Cocktails, anyone?

Julian's upgraded to cocktails -- non-alcoholic, of course -- these days. He puts anything, from chocolates and nuts to dirt, twigs and mulch, in two cups (one inverted) and shakes them. He then pours the contents into a cup and pretends to drink his "cocktail."

Not sure where in the world could he have gotten this from. :)

Neighbor Ruby

We're so thrilled that Aaron, Sarah and Ruby have moved to a home just a few houses from ours! No more driving to see Ruby. Nope, we can walk right over there and see her just about anytime. She's been hanging out here more, too. Today, like yesterday, they played and played in the little backyard pool we set up. They are so sweet to each other. We're so lucky to have her and her family so close!

Family bonding (on a boat, with some bats)

My mom, sister and grandmother all drove to Austin last week to spend a few days with us. It had been a long five or six months since we'd seen them, a very long time in toddler years.



By the time we were taking this boat ride on Lady Bird Lake on Friday night, I knew their trip was going to be one of the most special times we could have together. Last time they were all down together was for the wedding, and things were just too crazy to really be present and enjoy their company.



But this time was different. They stayed with us (Ian is the most patient husband in the world. Happy Father's Day, amor.), and we spent most of our time shopping for and consuming food, be it at the farmers' market or po'boys we ate on this boat we rented to get an up-close view of the bats flying out from under the Congress Avenue bridge. (Click here to see the rest of the pictures on Flickr. Remember, you have to add me as a contact -- and be logged in -- to see family photos there.)



When we weren't seeking or eating food (and even moreso when we were), we were just enjoying eat other. Reading the newspaper, checking out the garden, playing silly games with Julian.





I'm so glad they made the trek, and it makes me wish we didn't live so far apart (or that teletransportation were invented so it didn't take an exhausting 12 hours to drive). I can't wait to see them again.


Maybe we'll have to rent another boat, this time with my dad. (Happy Father's Day, Dad! We missed you this weekend, but you probably would have gone crazy with all us girls.)

"Are you making bacon and eggs?"

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A glance at what's been going on in our lives, 140 characters (plus a one-line intro) at a time:


Last weekend, Ian and I went to Houston for a taco tour the brought together foodies from Austin and Houston:

Proof of the awesomeness of the Austin Meets Houston Taco Tour now up on Relish Austin: http://tr.im/n9NQ 8:13 AM Jun 2nd

Celebrating two anniversaries:

Celebrating Relish Austin's first birthday with fettuccine alfredo and Canadian nachos: http://tr.im/mzkN 11:23 AM May 27th

Making Canadian nachos with @horriblebeauty to celebrate our 1st anniversary. :)9:54 PM May 25th

Relaxing on the river in New Braunfels with friends:

Spent day on Comal River in New Braunfels. Last time J was on there, he was 5 mos in utereo. He was a bonafide river rat today, minus beer. 5:13 PM May 24th

Reminiscing about one of my very first food story:

All this graduation business has reminded me of my very first food story for @themaneater at Mizzou: http://tr.im/m9sR 6:08 PM May 22nd

Hosting a hot dog taste test party with food blogger friends for a Statesman story:

The results of our hot dog taste test are in! You won't believe who won. Hebrew National fans, brace yourself: http://tr.im/lQ3z 8:40 AM May 20th

Our food blogging community has been having potlucks to share food and stories:

Relish Austin: Food blogger potluck, the sequel: http://tr.im/lGtk 1:37 PM May 18th

Speaking of the food bloggers, Edible Austin magazine published an article that featured me and these foodies:

New @edibleaustin hits stands on Mon. w/ @souppeddler article on Austin's rockin' food blogging community: http://bit.ly/m3rZS

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Some tweets about Julian, which I'm posting here so that one day I will hypothetically record them into a book or some other way to remember them and pass them down:

The downside of having gas stoves? Jules hears the ignition go *tick tick tick* and shouts from his room, "Are you making bacon and eggs?" 9:10 PM on Jun 3rd

Dinner of Loncito's Lamb meatballs and gnocchi rocked. Moz salad w/ garden basil, onion, tomato. I told you @horriblebeauty was a good cook. 7:16 PM Jun 2nd



Just more than a week after upgrading laptops, the kid has already destroyed my Gray Lady. Who needs keys anyway: http://tr.im/n9ER 7:57 AM Jun 2nd

Julian won't go to bed anymore w/out reading his favorite cookbook, "Baked," before bed. It must be the marshmallows. Or the chocolate cake. 9:18 PM Jun 1st

Like mother like son

Cameras have always fascinated Julian. He loves this little plastic one, which he used to replicate a shoot I did on my back porch last week for a story about how families can eat better on the road.

This is the photograph I made:


(As you can see he helped me by picking all the chocolates out of the trail mix.)




This is him recreating it:




I wish I could see what his images look like.

The sound of the sun

The audio isn't great, but give a listen to this Neko Case song, "I'm an Animal," off her newest album "Middle Cyclone." She's such a powerful singer and lyricist (words below). This album I particularly like, in fact, it's probably the best album I'm paid for since at least Modest Mouse's "We Were Dead Until the Ship Even Sank." Every song seeps into my ears and carries me to her Earthy paradise.



you could say it’s my instinct
yes, I still have one
there’s no time to second guess it
yes there are things that I’m still so afraid of
but my courage is roaring like the sound of the sun
cause it’s vain about its mane and will reveal them to no one
and I’m an animal, you’re an animal too
pick up that rock, drink from that lake
I do my best but I’m made of mistakes
yes, there are still things I’m still quite sure of
I love you this hour, this hour today
and heaven will smell like the airport
but I may never get there to prove it
so let’s not waste our time thinking how that ain’t fair
I’m an animal, you’re an animal too
you’re an animal too

One year down, many more to come

One year ago today, Ian and I faced each other at my uncle's house and, through the tears, try to explain our love both to each other and to our family and friends who'd gathered in a circle around us.

Julian, only 16 months old, was in my arms, and Ian, so handsome in his mustard pants and neatly trimmed hair, held my hand as we opened our mouths and let the words flow. Neither of us wrote vows, so we spoke from the heart.

365 days of marriage later, I'd bet a million dollars that the words would be different if we were doing it all over again.

Love -- and loving Ian -- is such an ever-changing, but ever-present constant. Every day it's different and rarely does it become easier to describe. (Sing it with me now: "Some say love, it is a river....")

It hasn't been easy, but today does feel worthy of a celebration. Being in a happy marriage is not a given, and all that we've experienced and all that we've grown is something to be proud of.


(And for all the wonderful new people who have come into my life in the past year, here's a link to more wedding goodness, including pictures of the pig we roasted, a story I'm never got around to writing for the paper. Hopefully that will change later this summer.)

Photos by Brian Diggs.

Another birthday without Troy

Happy birthday, Troy. I think of you every day, but especially today.

Today you would have turned 26. And we thought 20 was tough.

Well, it was, in its own way. Thankfully, there was music to help us through. I bring up music because Jane's Addiction and Perry Farrell, torn calf muscle and all, are playing in Austin tonight.

I'm not going. Here's something I didn't anticipate 26 would bring: Concerts just aren't the same. Remember when you called me when I was living in San Diego to see if I'd drive some weekday night to Kansas City to see 311? No one else would go. We went and loved it. I rarely even drive downtown for shows much less 2 hours for a band I only liked because you did, and this time it's actually legal for me to buy a beer.

But just because going to concerts isn't the same doesn't mean the music itself is any less powerful. That one line in "Jane Says" isn't any clearer, and the sting hasn't faded from Incubus' "I Miss You". Beth Orton's voice has only gotten sexier. "James" is as bittersweet now as it was then, just in an entirely different way.

Who knows where you would be or how you'd be celebrating this birthday. I'd probably have forgotten to send a card, but I know I'd have called you first thing. E-mail just wouldn't suffice. (I shudder to think what you would have thought of Twitter.)

It's hard to grow older and go through all these exciting things like tweezing Nerds out of Julian's nose and finally getting paid to be a storyteller and know that you only had 23 years.

But what a 23 years they were. I miss you.

(Update 5/12: I was wrong. Jane's Addiction is playing tonight instead of last night. Who else is playing a gig tonight in Austin? 311)

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(For those of you who didn't have the honor to know him, Troy Schnelle, fellow Southwest Missourian and University of Missouri graduate, was killed after being hit by a car on June 23, 2006.)

My favorite kids' song ever

Children's programming has really changed, even in the 27 months that Julian has been around. We don't get Yo Gabba Gabba because we don't have cable, but we watch the zany show online. There's this wacky guy in an orange suit and these cute, totally silly characters that run around acting out skits and singing songs. The show is as famous for its special guests; Jack Black was just a co-host recently, for example. Elijah Wood does a dance. Hipster bands come and play tunes, and none of them is as catchy and magical as The Roots' song "Lovely, Love my Family." Here are the lyrics, but you really should watch the video yourself. It will make your day, I promise.

All we need, all we need. All we need.
Spread the love around, yeah

Sometimes when I am sitting by myself
Those quiet moments when not with no one else
I’m mesmerized by all the many good things in my life
I think about the time when I was younger
And the older that I get the more that I feel wiser
With the love of friends and family
Get stronger and it carries me on through

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

Sometimes when I am waiting for the bus
The sun shines bright and I feel peace like nowhere else
I know I'm in good health and life keeps going, I keep moving, I’m alright
I go to school and educate my mind, and the way the world is spinning
makes me want to turn around and start all over, hit the reset and go back in time.

Oh baby love me
Oh spread the love around, yeah

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
Lyrics: Lovely, Love my Family, The Roots [end]

Beer coaster-flipper extraordinaire

I have a few hidden talents, and with this YouTube debut, my beer coaster-flipping abilities won't be hidden any longer.

This was at the Port Aransas Brewing Company last month. I successfully flipped a stack of 26 coasters, my personal best.