Dear Boston

I haven't been to this space in a while, but things here are good & busy. Getting the farm up and running, has me thinking about starting a new blog that fits more with our life here right now.  Frankly, though, I haven't much wanted to come on the internet.  Not having television in our home is wonderfully liberating in many ways, and it often means we are the last to know the news, both good and bad.

Something terrible happened recently, in one of the most special places on earth to me.  Boston.  I grew up just a couple miles north of the city, and have so many memories there that will forever be close to my heart no matter where I live.

There is sad news every day, I realize that, and care very much about the people that we share this small world with no matter where they are.  Since, in our home, we are not inundated with the constant stream of repeating news,  I can usually take a step back a little better, and think about events in my own time, and way.  But this event, these wonderful people who were hurt, many of whom are just beginning their recovery, I can't stop thinking about them, and that special place.

For me, Boston is like a first love.

I remember skating on the frog pond and riding the swan boats when I was very young.   Taking my kids to sit on the Make Way for Duckling statues and to the Children's museum.  Starting in high school there were Red Sox games (in the old $10 bleacher seats). Going to bed in 86 thinking we won the series, and waking up in shock. The way we all felt on October 28, 2004, you know, the morning after the Sox won the World Series in the greatest come from behind winning streak ever (or evah :-) when everyone was smiling and hugging, and, well,  it was wicked awesome.

The Museum of Science,  MFA, Hatch Shell, the BPL, Victor Hugo bookstore, and Symphony Hall.  I spent so many days over the years at these special places, they are the pegs on which I hang decades of memories.

My 21st birthday, first drink was a "Yellow Submarine" at the Hard Rock Cafe.  That same magical summer, I remember watching John Williams conduct his last 4th of July Pops Concert before officially handing the baton to Keith Lockhart.  On our piano sits a photo of the night my dream come true and I met Mr. Williams at Symphony Hall years later, to celebrate that treasure's 100th anniversary.

I will be forever grateful to the doctors and nurses in the NICUs at Boston Children's Hospital and Tufts Floating Hospital who  literally saved Joshua & Noah's lives when they were both born prematurely.

Please excuse the rambling, it's the flood of memories, these and hundreds more.  Mostly happy, some bittersweet.  None could have happened anywhere else in the world but in Boston.


Dear Boston, thank you for everything.  I love you, and am so sorry that you were hurt like this.  All I've been thinking about since this happened is jumping on a train and getting up there to wrap my arms around you.  I know you'll come out of this fine, I just really want to give you a hug.  I miss you more than you know, more than I thought I would.  You are all in our prayers.

Until I can get on that train, I'll see you in my dreams.

Peace,
~Michelle

“This will be our reply to violence:
to make music more intensely,
more beautifully,
more devotedly than ever before.” 

~Leonard Bernstein 


 
onefundboston.org

Weekending

•  Listening to Dave Brubeck, with gratitude for the many times he came to Berklee and we were able to hear him, watch him, and learn from this humble, funny, gracious genius
• Chopping and stacking lots, and lots of wood, and realizing that it goes so much quicker when we all work together
• Giggling at Mabel the hen as she sits upon our recently stacked woodpile outside our dining room, and gets a sneak peek at dinner
•  Enjoying a nature walk at a favorite trail
• Remembering the simple joy of making playdough, and letting the boys help themselves to the "cool" kitchen tools
• Hoping all the sniffles & coughing will end soon, and good sleep will return to the homestead
• Wishing you a wonderful week ahead...

Joining in with the lovely Amanda  & Dawn Suzette once again

This Moment

 

In Amanda's words, "A Friday ritual.  A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." Soulemama

Ten Well Loved Cookbooks

I have a confession to make.  The weight of our cookbook collection was rivaled only by the weight of the piano on our move.  Steve and I both love cookbooks, have been known to read them like novels.  For the past year and a half we could only have a couple of boxes of them with us.  So I had to think about the ones that I not necessarily loved the most, but used the most.  Since we didn't have access to the internet for a while I wanted to have a good range of titles, in case we were craving a certain cuisine, or ended up with an abundance of one particular thing (like tomatoes, or a half a pig!)

These ten books have been with me, in whatever I had for a kitchen during our travels, and are here with me now as we wait for their hundreds of friends to join them on the shelves once our renovation is complete.  Each of these books has been used countless times in my kitchen, and each has dozens of grease marks & various others splatters that prove a cookbook's worth beyond any other measure.  The last 2 are new to me within the last year, and have already achieved this status.

In no particular order:

• The Joy of Cooking ~ A Classic that no kitchen should be without
• How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman ~ As the Washington Post said, "Think of it as a more hip Joy of Cooking"
• The Best Recipe by the editors of Cooks' Illustrated ~ Now that we're settling in, we can finally start getting Cooks Illustrated again, it doesn't get much better for my left-brained husband than learning the science behind the cooking.  And the food is awesome too! (this link takes you to the New Best Recipe, since ours doesn't seem to be available anymore)
• Vegan Planet ~ by Robin Robertson ~ Even if you're not a vegan, if you want to add more vegetable dishes to your repertoire, this book is a gem.  If you are a vegan, this is a treasure!
• Stocking Up 3 by  Carol Hupping ~ Technically a book on preserving, but her seasonal recipes are wonderful, straightforward, and helpful when you are in abundance of one or two particular items.  Did you know you could freeze eggs?
• Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking ~ We love Indian food, in fact our first date was at an Indian restaurant.  Sadly there are none near our new home.  These recipes, although require many spices, are straightforward enough for anyone to follow.  Nothing like walking into the house when Saag is simmering..
  
• Lidia's Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich ~ I want to grow up to be an Italian grandmother someday and feed everyone I meet this food.  It doesn't get much better.
• Pretend Soup  and Other Real Recipes by Katzen & Henderson ~Because kids cook too!
• Make the Bread Buy the Butter by Jennifer Reese ~ Wonderful, mentioned here before.  Jennifer also blogs at The Tipsy Baker.
• The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila ~ I read this from beginning to end while we were in a hotel, kitchenless.  Her photographs,  stories, and anecdotes that go with each recipe are worth it alone, but the recipes are scrumptious!  Alana also blogs at Eating from the Ground Up.

And there you have it.  With these ten cookbooks, you can make just about anything.  Fortunately most libraries have many of these titles on their shelves, so you can get cooking!!

What cookbook(s) do you return to again and again?

Knitting & Reading

Joining in with Ginny from Small Things for the first time this week with her wonderful yarn along!  I'm knitting a simple prayer shawl right now, for my mom who has had a rough year.  It's the same pattern I used here.

This book, A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, is a real potboiler.  It's well written and hard to put down.  I had the chance to meet the author when he came to speak at our library.  Really interesting fellow, and although I don't think I'd enjoy his memoir, I'm really liking this novel.

What are you reading and/or knitting (or crocheting) these days?

My Cellist

Our son Joshua has been drawn to instruments since before he could walk.  He loves to play the guitar, piano & keyboard, drums, harmonica,

 and now cello.


Steve & I have handled teaching the boys, as they became interested in varying degrees, about music.  We figure we can give them a good grasp of basic theory, and beginning piano and guitar, but beyond that we wanted some help.  This year, much to my surprise and bliss, Joshua decided that he wanted to take cello lessons. The cello is my favorite instrument to listen to (and I've mentioned my love of Yo Yo Ma here before:-).


In September, he started in a strings class with other children playing violin and cello, and has taken to it like I could never have imagined.  Things are progressing quickly and he gave his first concert this weekend.  It was beautiful, I cried. 

Me nervously watching them set up

I really think God has blessed him with this gift and feel so blessed myself to watch, and listen to, what he does with it.

Sorry Yo Yo, I still love you, but I have a new favorite cellist!
 

This Moment

 

"A Friday ritual.  A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember." Soulemama