Life With Boys

Recovered family correspondence — June 18, 2007.

Yo ho back.  I read your blog regularly -- greatly enjoyed the studio shots
and also want to hear what Tyler wants to be when he grows up...  I even
thought about sending Matt a happy Father's Day message, since I think he's
a superb daddy.

As for me, I'm in gardening mania.  I was really going gangbusters until the
Deer Devils busted into my garden.  Mowed the lushest strawberries I've ever
grown, reduced the beans to little naked stalks, and the apple trees to
twiggy things.  I've reinforced the back fence and we hung Tibetan prayer
flags all around the garden.  It looks quite gala and I'm sure our neighbors
thought they had awakened in the Himalayas or something.  I have enough
lettuce for 50 people starting to bolt, even as I write this.

Do you read Barbara Kingsolver?  She's probably my favorite writer, and she
just put out a non-fiction work about eating locally grown food.  I'm sure
that would be the last straw in your complex and busy family life.  When the
deer don't wipe me out, I do about 60% in the growing months, with the
garden and awesome farmers' market.  You may not know that Whatcom County
here is the raspberry capitol of the world, so that's like a real hardship.

Somewhat in conjunction with the garden, I've been on a cooking tear.  I
bought myself a new/old le Creuset 13" frying pan on ebay, a tremendous
bargain of course, and have been cookin' up a storm.  I have a great recipe
for sweet potato or pumpkin flan, if you're interested.  Also, the most
marvelous rice/tofu dish called Eggs Kurosowa from ReBar in Victoria -- a
soy-chile sauce to die for.

I'm also training the little minx himself.  All right, a somewhat larger
minx since Truman can now reach everything but the top of the refridgerator.
His obedience is excellent and his manners just suck.For the most part, he
no longer pees toes when he greets people.  And he is one of the most
engaging, companionable creatures I've known.

I am probably focused on such banal, comforting tasks because the larger
world is so depressing.  Between the war and global warming (yes, I'm a
believer), and all the related stuff like common birds have declined in
numbers by 50% in Oregon, starving orcas, ice floes breaking off -- setting
up rain barrels, composters, and deer blockades, cooking is satisfying.

But today, the sun is shining for the first day in a couple weeks, and life
seems pretty good.  I'll try to shoot you an email now and then.  I'm a good
little emailer and an otherwise lousy correspondent.  Happy Trails --