The Chopping Block

I have a hair cut at 5:15 today. I've needed to get my hair cut for way too long. It's to my shoulders now and sort of shaggy in a bad way. Even though I have the appointment, I have no idea how I want it cut. I don't even know if I want to keep it long or go short. The only picture I could find that I liked was of a REALLY short hair cut. What I want is a hair cut that will fall in to place. I need something that works with the bike helmet. I've been thinking that keeping it long and being able to braid it up is best, but if I cut it short enough it would work too. Any advice? Short? Long? Shaved?

Old Man Pawpaw

The Yellow Billed Cuckoo in a Pawpaw tree by John James Audubon

I believe in America--because America is home to the paw paw. For those of you who are not familiar with the pawpaw, the pawpaw is possibly the most delicious fruit in the world, capable of taking on the tastiest tropical competitors. Pawpaws are the largest native fruit of North America. They are sometimes called prairie or Ozark bananas. They are round, green on the outside and can be up to 6" long and 3" wide. Inside are two rows of seeds and the delicious creamy yellow fruit. It tastes kind of like a custardy mango with a bit of banana and pear thrown in. It's smooth and sweet and creamy.



Sadly, you are not likely to encounter a pawpaw, even in the produce section of your most gourmet grocery store. This is because the pawpaw has a short shelf life and isn't a very good pollinator, so it is hard to grow the fruit commercially. The blossoms of the pawpaw tree are not sweetly fragrant. Their main pollinator is the carrion flies, so it has trouble attracting bees or other insects who prefer sweeter fair. Fortunately, the intrepid Kentucky State University is working on the problem.

The only way to really get pawpaws is to go for a walk in the woods. Pawpaws grow naturally in the East from the Great Lakes to Texas. Pawpaw trees are 6' to 30' tall. The fruit ripens at the end of the summer. Our friends, Norma and Brian are expert pawpaw foragers. They seek them out on public, and sometimes private land. They usually ask permission. They graciously shared some of their bounty tonight and the pawpaws were perfectly ripe and absolutely delicious.

After such a delicious treat, Aaron and I were having pawpaw cultivating dreams of our own. We looked up pawpaws on the internet and were thrilled to discover the Ohio Pawpaw Festival (logo below--old man pawpaw). Fortuitously, it is this weekend! We're thinking of planning a trip...except that Aaron has class on Saturday. So maybe I'll just go myself. Any one interested in a pawpaw adventure? There will be pawpaw baked goods, pawpaw eating competitions, and other events. It sounds like a really good time. Probably worth the trip just for the t-shirt.

So thanks Norma and Brian, for introducing us to the delicious, all-American pawpaw.

YUM!

I found this blog lately and have fallen in love. The girl's got style! Design style, which is the best kind to have. If you have a minute, check it out here.



On the blog's recommendation I found this cool little jewelry shop, Blue Poppy. I want to pierce my ears just so I can wear their earrings. It's run by some very cool stay at home moms. So impressive!

Foot Fix Take 2

So with the walking and biking and running I've become fairly selective about shoes. I want a shoe that looks decent and can take the mileage. That combination is more difficult to find that I originially suspected. I really needed a new pair, my old ones were wearing out fast. I've been hunting around for a couple of weeks but Aaron came to my rescue and got me Teva's Makaylas. I must say he has excellent taste. Not only do I love the way these look, they feel AMAZING. They're super light weight and as comfortable as moccasins. I almost feel like I'm not wearing anything at all. But they are also super sturdy and can take the beating of me biking to work. Even cooler, they're made of recycled materials! Thanks Aaron!

Foot Fix

Since we're now only a year away from law school's finish, Aaron and I have begun to ponder what life without either one of us in school might be like. Aaron is working on interviewing at firms in a variety of locations. We've begun asking ourselves just where we would like to end up. My answer: somewhere I can walk, run, and ride my bike with ease. Bonus points for the availability of hiking trails and the beach.

That may seem like a small thing but I've fallen deeply in love with car-independence. Being able to walk around is for me a great litmus test for the area's quality of life. We currently live only blocks away from the supermarket, the law school, one of my favorite clothing stores and a bookstore. I can bike to work, the art store, and the library. Most of our friends live in easy walking or biking distance. The only time I'm now regularly getting into my car is to drive to church, and that's only because I have not yet mastered biking in a skirt.

I hate that I might loose this new found freedom in a year. I didn't know how I would even begin to search for a similar location But to my great JOY I found www.walkscore.com. Type in an address and it will tell you just how "walkable" the neighborhood you live in is. My current address and my home town address scored 62 and 63 out of 100.

Here are some of the perks of living in a pedestrian friendly neighborhood, as listed on the site:

Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood1. Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15 - 45.

Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming. Your feet are zero pollution transportation machines. (And you burn your own fuel, calories, i.e. that extra cupcake you probably should have passed on)

More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car!

Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for each 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10 percent

Stronger local businesses: Dense, walkable neighborhoods provide local businesses with the foot traffic they need to thrive. It's easier for pedestrians to shop at many stores on one trip, since they don't need to drive between destinations.

And some more reasons from me:

Getting a chance to enjoy the outdoors each day and watch the seasons change

Saving time by merging commute and workout time into one event

Building character when you alone are the only kid whose mother will not pick them up because she knows you are well within walking distance

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

I finished reading The Glass Castle tonight. I hesitate to say that I enjoyed reading it, there were too many agonizing moments. At times, I wanted to scream into the book. I got so MAD I threw it across the room. I then pulled myself off the couch, retrieved it and started reading again. But it has my highest recommendations. It reminded me of the people I've known that have been down and out. They're not stupid or ignorant, but their lives, for a variety of reasons, are in shambles. And after working at a shelter for abused women and their children, I learned there are a lot of really "normal" people that fall on hard times.
But you don't have to take my word for it. Duh duh Duh. (That's the Reading Rainbow Song)

Whatever you think about poverty, this is a great book to have around for parenting. I plan on keeping it on my shelf. That way when I have children that tell me that I am a terrible parent I can say "Go Read The Glass Castle Right Now, Young Lady!" (Aaron and I are pretty sure we are only having girls)

Tell me not, Sweet, I am unkind

"Lovers Running" by Brian Kershisnik

Law School has started up again for Aaron. We are scrambling to order our lives around his class and study schedule. There's an expectation that every year of law school gets a little less intense, a little more sane. So I expected that this third and final year I could look forward to seeing Aaron around a bit more. A friend of ours, another third year, managed to schedule all his classes to fit on just three days a week, so I was starting to feel hopeful.

That was a mistake. After some final class hunting, Aaron came back with a schedule with class Monday through SATURDAY. Saturday? Saturday isn't supposed to be a school day! And he has class Monday and Friday night. Friday night, which was our date night. If I didn't know better, I might think he was trying to avoid me. He promisies he isn't and keeps quoting this poem to me, changing out the words war and sword with things like law school and study. It makes me laugh even though I'm still annoyed. So here's the poem of the week:

To Lucasta, on Going to the Wars

TELL me not, Sweet, I am unkind,
That from the nunnery
Of thy chaste breast and quiet mind
To war and arms I fly.

True, a new mistress now I chase,
The first foe in the field;
And with a stronger faith embrace
A sword, a horse, a shield.

Yet this inconstancy is such
As thou too shalt adore;
I could not love thee, Dear, so much,
Loved I not Honour more.

-Richard Lovelace