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Another of my favorite illustrators is Tove Jansson who created the Moomin comics and wrote one of my top five favorite books "The Summer Book." I enjoy her work so much that I've toyed with the idea of naming my daughter Tove. It was a fleeting thought but Aaron detests the name with such vehemence that it's become a really tempting option.

Anyway I was pleased to find that Tove Jansson created both a cover and interior illustrations for the Swedish translation of The Hobbit. You can see the illustrations here.

Speaking of Tolkien, on Saturday I learned that Tolkien got a fair amount of material and inspiration from the Finnish epic saga The Kalevala. Not familiar with it? Turns out there's a multi-hour, made-for-Finnish-tv movie created in the 80s which will catch you up. (This info is also from the Finnish embassy) Unfortunately netflix doesn't have it in stock so I won't be renewing my subscription.

Judge Away

One of my favorite illustrators is Sam Weber who happens to be married to another favorite illustrator Jillian Tamaki. The other day I saw that Sam Weber was recently commissioned to make a new cover for Ender's Game. Isn't this a perfect Ender?

You can read more about the project here.

The Country Where I Want to Be

Isn't this a great mural? Drawn in graphite on this scale. I wish they sold prints, life size prints. Where can you find such a wonder? The Finish Embassy of course. ( I hope I look like her when I get old. Isn't that a great face?)

On Saturday we decided to visit the EU Embassies for their open houses. First stop - at my insistence, after a long march up Massachusetts Ave., was the Finish Embassy. It was a great time. I have to marvel at how the Finns can choose an official uniform of neon green stripe t-shirts and retain a calm dignified professional manner. How do they do that??

They also had the coolest table cloth I've ever seen. I love this pattern.

We snacked on some delicious pancakes, breads, cheeses, pastries, lignon berry jam and other goodies. Reuben really got into the plucky folk singer who was also wearing the team color of neon green.

The building which sets records for being one of the greenest in DC is absolutely gorgeous. The back wall is all glass. There's a small walkway that hangs above a gorge above Rock Creek Park.

Reuben tested out the glass by throwing his whole body against it a few times to make sure it would hold. The kid has a lot of faith in modern architecture.

It was a great visit. It took a lot of self control but I managed to not sing The Finland song the whole time I was visiting and for my efforts I got a reusable grocery bag that says Finland! (I don't think they would have given me one if I had slipped up) I'd love to go back so I'm trying to think of what great act I would need to perform to get invited to a Finish party at their embassy. Any ideas?

We left Finland and visited

Belgium - they handed out delicious waffles and some crazy lace making demonstrations

Czech Republic - Rocking Medieval band

Hungary- Lots of nice dogs. They had packs of friendly Viszlas, Kuvaszes, and Pulis out front along with lots of folk dancing, sausages and goulash inside

and Great Britain - marvelously efficient (Thank you for the bathrooms!!) beautiful gardens WWII re-enactors, cover band

That's Churchill with a machine gun if you can't tell.

We would have liked to visit more of the embassies but the lines were too long to get in before closing time. But that's okay, we'll be back next year.

Magical Experience

Reuben tried Lucky Charms for the first time this morning. About two bites in, he did what every self respecting kid does, set his spoon down and began intently picking the marshmallows out from the whole grain cereal. I consoled myself with the thought that although his breakfast may have been nutritionally bankrupt it was great for developing small motor skills.

Brazilian Staycation

Even though we are incapable of all looking at the camera at the same time, Robby Reuben and I had a great time together this weekend. While I wish I was writing this post from Brazil this picture is from the front of a delicious Brazilian bakery/grocery in Wheaton Maryland. Their cheese buns are amazing!

On Saturday we went into DC and enjoyed "Passport DC 2010" when Embassies from around the world open their doors to the public. Robby marched us all they way up Mass. Ave in the heat to enjoy the Brazilian embassy. It has a beautiful building which was created by the same architect who designed the National Gallery of Art's West Building.

On the way back down Mass Ave. we stopped in at the Muslim Women Center's Mosque. It was an interesting experience to cover my head with a scarf as was required but the beautiful interior was inspiring. We also enjoyed the music from the Colombian embassy and the sights from outside Indonesia Japan Korea and Australian Embassies but the lines were too long to get in before closing time - sad day.

vs

Next week the EU embassies have their open houses. I'm really hoping to go back though I'm a little conflicted because Montgomery County is having a sheep and wool festival on the same day. But the French embassy promised to have actors impersonating some of their most famous historical figures like Napoleon and Lafayette and invite the public to come chat with them. And Germany is having soccer games for kids while Sweden is promising displays on Green technology. I love DC. It's nice to have options. Which would you choose, sheep festival or European Embassies?

Here's a DC bus with an ad Robby and I enjoyed.

Fig Stuffed Taro Cake

The other night Aaron purchased a fig stuffed taro cake for me from our local chinese restaurant. At first I was skeptical. Its corpse-like greyish purple color wasn't super appetizing. Its quivering gelatinous bulk called the movie The Blob to mind . But I didn't want to make Aaron feel bad so I took a bite. It was Heaven! I declare it my ultimate comfort food. Sweet and creamy and gooey. Soo good even if it is the ugliest food ever. I'll try to take a picture as soon as we get another which I hope is tomorrow. Unfortunately Reuben decided he was also a fan so I had to share.

This isn't my picture. It's one I found off the internet and these are much prettier than what our local place serves up.

And the other day I came across THIS - how to make snickers bars at home. I feel so enabled. I told Aaron for my next birthday I don't want a cake. Instead he can make me a giant snickers bar.

Competition

Aaron and I try to play a game together each night. While backgammon is our staple we've lately been enjoying bananagrams. To play you try to build a cross word puzzle faster than your opponent. It's sort of speed scrabble.

One of the best parts, besides my current winning lead over Aaron, is seeing what words manage to percolate from our heads at the end of the day. I've been reading and enjoying Albion's Seed: Four British Folk Ways in America which has produced an abundance of early english: maw, haft, quaker, etc. Aaron likes to throw in latin legal jargon and argue it's english. But I take the higher road and have not yet resorted to using my professional training by using comic book expressions. Fwop! Shazam! Take that!