Yikes, it's been a while.

Hello. . . ?

*dusts off blog*

Guess I haven't had much to say that's been worth saying lately. It's been a hard summer in terms of bad things happening, so, as I usually do when things are rough, I retreated under a rock for a while. I may be having some sort of mid-life crisis. Well, crisis is probably a strong word but I'm having a pretty big shift in the way I think, toward simplicity and simplifying pretty much everything. It started out of necessity. But lately I find that I'm enjoying simpler things, simpler choices, simpler needs and wants.

I'm a long way from moving to a cave and weaving clothes out of my own hair, but let's just say for starters that I've given up the do-it-all-all-the-time smartphone and am now using a pay-as-you-go $11.99 phone from Target (and barely using it at all. I really just want it for emergencies. I don't even remember the phone number.)

One big source of joy and simplicity for me this summer has been the CSA. Happiness from vegetables? Okay, so I'm not dancing and singing over the gazillion cucumbers that I've gotten (and had to start passing along to my parents lest I get overcome by cucumbers). But really - each week - the CSA box is still holding its charm and mystery and fun (in addition to the gazillion cucumbers.) Plus, I don't have to think about it at all. I pick up a nice box of 8-10 different fresh, interesting things each week and the only thing I have to think about is how to prepare them and where to put them. Love it.

This week the box included a variety of amazing heirloom tomatoes. They are absolutely delicious. They're also very weird looking which makes them extra-charming. Jeff grabbed a particularly odd-looking tomato and ran off with it. I found him sitting in the rocking chair in the living room gently holding the tomato, smelling it and grinning.

Lauren and Jeff enjoy CSA Wednesdays as much as I do. They help me unpack the bag and squeal with delight at each item, even if they don't know what it is. Last week's share included a gigantic cantaloupe, which L & J polished off in one day. When they saw that this week's share included another cantaloupe, the two of them actually cheered and ran around the kitchen in happy circles. It was hilarious. The two of them love to help me in the kitchen. One sight that I have not yet captured but want to be sure to before the summer is over, is the two of them standing by the garbage can, carefully shucking corn. They're very good at it. Jeff, in particular, is very precise about peeling back the husk piece-by-piece and tossing each piece in the garbage.

I've been paying more attention to food, in general. I think the CSA has been inspirational in that regard, and in combination with my new simplification mindset, I've been slowly cutting back on processed foods and have been noticing more and more where food comes from. I bought local organic brown eggs for the first time, ever (and next summer I am going to sign up for the CSA egg share.) I want to make my own cheese and my own bread. I know that it's a long way from being a total localvore, but I'm taking small steps and find that I'm enjoying food more, and my whole family is eating healthier. It's also easy to eat local in the summer, with produce bursting out all over the place. We'll see how I'm doing in January when there's no Farmer's Market and no CSA. It's all baby steps.

Lauren starts pre-school the day after Labor Day. I can't believe it. She's such a little girl now. I love her personality. Not to say that she doesn't have her moments, but she's really a funny, smart, sweet kid. She likes to come to the grocery store with me, and as we stroll through the aisles, she waves and says hi to everyone we pass. Cracks me up. She also makes up songs - yesterday I heard her sing the following, to the tune of "Shoo fly, don't bother me:"
"Spider, don't bother me.
Spider, don't bother me.
Spider, don't bother me,
Otherwise I'll pour sand on your head."

Jeff's personality has blossomed, too. He is a clown. He does things purely for laughs, and he knows when he's being funny. The other day he took something that Lauren wanted, and she screeched at him. He raised his eyebrows at her, then walked up to her, grabbed her face in his hands, and planted a big kiss on her. She was stunned, and he walked away giggling. Goofy. He's mastered the word "No" and uses it in response to, "let's wash your hands" and "put down that dirt clod." He remains a grubby little boy, and it makes me laugh more often than not. When he finishes his milk, he puts down his cup and waves to it, saying "milk gone, bye." He is still my cuddly little bug and loves to sit with me and snuggle.

So that's what's what. How are you?