Too much candy.

So, we heard this story yesterday at soccer: If you leave your candy out in a huge pile on Halloween night, the great pumpkin will come and take it all away and leave you toys instead. Sounds like a good deal, huh? We are totally trying it tonight.

I imagine the great pumpkin looks something like these amazing little sculptures from Mealy Monster Land. Sugar-crashing and a sick from eating everyone's candy. I feel a little bit like that right now.... because honestly, I will eat candy until I feel ill and then the minute I feel better - I will eat more candy. It's like I'm a dog. Happy Halloween!

Stop.

There's something so primal about holding a sleeping baby, isn't there? That warm baby breath. That little heartbeat. That feeling that you must not move an inch or jump up and clean the kitchen but just stay right here, under the sleeping baby. Even if the baby is five. He hasn't fallen asleep on his Mama in a long time, and she loved every minute of it.

Good Night, Fairies!

I would like to have my ceiling painted like this. Wouldn't you?

[Illustration by Michael Hague, from Good Night, Fairies, by Kathleen Hague)

Autumn: these are the things.

I feel I need to face this fall with slightly more gusto and attitude than usual. I will need this print. I will also need this wrap and these earrings. I must have this sassy dress. I will walk down this Path, preferably wearing these boots. When I return, I will ask for vanilla marshmallows in my cocoa, served to me in this bed, please, thank you.

Care-package to Kazakhstan.

Cost of shipping: $43.45

Expected time in transit: 6 to 8 weeks

Likelihood of arriving at all: 75%

How I feel about my sister living in Kazakhstan: it's complicated.

Hello, Autumn.

Autumn has been hanging around for a while, I know - like a stranger who comes to a party and doesn't say anything, but laughs a little bit too loudly. Until today, I've been able to ignore her, distracted by the bounty of eighty degree days and fresh tomatoes. But now it's raining and there's no denying that Autumn is here and she's staying for cake. Summer mom has been crushed under a hill of permission slips and political fliers and replaced by an evil witch who threatens to throw your toys away when you won't pick them up. Dammit.

Last dispatch from summer.

The summer garden was pretty good. The peas came up beautifully - full of flowers and fruit. And for a couple of weeks, my kids were picking and eating food out of the garden. Picking! Eating! Bliss! A glorious miracle, as any mother of picky eaters will tell you. The carrots were too crowded (lesson learned), no-one likes radishes (lesson learned) and the pumpkin never quite.... grew a pumpkin. Lesson totally Not learned, vine, flowers, I have no idea what happened.

The absolute stand-out super-star of the summer garden? Volunteer tomatoes. The Volunteers are now a five foot by five foot tomato patch that yields a colander-full every other day. Caprese salad is awesome. Homemade salsa is awesome. Roasted tomatoes with sausage is awesome. I picked tomatoes yesterday. It's October 23rd. It's awesome.

Some very helpful gardeners have mentioned that you're supposed to take the seeds out of the compost pile and to them I say: Want some tomatoes?

Winner!

Faith! Wins the apron and the opportunity to answer 100 lame questions about it! Yea! Thank you times 1000 to all who entered - you are all super duper sweet to respond! Love! Exclamation points!

Free apron!

Really! Of course there's a catch - I need a product tester. You should be a tallish sort of girl (or boy). This apron fits me, but when I tried it on a petite friend, the bib was a little too long. And you'll have to give me some honest feedback about how it feels and what you'd change. Deal? Just leave a comment here and I'll send it to you.

Today!

Today! Will be a great and productive day! So it is written, and so it shall be.

Feel Your Boobies!

We were in Sacramento this morning to mosey around the capital under threatening skies, accidentally participate in a breast cancer march (we were walking that way anyway - why fight it?), have a delicious diner breakfast and explore the railroad museum. Now we're cozy at home with rain, grilled-cheese sandwiches and the laundry. All-in-all, not such a bad way to spend your twelfth anniversary.

Vegas, Baby.

Vegas is so much about too much and too many. Too many lights, too much noise and cigarette smoke, too many people. But, if you do it right, it can also be about balmy nights and stuffed dates and Tempranillo.

It's all about contrast.

Last night, sunset dinner with family in my parents' wild Marin garden. Tonight, alone on a flight to Vegas. It's all about contrast, right?