When The Wildabeast (aka Papa) finally shaved himself recognizable the other day my very first thought was "don't throw it away!" This is why I would never be a mainstream art teacher. Craig said he might use it as his facebook profile pic and that it is his favorite portrait ever. Finley didn't want her picture taken but check out her Christmas dress that she has been begging to wear everyday since Halloween. He is displaying his boat with WonderPets. Fun to grab a few minutes before all the "have to's"...
We woke up and got in the car to go see our first Thanksgiving Day Parade. What an awesome event to behold. It made me want to buy a bunch of presents at Macy's - really, it is a very nice thing they do for the people of NY. We wanted to see it up by the park but were late and ended up parking at the end of the route at 34th and 9th. We were only able to see from 8th avenue so we walked a bunch to get closer - it was madness but it had to be done. We wished Silas could have seen the gi-normous Buzz Lightyear! I couldn't help myself, I booed the Ronald MacDonald balloon:) I had been talking about the Dora the Explorer balloon to Finley all week and had my first experience of promising an event and possibly disappointing her if we missed it. We delivered the goods and all was well until... We get to Pops and Bebe's place for The Dinner. We are there for maybe a 1/2 hour before Finley barfs up a bunch of blueberries and juice she had had when we arrived. We changed her clothes got her calmed down and about 20 minutes later she barfed again - this time all over me. We both changed into Bebe's clothes and Finley took a long nap while we had a GREAT meal with Ann, Lisa's sister and a couple friends, Jillian and Barbara. I love meeting strangers at Thanksgiving dinner. I never thought I would but it has happened before and I really love it. One of them was southern and made the most delicious pecan pie I ever had. This year, I also liked thinking of Constance Hopkins, my ancestor who survived that first year at Plymouth and was at the first Thanksgiving. We didn't see any football and we stayed really late in spite of it all - Finley woke up feeling better, ready for some chow and some action. Now it is a day later, my antibiotics (I have been sick since October 11!) are kicking in and for that I am truly truly thankful. I love feeling grateful - it's the best antidote!
Two things happened recently on the topic of food. First, I watched Food Inc. last week. If you haven't seen it, put it on your Neflix or go to Blockbuster or your local video store, buy it online - whatever... just Get It. Second, the other night I went to go into our community book store when the door opened and out came my new favorite author Johnathan Safran Foer. I chased him down the block and begged an autograph while each of our small children stared at me like I had lost my mind. I had. I may be brave but I really never do things like that... I was once locked in a bathroom with Michael Stipes for a 1/2 hour and didn't say a word. Anyway, he invited me to a reading for his new book Eating Animals that night and luckily the cards were stacked in my favor, Craig could stay home with the Bubba so I went. This all happened 2 blocks from the apartment! I haven't been that excited to see someone since a Tom Waits concert back in 2000. It was a great experience and I am really enjoying the book so far. He, of course did receive a copy of Family Photograph and a promise never to bug him in public again::))
I don't know what all the information means for me exactly, but I do know a change is happening and how I think about and buy food for me and my family will not be the same.
There is a website from Food Inc. you can go to get informed and involved. I just checked it out myself and happened upon a blog post from Mr. Safran Foer about another topic that is consuming my days...
Here it is Annie, your interview - with an unsolicited shout out to Aunt Sugar Cookie inside... Also, tonight she submerged a giant towel in the bathtub and called it a buffalo? I didn't even know she knew that word! AND she woke up in the middle of the night and said "I have to tell you a secret!" then today she grabbed my face in both hands and whispered "i need to tell a secret to your eyes"!!! Personality plus is poking out!!!
Hey Annie - check it... I rented Camille Claudel which was great though frustrating and sad - I thought of you often especially when they said at the beginning "she's got the madness of the mud!!"
Anyway this one came up as a suggestion so I picked it and if you haven't seen it, you must! It is actually 2 movies (Jean de Florette, Manon of the Spring) same story 10 years apart. You will need at least a couple evenings but it is totally worth it. This is an example of a film that would never get made today because of the time that they take to develop the characters and story. I don't want to give any of it away but I predict you will love it! The character for Manon in the second movie is a bit of a wrong choice in my opinion...or the direction of her was wrong, can't tell. It is also maybe my favorite Depardieu part ever as a thoughtful and optomistic hunchback farmer!
While my good friend Gracie was visiting us she got the call that her dog Winston was very sick. A few days after she got home they had to let him go. We will sure miss that little guy...
We are celebrating our first Halloween weekend in Brooklyn which was/is AWESOME!! We started Friday night with just Craig, Finley and I carving tiny pumpkins and eating corn on the cob (finley's idea) and roasting pumpkin seeds - I feel a tradition coming on! Then Saturday Finley and I woke up, she put on the clown costume and we had banana pancakes and watched some of the movie "UP". Then we woke up Papa (she says "yeah, let's go wake up Craiggy D!") we put on her costume and walked over to the Old Stone House playground where they had a Halloween Pet Parade - my favorites were the winner in the scary category, The Hulk and I also loved the blood hound with the rodeo cowboy. Then my good friend Gracie arrived from Colorado to help us celebrate. We ordered Indian Food (YUM!) and put on our costumes... She was a witch, Craig borrowed some of her green face paint and was green-faced leather guy. They were all out of the big chicken head that I wanted so I got this little chicken face and put on some strange clothes to go with it. Actually, Craig's idea for us was for me to be a chicken and we would be "Who came first, the chicken or the Craig?" Which meant he had to do Nothing!! Nice try, guy... And Finley was the most cutest and raggediest Raggedy Anne - wearing the clothes off a doll my mom made me when I was her age. SO cute though she wants to be a fairy now - we may be wearing costumes all week. There is lots of trick or treating , peoples sitting on their stoops and businesses also hand out candy - I am thinking that they must sell more candy in Park Slope than some entire towns elsewhere. Then the parade two blocks up, ooooooOOO The Parade! We went with our neighbors, Rob and Phil. Finley loved the candy and covered her eyes when she saw something scary and waited for it to pass and would then say "ooooo that was scary!" THEN this morning we walked two blocks down and watched our first NYC Marathon! So exciting and what a way to put the morning in perspective when you see a guy with NO legs on a graphite monopod hopping for what will be 26 miles! Everybody cheering, Finley having a grand ole time, everyone calling out the names the runners put on their shirts to give them the will to go on. So thrilling - and did I say two blocks away?
