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