Tuesday, June 13, 2006

The Email, the Quiz and the Movie

Sometimes I really like to stop to look back at where I was not too long ago.

This morning, this VERY early morning, I checked the
NOAA radar to see what Alberto was up to and discovered what I should expect today as far as weather is concerned. After that quick update, I checked my email and browsed through the Borders Rewards email which mentioned Ann Brashares' book The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and her next release. Being one to rarely resist an online quiz, I was curious to learn which "sister" I am. Come to find out, Tibby and I are similar, which is what I thought when I saw the movie.

Once I saw photos from the movie, I looked at
Alexis Bledel's bio since I enjoy The Gilmore Girls (on DVD). I noticed that Alexis worked on the soon-to-be-released I'm Reed Fish. I did a search for Reed Fish and found his blog... then his girlfriend's blog. I enjoyed their photos and writings as I skipped around different months to get an idea of what they typically post. If anything, these people aren't typical. I find them both intriguing and quietly inspiring. So, after I conclude this post, I'll add both Reed and LD to my list of links so I'll be sure to revisit. I hope you will, too.

And hey, support independent film by going to see the movie when it hits your neighborhood.

Now, how about that rain and wind?!?! Alberto is here and my gardens are happy even if my corn looks like /// instead of lll.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Juice n' Jam

We finally cleared a Saturday morning to make our way down to St. Augustine for their weekly Old City Farmers' Market. We have these rural romantic notions of what a farmers' market is or should be. Booth after booth of local farmers selling their tastelicious vegetables and fruit. The best scenario would, of course, have all of them selling organically grown goodness, but we'd be willing to take what we could get.

The market we went to wasn't bad, but it didn't meet up to our fairy tale farmers' market. It did offer a variety, much like the one I mentioned a few weeks ago. This one had fruits and vegetables from as nearby as Alachua County and as far away as Mexico. Some local bread artisans sold fresh-baked loaves, craftspeople sold oars decorated as mermaids, artists sold illustrations and photographs, and there were other vendors selling fresh seafood, fresh juice and smoothies, jewelry and of course, massages. It was more like an arts and crafts fair with some fresh produce thrown in for good measure.

We still found it a worthwhile way to spend a Saturday morning. The watermelon and blueberries were a compliment to an al fresco breakfast and the cucumbers were a nice addition to a crisp dinner salad. Buying produce from a market still holds romantic charm for me. The true test of the love affair with farmers' markets will remain to be seen as more fresh and local produce becomes available at such markets. One thing for sure, the music at this market was wonderful!

Monday, June 05, 2006

Life Among the Lizards

Upon exiting my house, I enter into a mini-Jurassic Park. I can hear them shake the leaves, see them scatter rapidly across the patio, sense them watching me. I have, at last count, 1.63 billion lizards in my yard and they're taking over.

A few weeks ago, I hung a cheap birdhouse in the butterfly garden. Yeah, it was a clearance item for $4 but to one certain lizard, it is a mansion fit for a, well, lizard. Every morning while I water the blooming plants and shrubs, I see him peering down from the front door opening thingie. From way up high, he surveys the garden that he probably tells his lizard buddies, he "hired" to have landscaped.

Last night while I ooh'd and ahh'd over the first nasturtium bloom and hidden baby corn tassel, I felt those beady little eyes on me again. This time, a lizard was perched high above the green beans. He had declared the bean trellis his kingdom and all who should approach should, like, shudder in fear or something. I have no gripes with him being there, I just hope he's keeping the kingdom clean of bug scum. I think he may be doing just that because I saw a fair maiden on a large green leaf. A ladybug. Such royalty is always welcome in the garden.

I do warn all of these lizards of the threat that pecks among them. The chickens. Before Xena left, he had pecked a tail off of one lizard that lives near the air conditioning unit. Whenever I see that stumpy tail of his, I am fondly reminded of the brute that used to live here. I can sympathize with the lizard because that pullet-turned-cockerel bruised the crap out of my forearm. He's got one mean beak.