listening: Inspired by the music that was playing at
The Violet Hour I have recently revisited Lou Reed/Velvet Underground. I started listening to Lou Reed because my older sister did. I distinctly remember dubbing the Best Of Album on the boom box I had gotten for Christmas that year (which at first thought was while she was in college, 1982-1986) that had double tape deck for dubbing capabilities. Now that I think more on it, it was the same year Duran Duran's
Seven and the Ragged Tiger came out - because the was the first tape I owned and the powers on the internets have told me that was 1983. I was 9. And a pretty hip 9 year old at that, listening to Lou Reed and all.
reading: I am NOT reading ANYTHING right now. I have a table full of fantastic books but I seem to have lost what was once an addiction to reading (see: watching). BUT I do read PLENTY of kids books - Caleb has a nightly three book minimum. So there's lots of Seuss. But yesterday I was reminded not once, but twice of Beverly Cleary - who when I was a little girl I wanted to be when I grew up. Her or any of her characters - but of course none more than Ramona because we were basically the same person. I am really hoping that Caleb will like the Henry books because I would really like to read Beverly Cleary again.
watching: Too much television! In to the very beginning of Season 4 of the Wire which really IS fantastic. That's all I'm gonna say about tv because I am ashamed at how much I have been watching as of late.
as for eating & drinking: We had this dinner at our house last weekend where one of Erik's work cohorts came to do an "interactive" dinner which was all well and good - food was pretty good though nothing besides the homemade mozzerella (and even that was just using curds - I am such a snob!) was anything we couldn't or haven't done before ourselves. We sort of failed at the interactive portion except that Erik cooked the steak on the rotisserie and Bill fried the quail eggs. ANYWAY I pulled a few random things out of the wine fridge to drink. One was an 04 Saintsbury Brown Ranch and that wine really put me in my place. First of all, I have to say that Dick Ward from Saintsbury is one of the REAL good guys - incredibly nice, generous, just a GOOD guy. And while I have always thought Saintsbury made good wines it was always with the caveat "for what they are" - they were nothing I ever really got excited about. But for some reason, the Brown Ranch spoke to me last Saturday. And it said, "Aren't you glad you have another bottle?"
CAP: I need to start using this blog to write down some milestone moments - because I don't remember them. A friend with a 10-month old asked me last night, "When did Caleb start to wave?" And I'm like, "I don't know, when are they supposed to? Because I am going to say that minus a few months because he is advanced, naturally." So. That being said - Caleb is starting to write his name. The B is a bit problematic. He draws pod people - and has a particular penchant for portraits of Shelby. He asks why questions INCESSANTLY. At first I am all excited because I have an inquisitive kid with an obvious passion for learning but that has evolved into general exhaustion trying to muster up a decent answer. He thinks it is hilarious to use our own phrases against us (i.e. 'Mom, you are being difficult' or 'You are killing me' or 'Get out of here'). He knows the alphabet - both to recite (he was doing that from like birth) but know to recognize letter is words ('that's a C like Caleb! That's an H like Haly! That's an E like you!) Obviously I should commence MENSA training very soon.
