ending sport of chasing Micah through the house as she makes like a destructive tornado. I've forgotten that having a toddler means there is always some morsel of food in a hidden location just waiting to turn into a science project. I've also forgotten my own name on a couple of occasions which, I know, should only be an opportunity to invent something interesting but unfortunately feels more like the onset of old age at a fairly young age.

All things in their season.... only the cliches are still memorable. Quick now before I forget all the lovely moments flickering by with the end of the season of fireflies...

Milla loves her daddy so much, saves her most brilliant smiles for him.

 Carla and Jeremy returned from their trip to Tanzania with lovely fabrics, shirts, photos, and tales of sweet orphans who need shoes. Carla held Milla for at least an hour; it warms my heart when she holds my children.

David Gray has a new album and an interview in which his marriage and children are as loud as tattooed mustaches. The lyrics from one of his new songs must be about a house filled with the patter of little feet and parents trying to find each other between the footsteps....."What kind of existence?/To want you so much/And only feel the distance/Each time when we touch."

Orange Beach is still beautiful- the oil spill is most evident only in the tiny dribble of boats venturing out to sea every day and the BP Milkshake specials at the local cafes. Unfortunately, the lovely turquoise water now looks more like a mud puddle. The optimistic blame it on the rain while the sober-minded just hope it returns to its natural color quickly.

Max is preparing for his first Tiger Cub meeting this year by jumping around and exclaiming all sorts of things. Tomorrow we look forward to the study of the Yamato dynasty in Japan. Here is a copy of the notebook page I made for other families studying this right now as well.

The Yamato Dynasty in Japan