Midweek pretties

I'm teaching my last summer class tomorrow morning, and mercifully, neither Olympic swimming nor women's gymnastics appear to be airing tonight (don't tell me if they are), so I'm hitting the sack, but...

a few pretty things as Wednesday comes to a close.

It never gets old- the plum tart. 

the lightly fried pattypan squash, round 2

to say Oliver felt inspired by my plea to "make your bed" is an understatement!

Y'all, my kumquats are growing. I'm beside myself. I've been waiting forever. Kumquat vibes, please!

Mahgah

I just gave Percy a dental bone. He feels these every-few-days treats are the ultimate win, and so plays a sweet game of hiding them from himself until his anticipation is so great that he "finds" and happily devours it.

Right now, he's in the hide phase; I know because I get to sleep in the basement tonight and can hear Percy's long-claw paws prancing excitedly on the floor above. I hear the bone drop on occasion. It's then picked up and ferried to the next hiding spot. Soon he'll claim his prize. 

Bless his simple heart. 

This morning, I donned a dress, saw writer-group friends, laughed happily and welcomed the boys home. 

Lisa, me, Kristi

I made another plum tart because I surely didn't want to compost abandoned Italian plums but also I finished the last one yesterday and need to get my fill before plum season 2015 ends.  

Something is/might be seriously wrong with me.

I am, admittedly, in the thick of my annual p.t. obsession, but this year realize that it coincides neatly with the boys still being home on summer break.  

Interesting. If by interesting I mean, duh; I'm stress-cooking to beat sixty.  

Many a friend contacted me today, secretly and front-door-gone openly, about having also cried yesterday and/or feeling equally desperate for their offspring to go the eff back to the village known as school. 

Three more days, friends. Three.more.days. Would anyone care if I spent the next few like this? 

In the meantime, I'm going to attempt to excise the following tunes from the jingle-lovin' bit of my brain:

•A Pug and a Patty (an original by Oliver; about Percy stealing a chicken patty); 

•The (stupid fucking) Gummy Bear song;

•"Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now" by Jefferson Starship which A) never gets old but B) is tough to excise and sometimes you want just that and C) played a fantastic supporting role in The Skeleton Twins which A) made me love Bill Hader even more (um, Stefon!) and B) was poignant in the ways those sorts of films usually try but fail to be. 

Upchucking rainbows, bye bye kids, delicious meal

I was so high all day yesterday following the Supreme Court's decision that ALL can marry. My heart and mind were suffused with pride, thrill, a deep sense of justice served, and rivers of teary love. This ruling is truly momentous, and I felt like my parents must have when the Berlin Wall came down, that they'd just witnessed a sea change that would change the course of the future.

My social media feeds looked like I'd vomited rainbows all over them. One friend said that it was awfully hard to keep up with me, but I just couldn't stop sharing and cheering and spreading the love. I mean, just look at this image. The message this sends to our country and the world cannot be underestimated.

I spent a little time reading negative reactions to the marriage equality decision, but they were so ugly and pathetic and on the wrong side of history that I happily closed shop on them. They are neither here nor there anymore, and rightfully so. As I've always said about abortion too, if you don't like it, don't do it, but don't take away the rights of others to choose for themselves.

It was also thrilling for me to share the news with the boys as I picked each up at camp. We have always been open about their absolute right to love anyone they choose and about our support for same sex marriage. But to tell them that our country had finally chosen fairness and equality over bigotry was really something special.

Isn't this a spectacular photograph? Storm's coming. -courtesy of capital weather gang

As night crept in, so too did a storm that has rained down upon us since. The kids were up early today, and Tom and I were terribly sick of them by about 9 am. I mean, they set new records of obnoxious, gross, insufferable behavior, and to be stuck inside with them? My god.

Jack was wearing a man's tee-shirt that said Autobahn on the front; he resembled some kind of street urchin. He was finally willing to put on pants when I insisted they come to the market with me, a trip I knew would be a sure hell, but I was desperate to get them outside. By this point, Oliver was wearing a size 2-4 astronaut costume which comes up to his knees, and they were both dirty since they'd been lolling about on the floor for hours, screeching about farts and butts and all manner of hole. 

People these are the types of days during which I find it hard to appreciate them. #truth

On days like these, I love Nutmeg even more than usual. He is so quiet and independent and tidy.

The nut cleans his toes.

The incredible luck is that both boys are now gone: Oliver at a sleepover with a friend, and Jack at Tom's parents' as he's going on a lengthy hike tomorrow with Topta (which is what he's always called Tom's Dad as early on he couldn't say Grandpa. I love "Topta.")

Tom and I are celebrating by staying in and eating well and watching Real Time from last night. I made the chicken korma recipe from the May 3 New York Times Magazine, a watermelon and arugula salad with goat cheese, and a plum tart. Duh. 'Tis the season. 

chicken korma

Tom is now test-flying (and crashing) the drone he bought Jack for his birthday. We have not yet given Jack this drone, and I keep hearing, "Uh-oh," "Hmm...," "That's not good." Put the toy away, Dad! #menareboys