Peaches

It was raining on the way home from work today, so i was using my umbrella (which is fantastically leopard-spotted - i found it in a shrub this summer). I got home and set it down by the door so i wouldn't drip water everywhere. i went in the kitchen, and when i held still a second, i heard a quick little scraping noise. It was the sound of Peaches licking rain off my umbrella!Adorable.
Plus i'm reading a book about heirloom peaches and trying to make a living off of growing them. a very peachy day.

Pearl Harbor Day!

I've been going around reminding people that today is a very important day in the history of our country.
You can't exactly say "Happy Pearl Harbor Day" to people, though ...

relief

today was one of the biggest days at my job - it was our annual Advisory Group meeting, where a bunch of land managers from around the region get together and we tell them what we've been doing for the past year and they tell us if we're doing okay and what we can do better. My boss is a very detail-oriented person, and she takes this meeting very seriously, so the past couple of weeks have involved a lot of intense data analysis and data checking, making arrangements, and making a pretty powerpoint. the group is about 25 people, all of whom i'm pretty sure are smarter than me and i am positive have more experience both with natural areas management and with POC than me, so it was a bit intimidating to stand in front of them and tell them about the data analysis i've been doing. at the same time, it was gratifying because i apparently explained it well, as they didn't have too many questions, and since they're smart, they understood what i was talking about.

then we had a nice party for Lara and Marcello, the Australian couple who have been working for the garden for the past 6 years, because they're going back to Australia tomorrow - it's a pretty sad time for the garden, as they are very much loved - they and their two sons, one of whom just turned 1 and is always around. he is an incredibly adorable baby, with huge pouty lips - the first baby i ever held, and he helped me get over my fear of babies. i will miss him.

it is snowing again, and supposed to snow at least a couple of inches tonight. i think i will go for a walk just to hear the snow.

i can do stuff!

I tried to make yogurt, and i actually succeeded! it both yogged and gurted! it is tasty as well as the right consistency. i am pretty darn proud of myself.
next stop, cheesemaking. i haven't dared to go down that road yet. maybe tomorrow - i'm trying to convince myself to go back out in the cold and on the slippery, unshoveled sidewalks to play music at Nevins. i'm not sure it's going to happen. but i'll feel so guilty - i'm so faithful, they worry when i don't come.

first snowstorm!

it started snowing around 3 yesterday, and snowed all night, from what i can tell - not *that* fast, we only have about 4 inches, but it's so pretty! it seems to be really windy up here on the 3rd floor, but not down on the street level - the snow is unmoved on the shrubs and cars. it's supposed to snow a couple more inches today. i bet my boss will come in late, if she comes - she is quite terrified of bad weather. this is yet another benefit of taking public transit to work - someone else worries about getting me there safely

what a productive day!

since getting home from work, i made my first batch of yogurt, wrote a letter to grandma, and completed both my first crossword and my first sudoku by myself!!

the arrival of winter

so today marked the first real winter here in chicago.
i got up this morning at 6 and biked to my friend rachel's house, 3 miles south, to help her move 3 more miles south. when i got to her place, she was off picking up the uhaul pickup, so i sat on her front stoop, read my book of Billy Collins poetry, drank tea, and watched the sunrise. it was wonderful. so many dogs passed by on their morning walks. then rachel, her friend zach, and i moved rachel's stuff - we were done by 11 am, and then she took us out to lunch as repayment. as we sat in the sandwich shop eating our soup and sandwiches, we watched the snow begin to fall. by the time we left, there was already at least a quarter of an inch on the ground. by the time i left rachel's house 3 hours later, a half-inch had fallen, and the snow turned to freezing rain. it's still doing that, 10 hours later. it's quite horrendous, but i love it. it's real weather.
today i also baked some delicious pumpkin-walnut-oatmeal-chocolate chip cookies, which i brought to a farewell party this evening - they got totally rave reviews. that made me feel good.
i also got rave reviews on the turkey soup i made this week. apparently all those hours in the kitchen are paying off.