A Reminder

Wild Geese

You do not have to be good.
You do not have to walk on your knees
for a hundred miles through the desert repenting.
You only have to let the soft animal of your body
love what it loves.
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.
Meanwhile the world goes on.
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain
are moving across the landscapes,
over the prairies and the deep trees,
the mountains and the rivers.
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,
are heading home again.
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.



from Dream Work by Mary Oliver, published by Atlantic Monthly Press

A much-needed break

Happy belated Thanksgiving!  We were under the weather (severely, might I add) for a few days, but we are enjoying time our family in New England. 

Mama Cooks: Delicious, allergen-free, pad thai!

Recipe: (all ingredients organic, if this doesn't matter to you, just use whatever you usually buy!)
1 tbsp grapeseed oil
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped carrots (I double this, and I used organic purple carrots)
12 ounces extra-firm silken tofu, cubed
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup wheat-free tamari sauce
2 tbsp agave nectar (this is key!)
1 tsp red curry pasxte
2 tbsp organic peanut butter
1 cup washed and drained bean sprouts (I omit)
6 ounces uncooked rice noodles (rice sticks), prepared according to package
4 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice

From Susan O'Brien's "The Gluten-Free Vegan"

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high and add the onions and carrots (I added one chopped zucchini-- you can add just about any vegetable to this pad thai dish).  Saute until the onions become soft, about four to five minutes.  Add the tofu, continue to cook about five minutes.  Add the vinegar, tamari sauce, agave nectar, red curry paste, peanut butter, and sprouts (if using).  Toss to coat, and heat through.  Pour the tofu mixture over the noodles and garnish with green onions and lime juice.  Enjoy!

New Tricks: Almost 17 months old

Henry is adding to his vocabulary and his repertoire of gestures.  This is such a fun age!  He has learned say: blue, red, a variety of animal sounds, ball, block, rock, more, Eva, baby, Henry. . . probably a couple of things I'm forgetting right now too. 

Henry has also learned to "shh!" with his finger up to his mouth.  However, his finger is often either in his nose while he shushes or it is on his nose.  Close enough!  He loves to stack blocks into towers before knocking them down and he he loves to play dress-up.  The tricycle is also a huge hit right now (as is the game of "helping Mommy" at the sink or with the laundry).

My (lack of) Hipster Cred

I'm all for geek chic glasses, skinny jeans, pricey organic vegan food, hemp scarves, and awesome music no one's ever heard, but I've recently suffered a crushing blow to any semblence of hipster credibility.  No, it's not my minivan (it's black!  it's kind of ironic!  super cushy!).  Not the preschooler and young toddler accompanying me-- they're actually very cool and creative. 

I have to just say it.  I don't love Bon Iver.  I really wanted to love them, especially after reading amazing reviews, but I bought the most recent album and spent the whole time listening to it wondering if the dude was going to sing in falsetto for every song.  I love to sing in the car and couldn't even tell what he was saying.  How could I sing along?  Yes, the songs were moving and emotional and even haunting at times.  Still, I think I'm just not a fan.  The end.

Hipster Ariel
P.S.  This is how I look every night when I realize that I haven't written enough yet for NaNoWriMo!