It's hot! Gorgeous! The boys are at school!

I got to sleep in the basement last night (read: soundly) and woke up to homemade birthday cards and chocolate chip pancakes. Awesome! A dear friend came over for some quality gal time -awesome- and I've been in the yard gardening and watering happily and quietly since she left. Look at these peonies gone wild! We went out to dinner last night with a great group of friends. My entree was not terribly memorable despite the inclusion of sunchokes and a ramp sauce- both those ingredients are some of my faves- but the app of smoked trout with celery-apple remoulade was lovely. You just cannot go wrong with remoulade sauce. Oh mon dieu. It is perfection! Anyway, as we went out last night, I'm going to cook tonight even though it's my birthday: ramp-asparagus-pea risotto is on the menu, and I'm very much looking forward to it. I'm feeling like I simply must make a French Silk pie as well...

FM, gardening like mad

Y'all, it could not be more gorgeous today: hot but not too hot, sunny, a slight breeze. Bliss! I had a lovely time at the farmers market (FM) by myself as the boys didn't want to come today. Who was I to stand in their way!? Heh. Anyway, ramps had arrived so I picked up two bunches, some asparagus, radishes, 4 tomato plants, a mizuna plant as well as a shiso one. And now, after several hours of good work outside, everything is planted, potted, weeded, watered and my new super-high hoops are in with the protective netting laid atop them. Fantastic! And, somewhat to my surprise, as yesterday they appeared to be tight buds, three peonies burst open today like one of those prank cans that look like they hold candy but actually a snake jumps out at you when you unscrew the lid. The blossoms are so flamboyant, elegant yet sassy.

The Good, the Bad, and the hope for justice in the Ugly

The Good: FDA to require prescriptions for antibiotic use in livestock. The Bad: Filth and inhumanity plague chicken farm, source of 4.5 million eggs headed to your supermarkets per DAY.

The hope for justice in the Ugly: Thank goodness George Zimmerman has been charged. Trayvon's killing is such a tragedy for the Fulton-Martin family, and yet another sad reminder of the results of our unwillingness to make gun ownership harder to achieve as well as Florida's insane Stand Your Ground law and lenient gun permit and concealed weapon rules. In Florida, "about 1 of every 17 adults has" a concealed-weapons permit (LA Times); to obtain this permit, applicants are neither required to explain why they want to carry a weapon nor whether they're able to use and aim it properly. Wow! And I don't mean that in a good way.