A breath of fresh air

With my leg all cast up, I'm a little challenged in the mobility department.  It makes life a leeeeeetle more complicated.  Not to mention showering... don't get me started there!  I have, nonetheless, managed to stay sane with a few little projects.  I finished M's hat.  It's a cross between a bear, a mouse and a monkey.  Basically, whichever he feels like at any given moment.  For now, he's Tom Thumb the mouse from Beatrix Potter's "The Tale of Two Bad Mice".  I've also finished up a small crocheted mouse.  Pictures to follow once I get the eyes and nose sorted out.

That brings me to food.  I'm no gourmet, but I made this delicious cream sauce last week.  We had it with macaroni noodles, but I can see it going well with rice, or even atop chicken.  No recipes for this delicious cream sauce.  It was a sort of spiritual affair.  Lots of soul and very little measuring.  I'll tell you how it came together though.  Roughly chop tomatoes, simmer them in a pot on the stove until the juice is abundant and the flesh is tender.  Steam fresh peas and add to tomatoes when soft.  Saute onions on the side with mushrooms pieces in olive oil.  Add everything together.  Add whole milk powder (I'm guessing cream works if you don't have that) until it reaches the desired creaminess.  Add salt to taste.  Spoon over noodles, rice, chicken breasts, or anything really that tickles your fancy!

In other news, my son is somewhat obsessed with the story of Samson.  We have a children's picture bible and every day we read some stories in it before bedtime.  Lately, we've been reading Samson a lot.  A lot.  M is convinced that if anyone cuts their hair, they'll lose their strength.  And possibly that the Philistines will throw them in jail.  Kind of funny to think about, but what an imagination.  Anyhow, he loves that story.

While both our babies are readers, J is more of a Barnyard Dance (by Sandra Boynton) gal.  She also likes story songs with corresponding actions.  When we read, that girl means business!  What I love most is watching those two when they read to themselves.  M has memorized several stories and he delights in reading them to J.  She isn't always interested for the length of time that M enjoys, but she does love when he reads to her.  They're sort of in an transitional stage where they alternate between poking-each-others-eyes-out-enemies, and best friends.  I'm wondering, on a purely theoretical level at this point, which way the scale will tip...?

This morning we woke up to sweltering heat.  I'll be honest, it was hard to experience that kind of heat in October!  As the day wore on, the clouds gathered and grew darker until around 2:30 pm, we had our first thunderstorm of the season.  It was perfect.  The rain washed the whole world around us.  The cool air blew in threw the windows with the refreshing smells of fresh dug earth, and rain-washed leaves.  The air seemed to be cleaner and fresher with the rain.  Sort of like the heat and the smoke and pollution were all washed away by that shower.  It was literally a breath of fresh air.  Very needed, and much welcomed.  The shower lasted about two hours.

And then the kids went out to play in the puddles.  The perfect end to my day.