A couple kinds of First Steps

So, Jaya took his first steps on Friday!  We were in the doctor's office for his immunizations and he just let go of my leg and took two and a half steps forward. He was probably trying to make a break for it, but still, it was very exciting.  He did it a couple more times through the day.  And hasn't done it since.  Oh well.  I'm still thrilled.  I figure he was probably distracted by the fun of folk fest and all that dancing (which he does brilliantly and at every opportunity), so we'll see what the week holds now that things have settled a bit.

The second first step was mine and Kasari's.  I haven't talked about it here before but my sister's kidneys are failing her and she is going to need a transplant sometime soon.  We don't know if it's a matter of months or a year or more, but we do know she'll need one.  Actually, we know she'll need more than one, since a transplanted kidney only lasts 8 to 15 years (ish...it's hard to nail anyone down on this one), but that's for the future.  For now, we're on the hunt for a healthy kidney.  So I went for my first compatibility test a couple of weeks ago and found out yesterday that we're a blood match.  Which is wonderful news. 

There are still a million steps, or so it seems, to take before we know if this will work, how it would work, and what our other options are, but this first one was kind of a deal breaker and I am so glad it means our doors are still open.

So, first steps all 'round.  And you can be sure that updates will follow on all fronts...

The View From Here

Another new theme. Just a photograph and maybe a word or two about the view from here. Whereever here is today.



And where better to start than on the front porch couch, under the cherry tree, in the sunshine...

Flavour Bible Sundays

No, we haven't found god over the weekend.  Although, if god was to be found, I'm quite certain it would be folded into beautiful fresh food and hiding behind excellent company. 

We have a book called the Flavor Bible that we pull out every once and awhile, although strangely always on a Sunday, open up to a random page, and choose a food to build our menu on.  The beauty of this book is that is provides an extensive list of ingredients, each followed by a long list of flavours that go well with said ingredient.  There are no recipes, although a few sample menus and photographs sometimes help stimulate the imagination, but the flavour combinations are all the inspiration we need. 

Yesterday's food was figs.  Completely random and completely perfect, since the fresh fig is just coming into season and had just arrived at our local grocery store that day!  So, we invited my sister and Kelsey's brother and this is what we ate:

• Fig Supreme Cocktails to start
• Fig Salad with goat cheese, raspberries, walnuts, proscuttio (for the meat eaters), and arugula (although I actually forgot the arugula - but I think it would be good!)
• Pear and Ricotta Pizza with caramelized onions
• and Roasted Figs (in butter, brown sugar and a dash of wine) with Creme Fresh (mixed with maple syrup and Grand Marnier) for dessert

Yum!

We call these Flavour Bible Sundays, but I think we need a slightly catchier name, so I'm working on that.  I think this requires a new label, don't you?

Bringing some order to bear....

I've been labeling things lately. It's very satisfying and helps me feel like I know what's what. Or at least, if I don't know what it is, at least what to call it.

And as I've been thinking about this blog, which I've also been doing lately, I realize I keep coming up with good "labels". Things like, "loving where I live" or "people are weird". Of course, you may have noticed that I'm not actually writing the blog entries that go with these labels, but I could. And I'm thinking I will try.

So, as you may notice, I've decided to give my posts some labels.  And I hope to add a few more grand themes over the coming weeks.  Stay tuned for more labeling madness, coming soon, to a blog near you...