YES ...

Yes, I am the kind of Mother who would do these things to her child .... you know, things like dress him up silly for my own amusement :)

He seems to enjoy it as well. Which is your favorite???

Love,

Jodi

Inheritance II.

You gotta love my Father-in-Law. I know I do and I have never met the man. Sadly, he died when Halis was 11 years old. However, he was one of the doctors in the delivery room on the day I was born. So, perhaps we did meet and the rest was destiny.

Anyway, I think he and I would have enjoyed one another on so many levels. Especially our appreciation for the female form. Cemal (that is his name) was wildly in love with his wife and yet still had an appreciation for the beauty of all women that did not create jealousy. (This reminds me so much of my own Pepere with whom I loved to watch the Solid Gold Dancers so that we could comment on all the sexy ladies). As some of my readers may remember, Halis and I inherited a beautiful picture of a most gorgeous scantily clad woman that now resides in our stairwell. This was Cemal's and we inherited it after Halis's mother's passing. Now I present to you another of our inherited treasures ...

... the naked-lady-on-a-bear-skin-rug-by-the-fire puzzle! It is called the "Executive Puzzle". (Apparently all executives of the 60's were heterosexual men or lesbians.) And I love it! You should have seen the effort that everyone put into trying to complete THIS puzzle. The great mystery was just how naked she was as the box only gave you a glimpse of what lay ahead. So, my parents, my friends, the kids, myself and Halis all coordinated efforts to complete the picture. It was so much fun. And it turned out that she was (as you can see) very tastefully photographed.

Here is some of the chaos that surrounded the efforts to complete the puzzle...

And I absolutely love that the kids were involved (both mine and my best friend's) for so many reasons. I love that we are raising them to appreciate their bodies and the bodies of others. I love that we are not making sexuality a "dirty" or shameful thing, but rather a beautiful thing that is to be appreciated. I love that they see that we, as their Mommies and Daddies, are happily married couples that are wildly in-love, monogamous, and sensual beings. And that they too can benefit from finding a lifelong partner that they are crazy about while still appreciating the beauty of other human beings all around them.

Ahhh... and that is both my Dr. Ruth and my parenting lesson for the day :)

Love,
Jodi

Dear Babysitter,

When you can't find Isaac, be sure to check under the porch. He often thinks he is a dog. Please don't tell him otherwise.

Thank you,

Isaac's Mommy

Orono Farmer's Market

Our favorite Farmer's Market is about an hours drive from our home, BUT, where else can I get such incredible food and friendship? Ummm... well ... there! So, off we go just about every Tuesday or Saturday to purchase our veggies, meats, and the occasional flower or two. And we always find old friends (I used to live in that area) as well as make new ones (Isaac is really good at that).

My favorite part of the market is the fact that I can get the absolute best meats there .... farm raised, grass-fed, organic beef and pork. Nothing better. I have just begun eating meat after nearly 15 years as a vegetarian, and I am veracious (I eat meat almost nightly now)! I am very thankful for my vegetarian years, and no less thankful for this new era of meat-eating years. Boy, steak is yummy...

And there is something so special about meeting the people who farm and harvest your foods for you. You can rest assurred that they are passing on to you the highest quality beef , carrots, and basil because they produce it for their own families. And they put their face to it. This is a way of life for them that no other food business can match.

As for Isaac, well, he loves that he can pick out the foods for himself and that he can flirt with his favorite baby while Mommy continues her shopping and or gabbing.

Do you have a local (or not so local) farmer's market? Tell me about it.

Love,
Jodi

Learning From Daddy ...

My Baby is growing up, and learning what it means to be a homesteader. Gotta love it ...

Oops, I forgot to include the celebratory ending to their chore ... here it is...

Love,
Jodi