Happy 40th, Sesame Street

Forty years ago Sesame Street aired...

...10-and-some-change years later Marmousch and I started watching it. And together we learned the finer nuances of the English language. At least that's how the story goes: Paps came home one day with a television, said the baby needs to learn English, and 30 years later I still loves me my Big Bird, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and the whole bunch.

favorite Sesame Street song: "We All Sing With the Same Voice"

favorite Sesame Street book: The Monster at the End of This Book. Actually husband's favorite book. I'll claim it too since I love that man.

favorite Sesame Street movie:  I can remember crying at the movies while watching Follow that Bird. Poor Big Bird!

Here's to another 40, Sesame Street.

raw darwinism

The cheetah munching on his still-warm kill; the zebra, dead but with his eyes wide open in horror forever frozen that way, vultures fighting over his insides. And the worst, seeing a wildebeest get taken down by a crocodile in its attempt to cross a river. A few months before we left for Kenya dear Susan had lent us one of the Planet Earth dvd's; Steve and I could only watch 15 minutes every night because we couldn't bear to watch more than one animal's death in any one sitting. That probably sounds moronic to some people, and yeah, ever since Mr. Wood's 7th grade science class I'm well aware that survival of the fittest is a natural and necessary part of life and evolution. But to come face to face with it out on the Mara, unable to pause with the remote, was painful at times. I'm posting just a couple pictures because that was such a huge part of the whole experience there, and feel like something would be remiss if I just ignored it. Warning--graphic.

we visited a Masai village while in Kenya.

It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. Funny how perspective hits you squarely in the head exactly when you need it. 

Before we left, the Masai women laid their handicrafts on the ground for us to "shop." It's my one big regret of the trip that I didn't buy something from each woman's blanket, in support of them.

let there be wireless

what the heck did we do before internet?! hip hip for routers and modems and DIYer husbands who take matters into their own hands.

and triple hips for the olive oil cake* I made which tastes like a melty cloud. In less than 24 hours I've had 5 slices, candied tangerines and all. Guess who's running the bridge tomorrow night instead of a movie date?





*from Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goins

& that's my handsome husband (who makes tweed caps look damn good) and beautiful lamb.

now this is love.

on halloween. i can't make this stuff up.

Halloween at our house

Saturday morning I had us up by 7:30, then after a divide-and-conquer trip for groceries we set to work carving our pumpkins. We set up shop at the picnic table in the backyard, having a ball. And enjoying the parrots.

Steve took quite a shine to carving. Is he not the sweetest? I was his sous carver + taskmaster, fueled by iced coffee and inspired by magazine clippings. Ms. Martha did not disappoint.

Our motley crue:

Then narrowly dodging 1st degree burns when the apple you're swirling in the bubbling hot caramel sauce comes off it's effing stick and onto your hand.

I had said that all I wanted to do for Halloween this year was make a pot of soup, some cider, and sit on our front porch with family and friends--whoever wanted to join, really--while the trick-or-treaters came by.  And every time I'd tell people what our costumes were, their next question would always be, where are you going? Nowhere, just staying home! Deep down we're just two big kids and really dig Halloween.

Well, the soup ended up being chili, there were a piddly total of 10 trick-or-treaters to speak of, but we ended up making our own fun, didn't we? And we knew it was Halloween 'cause we had to bob for donuts hanging from the ceiling. It's tradition, especially when together you're a Krispy Kreme vendor ...and his donut.

The best part? Not having to call Marmousch to see how they were spending Halloween.

Because they were with us. Even Paps dressed up.

I loved loved loved Halloween 2009.

a li'l happy dance

with all the excitement of last week, one of the coolest bits was winning a giveaway! this one (oh joy! is one of my favorite daily reads. lots + lots of stuff i end up drooling over.)
what a raffle to win! i'm going to be alice in wonderland with all the gorgeous paper things to use and send out to my beautifuls.