It's cold now. That's right, it's even cold here in the South. We turned the heat on in the house, we found most of our hats, mittens and scarves. I put the down comforter on the bed yesterday and it's awesome. Our bedroom used to be a porch and it's the only part of the house with the original, single-paned, wicked drafty, with slightly-cracked-glass-in-them windows. It's difficult enough to get out of bed when the floor's cold in the first place, but trying to get up when the floor's cold, the air's freezing and it's still dark out is not how I want to get up.

We've got a new trick in our home-winterizing bag this year: bubble wrap. Our friend, Taft, originally turned us on to the idea when it was still hot here and I've been biding my time to try it out. It's just as simple as it sounds: put bubble wrap on your windows. It takes a little time to cut the pieces to size, but that's the most time consuming part. To adhere it to the glass you simple spray a mist of water on then press the bubble wrap on. Magic! For more info and step-by-step photos check out Build It Solar's write up.

The wrap we used we bought at Staples, I've read suggestions of trying to get some for free from furniture stores, and there's also a type of bubble wrap made for greenhouses that's a little thicker and sturdier. We opted for the larger bubble style wrap which is supposed to work a little better than the little stuff, and every little bit helps. In addition to bubbling the windows I'm also going to put the plastic shrink stuff over them to help combat the extreme draftiness.

Other than winterizing things have been quiet, we're both gearing up for the winter Big Crafty and are looking forward to spending Christmas in Vermont for the first time since we moved away 3 years ago. I know we've been neglecting this little blog, but I've been a little better about keeping up with Petit Dejournal which is the other project I've been working on.

garden redux

late summer garden
Originally uploaded by sawyer.george

Apparently you're allowed to have two gardens per year in the South... crazy. So, we tore up most of the summer garden this morning: the failed corn, one of the cukes, dying green beans, beheaded sunflowers, the empty pea fence.

We turned over and raked out all of the empty soil for a fresh start. Jenne managed to fit in about half of our thirty-odd basil starts, and I planted new rows of beets, peas, carrots, soy beans, and lettuce. I even spread out some mulch on the path (mostly applewood shavings from turning my first goblets! check 'em out on flickr).

Psychics, burritos.

If you missed it last time: I started a second blog, it's about food, and it's freshly updated! Check it out! This week it's about burritos and coffee.

When we decided to move across town one of my main concerns (obviously) was for the cats and their outdoor habits. In California Boy was notorious for getting himself stuck up trees and even M.I.A for an entire week. When we first got to North Carolina he behaved himself fairly well, only getting stuck up a couple trees and easily located. Our new neighborhood is packed in with houses, trees, dogs and fences. I had visions of Boy following squirrels up the ancient oak trees across the street, jumping head-first into a yard full of loud, viscious, tiny dogs, weaseling his way into everybody's garages. To my surprise, none of these things have happened. He prefers to climb one particular tree, conveniently located just outside the front door from which he can jump to the roof of the house. He's never even been in a fight!

Sunday while we were burrito-ing up a storm Boy came in, snacked a little, and headed back out. Then he didn't come back. We did a lot of walking, a lot of whistling, a lot of calling and came up empty every time. The weird part about this little disappearing act is that we couldn't hear him. Usually he gets himself up a tree, thinks it's cool for a while, then freaks out when he can't immediately figure out how to get down and starts bellowing. By Monday morning he still wasn't home and we still had no clue where he was. We pawed through some neighbor-yards and scouted things out from the roof. Finally we did what any pet owner would do: we called a pet psychic. AKA: an animal communicator.

She asked me his name, what type of cat he was. She asked if we lived in a place with lots of houses but also lots of trees, maybe some woods. She said he was about three years old. She told me he could see a deck post, and some tall grass - a field? unmowed lawn? It looked like there was a basement entrance to something, under the deck. He went there often, it's where he likes to hunt. She didn't see any impact, any dogs, any harm. There might be a sliding glass door.

This description was perfect for a house two doors over from us. George and I walked over, knocked, waited. The fellow took a while answering the door, we thought maybe no one was home, we were going to snoop in the backyard. When he did answer I said, "Uhm...we're missing a cat..." and he interrupted me - "Oh, yeah, he's right here."

Apparently Boy had jumped through an open windown, hung out, and curled up on the bed while he was asleep.

CRAZY!

I called the lady back, I told her she was dead-on, that it was amazing, that I was so grateful, what did I owe her? I'd make her cookies - anything. She said people don't usually call her back and never asked for any money.

News

News
Originally uploaded by lady grey cupcake

...and a blurry picture! (All the pictures we take seem to be coming out a little blurry lately.) Featured here are my new book, The Bread Builders, my new mug and some new bread! The book is really fascinating, it talks not only about masonry ovens and how they're built but also about how bread is made - not recipes so much as the mystery of baker's percentages. Between the chapters are little profiles of bakeries, like American Flatbread or the Cheeseboard and it's exciting to know what and where they're talking about. I'm just about to start the section on baker's percentages. Eee!

We picked six ears of corn from the garden last night and eagerly set some water boiling. George shucked them and we were pleasantly surprised to find they hadn't been ravaged by various bugs. We were not pleasantly surprised when we finally got to sink our teeth into it and it was ... kind of mushy, sticking to our teeth, and a little flavorless. Did we pick it too soon? Too late? What happened, corn?

Luckily we had some other dinner to fall back on. This leads me to my actual news which is that I've started up a second blog! It's really going to be all about food! I invite you all to head on over to Pétit Déjournal and read about my new project: Food Day. (At least that's what I'm calling it until something more elegant comes along.) Bicycats will continue and will still just be about what's happening with our riveting lives and how cute our cats are.

Catsup

Here's a little recap of what's happened since we last spoke:

George & I both turned 27.

We sold our respective crafts at the Big Crafty.

Our garden is crazy!

George took a trip to Vermont.

I went to NYC.

George started learning how to brew beer.

I started learning how to use Microsoft Excel.

George's computer has taken a trip to the repair shop twice.

I finally started going to a chiropractor.

eye eye capt'n

eye right
Originally uploaded by sawyer.george

I went rafting on saturday with the BRB crew, and our guide thought it'd be fun to dump me into the rapids 4 times in a row. Consequently my glasses now rest with the fishes. The optometrist took this photo to make sure the back of my eyeball is healthy. That green light at the center connects directly to my brain!

I'm leaving for VT on wednesday! Forrest, the banjo playing lab guy from work, thought it sounded like fun, so he'll be coming too. It'll be good to have a co-pilot. 17hrs of driving is a long time.

Vater Vlog

RAIN
Originally uploaded by lady grey cupcake

Today's been a challenging day - mentally more than physically. George has been sprucing up the garden: a new pea fence, almost a trellis for the cucumbers, an extra bed - mostly for basil, fertilizing, weeding. We truly realized today just how much basil we're going to have. We're going to have A LOT. In addition to half a flat of young basil we've got an army of infant basil still not in the ground. It's going to be pesto central 'round here.

This afternoon (and this entire week) has threatened rain. In fact, it rained. For about 15-20 minutes it was some super crazy rain, and it all started with a bolt of lightning and clap of thunder directly over the house. Cats were frantic, we were startled, and then we watched the drains back up, the roads flood, the lady across the street and her friend sit in their car for the whole storm instead of making a break for the house. For a brief moment, while it was still raining hard, before the thunder there was some bright, bright sun. Conclusion: the weather in the South is wacky. And their thunderstorms are wicked sweet.

A new beginning

When I decided to name my little book business "A Little Forgery" it was clearly not a keeper - we were getting ready to do the Big Crafty and I needed something to call it.  Few people actually get "forgery" as in "copy", which is fine because it's a bit of stretch and a bit of a mouthful.  Therefore, I've renamed it Bissy Bindery.  I know, "what's the 'bissy' all about?"  Bissy is a word that Liz introduced me to, it's a neat cross of bitch and sissy, and more and more I find I really identify with it.  Sometimes we also use it to refer to our car.  Here in Asheville you can find my earrings and mini books at the Flood Gallery shop in the Phil Mechanic Building and at Short Street Cakes.  Out there in the rest of the world you can find some things at the new Bissy Bindery Etsy shop!

I've put up a picture of our corn and beans on Flickr - any idea what's eating them, moms?  Any suggestions on how to stop it?

yet more news

Check it out, I'm saving the world! With blue hands, and a faux carbon fiber helmet (with hearing protection):

http://www.mountainx.com/features/2009/051309the_green_scene

Unimog!

unimog
Originally uploaded by sawyer.george

I just went for a spin in this 1976 Mercedes Unimog! (UNIversal-MOtor-Gerät). They're designed for agricultural and military use, and used extensively all across Europe. This one's a 6-speed, 6 cylinder diesel with PTO's on the front and back, a trailer hitch (for big trailers), and it's a convertible. Oh, it has a snorkel too. Those crazy Germans. Apparently they make all kinds of attachments; backhoes, cranes, plows, saws, whatev.

If anyone has $13k burning a hole in their pocket, this would be the place to spend it. The owner's name is Jon. I can give you his phone number.

In the news, again.

Continuing to storm the media outlets, Jodi was on the local news this morning talking about the cake shop and her blog!

In the news

Check out Short Street Cakes in the Citizen-Times, again!

Tidbits

You're all invited to check out my first attempt at guest blogging over at the Short Street Cakes blog!  Surprise: it's about cake!

As soon as I returned home from my trip George got sick - George never gets sick.  Then a week later, I got sick - I never get sick.  We're both about 75% recovered at this point.  George got the crazy chills/coughing/not-getting-out-of-bed-for-a-few-days-sick.   I got the nose-so-stuffed-your-eyes-don't-want-to-open sick.  

We put the seedlings in the garden and the sunflowers are loving it.  The peas are grumbling about it.  The cucumbers are undecided.  I think the kale might be dead.  (They were pretty scrawny, whispy starts.)  It's been over 80 degrees here everyday for about the last week so I'm not too suprised about the kale and the peas.  

The proof is in the cake.

Billy's birthday cake
Originally uploaded by lady grey cupcake

Simple cake frosting is not rocket science - as it turns out. All it takes is a somewhat steady hand, frosting, and cake. Maybe some magic. By far the most challenging part is centering the writing on top. As Jodi pointed out to me, that's what flowers and stars are for.

I'm in Portland for the week visiting Liz. After harmless threats of "delays" and "grounding" I actually made it here on time. Boarding was delaying in Charlotte, then we sat on the runway for about 40 minutes (almost for another hour, but thankfully didn't.) Next it was running through Newark to a gate number in the hundreds (!!!) and being the last one on. Neither George nor I fly very often and neither of us like it all that much and we especially are not fond of any airline aside from JetBlue. I mean, my own little tv to watch? New planes that aren't gross and broken? Pleasant flight attendants? No questionable warm food from a flimsy plastic bag? Why do people bother to fly on other airlines at all? Well, JetBlue can be a little pricey I guess. Somehow I had a lapse in judgment and ended up on Continental. It was fine, no jerks on the plane, the staff was fine, the iceberg lettuce was fine, the movie was fine, but the one breaking point for me? The leg room. I, by no means, have long legs but by the end of the 5 hour flight I couldn't handle it anymore. My ankles ached, my back ached and most of all I was afraid my knees were permanently bent or if I tried to stand up my legs would simply snap off at the knees. And I had an aisle seat.

The sun is out this morning - something I was 90% sure I wouldn't see this week. Everyone is asleep still but my clock says it's lunchtime.

work : fun

garden beds / sweet jump
Originally uploaded by sawyer.george

After another ridiculous week at BRB (Blue Ridge Biofuels) I realized my work to fun ratio has been leaning far to heavily towards the work side of the equation. For the past month or so my schedule has consisted of working at BRB from 9-5, and then coming home to do CAD drawings for Artful Shelter, or designing a house for our friend Ryan (I'll post more about it later).

I set about re-balancing the equation by dusting of my trials bike, thinking I'd finally go out and buy a new seat-post for it. But, before getting to the fun I had to finish raking out our load of compost, and build a bin for the new stuff. As I pushed the black soil around I noticed a nice red mound of dirt at the end of the garden, stuff that Scott had shoveled out from under the house and left there.

A lightbulb flashed above my head, I put down the rake, and shoved my bike to the top of the hill. The first run was a little rough on the garden bed, and the jump needed some reshaping. Within an hour or so I'd built up a couple of berms to protect the beds, and a nice little kicker right at the crest of the hill. I spent the rest of our 70+deg weekend hitting my sweet jump, and laying around in the hammock.


It's supposed to snow tonight...

Fancy meeting you here.

Dying
Originally uploaded by lady grey cupcake

Today I've had three cups of coffee. It feels like it's been overcast and raining for weeks (months), there was a brief reprieve yesterday afternoon and it might clear up by Saturday only to turn gray and cold by Monday. I think I deserve my three cups of coffee. It was even gray and chilly while Cynthia and Leland were here which made us cancel our trip to Chimney Rock and spend most of the time in coffee shops and puttering around the house. On one of the only sunny days George managed to talk them into helping dig up our garden space, which is pretty much just solid clay, and then into getting a load of compost and shoveling it off the truck. (The convincing wasn't all that hard - someone in the group is mere weeks away from being a Harvard-educated landscape architect.) The morning before we shipped them off back to Cambridge we dyed some Easter eggs. It was pointed out to us that all the eggs we had for dying were brown, not white. We decided to dye them anyway and, as you can see over at Flickr, they turned out surprisingly well. I think if we'd been prepared with more rubber bands and a little more of a strategy they all would have been incredible.

There's only one more piece of furniture to move in and the house will be fully functional. Unfortunately it's the biggest, heaviest table IN THE WORLD and I'm too short to be of any use moving it. OH! I lied! There's another piece of furniture: a bed frame! Asheville craigslist finally came through for us and Saturday we'll go pick it up and (assuming the mattress is dry from the thorough bleaching it's going to get - mold, again) then we'll sleep on a real bed like real people. When you get down to it (or up off it) it's not the sleeping on the floor that I don't like, it's that sweeping the room is a huge pain and seriously, how great is it going to be to have space to store things under the bed? Wicked great.

We told you about the biofuels grant, right? Our blogging has been so scattered and inconsistent I can't remember. George and our friend James have applied for grant to start a biofuel refinery in Vermont. Word on the street is that they're one of three finalists and hopefully will find out if they got it or not late next week!

Meanwhile, my sweet job at the cake shop is totally sweet. Not only literally, but in that hip slangy way too. Jodi and I joke about how it seems I was thrown in the deep end - handed a recipe, talked through it, and left with the mixer. While it may have been a little jolting (my last job I spent a week, literally - a week, standing and watching someone before I was allowed to do it myself, and even then, supervised) it turns out: I know how to bake. I can confidently use my judgment and experience. One of the best parts is that Jodi trusts me and when time allows would rather I sort of figure it out for myself. (Because either a) she's pretty sure I'll get it or b) she's confident that it'll turn out at least acceptably, which is fine because she has at least one million other things to take care of) Regardless: my job rules and I'm going to kick ass at it. Honestly, there have been a couple little stumbling points for me, but I think they're being ironed out. The most important thing to remember: cake can smell your fear. It's not even a joke, if you don't assert yourself as the alpha that cake will dominate you.

Be bold little bakers.

To the sun.

peas
Originally uploaded by lady grey cupcake

These were our pea sprouts two days ago, they've grown at least another two inches since then. Amazing! The only seeds that haven't sprouted are the zucchini and...some of the flowers, I think. By tomorrow night we'll have picked up some compost to mix in with our red clay "soil" in the yard and then it's a matter of building some beds.

We've been fortunate enough to have a neighbor with a wireless signal we could pick up on, but mysteriously we can't connect to it anymore. After calling the cable people to set up our own internet service they told us that our house was listed as "unserviceable". Naturally, we attribute this to the sketchy dude who lived there before us - unserviceable because his dogs were extremely mean? Unserviceable because the man himself was extremely mean? Perhaps because there was an electric fence around the property? All of these? They say they're checking on it and we should know by Wednesday.

I'm considering tomorrow the start of a new week. The most exciting part of this new week is that Cynthia and Leland will be here! We'll get to do all sorts of fun and refreshing things like go to the arboretum, even take a trip out to Chimney Rock, spend some time downtown, and what I'm really looking forward to: going out to eat.

Worst Thing Ever.

Worst Thing Ever.
Originally uploaded by lady grey cupcake

This is what it looks like from the dining room, through the office to the bathroom. The yellow (Lemon Pound Cake) was the last color we chose for the house and it's clear it was made in a hurry and without thinking it through completely.

I need suggestions as to what color should replace this yellow. Things to know: the room will be an office/studio space, it gets TONS of light, and the rooms it connects to are blue and red (as you can see), and white is not an option. Help!

Bread & Milk

If you're on the east coast you're well aware of the bad weather yesterday.   Here in Asheville it snowed, it really, honestly, whole-heartedly snowed.  Big, wet, slushy, opaque flakes falling like a holey blanket.  When it snows here people tend to freak out, they don't freak out before, they freak out as soon as the snow hits the ground.  There are the incompetent drivers, the people who have unmarred sleds they haul out for the exciting two occassions they might possibly be able to slide down their barely sloped lawn on, all the schools close down ("No buses on icy roads."), and most noticably - the grocery stores are completely overrun.  When there's a storm brewing and I know I'm not going to want to leave the house the next day I'll go to the store and get things like, canned soup, vegetables, sandwich fixins, popcorn - you know, food.  In the event that I think my power's going to go out I'll buy some gallons of water and extra non-perishables.  People here tend to swarm the store as the bad weather starts and stock up on bread and milk.  It's bizzare.  After we had lunch yesterday we were going to stop at the grocery store to pick up some cat food but the store was packed and being impatient we headed to the pet food store.  While checking out I commented, "We've got the cat food, the cat toys, we're set."  The girl at the register added, "Now you just need some bread and milk."  I didn't know what to say, I just wanted to laugh and say, "What is with you people and the bread and milk?  No eggs?  No canned goods?  Fools!"  Instead I just looked confused, gave a half smile and left.  

Today the roads are icy, all the schools are closed - even the courts are delayed, and because we were too impatient to get groceries yesterday we're down to some lettuce, mayo, a little soy milk, half & half, jam, and the maple cream I've been rationing.  

We've been waiting all week for a refridgerator and stove to show up.  At first we thought Monday.  Then Wednesday.  Then Saturday for sure, definitely Saturday.  PSYCH!  Today Sears has promised between noon and four thirty.  I've bet George a dinner out at Marco's that they don't show because of the roads.  

It's Thursday.

Whenever I talk to my parents they remind me that some people actually read this blog.  

Most of the big work on the house is complete and by Saturday night we should have all the kitchen appliances installed and running.  Cereal and sandwiches have been our staple meals this past week.  The tiny cooler from my childhood (the one with the teal green top that my brother wrote my mom's name and our phone number on that's big enough to hold a six-pack of cans) has been chilling our half and half, sandwich meat, and cheese.  The stock pot with one handle we got from a yard sale (or Goodwill, I can't remember) filled with ice has been chilling our milk and mayo.  The lettuce is on its own.  

We're sleeping on our real mattress again and have even unpacked our clothes.  The clothes that aren't in desperate need of washing (those are properly piled in a corner) are becoming rarer and rarer - there are rumors the plumber is hooking up the washing machine tomorrow.  (Honestly, this plumber: unimpressive.)  There're shower curtains around the tub and after several afternoons of hunting and pawing I found a sizable cotton bathmat at a reasonable price.  

Our office got it's first coat of paint, lemon pound cake, and man - it is IN-TENSE.  It's like walking into a glowing lemon.  I finished the first coat at night and as I stood in the blue bathroom and looked through the office to the red dining room I knew the yellow was a mistake.  It felt really...primary.  It's been yellow for about a week and I still don't like it, some people thought the color would "settle down" or we would "adjust" but they were obviously and instantly wrong.  The color we're pretty sure we're switching to is a grayish tan called Haze.  I'm going to do a little more scouting around for a similiar color with a different name, I'm not so down with "haze".   It doesn't sound like a very productive office.  

There'll be some pictures soon, maybe even as early as tonight. Maybe.

It's the little things

bathroom
Originally uploaded by lady grey cupcake

I highly recommend this wall color to everyone for their bathroom. It's "Provence" by Behr (How awesome is that bear at the loading screen?  Wicked awesome.) , available at Home Depot. We have yet to install the shower curtain rod, a mirror, and any sort of shelving, but then again, the light switches aren't full fastened to the wall yet.

Tonight we're installing the lower cabinets in the kitchen and by the end of next week the counters, sink, stove, fridge, dishwasher (!!), and upper cabinets should all be in place. I can't really express how excited we are to not be living out of a suitcase and cooler in one room with two cats, a litter box, and an air mattress. SOON.

George is attending his last Bee School class today, maybe he'll win a hive in the raffle at the end. (He's hoping for bee books instead.)

I've started doing a little itty bitty bit of work at this new great cake shop, maybe I've mentioned it: Short Street Cakes. It's extremely close to our house, it's super small, and adorable. The cake is delicious and the owner, Jodi, is great. If you're in Asheville and are hankerin' for some sweet next Sunday you should stop by her graaaaaaand opening! I'll be there making cake.  (225 Haywood Rd. Be there.)

Living

After three days without a bathroom, we have a bathroom.  Best of all - it's gorgeous.  Seriously, just wait until it's clean and I get some pictures, it's by far the nicest bathroom I've ever lived with. The last three days have also been very long days, tiling and painting into the wee hours of the morning, sleeping on an air mattress, waking up and feeling as though we just went to bed.  Last night we started assembling the kitchen cabinets and hopefully by early next week we'll have the lower set installed.  This afternoon I tried to put one together by myself and parts ended up inside out and backwards.  C'est la vie d'Ikea.

The cats are handling living in one room very well: Girl spends most of her time under the loveseat and Boy spends most of his time on top of the loveseat.  Some time in the near future they will go to the vet for some shots and will not handle it very well. 

Snow day!

kitten tracks
Originally uploaded by average lavender

Overnight roughly an inch of snow fell. Boy is not into it. Girl is hiding under the house. The neighbors are spinning their way up the hill to get to the main road. Our car won't start.

On the home front: the floor guys didn't put the second coat of finish down when they were supposed to. Friday night we're having a "tile the bathroom" party. Sunday morning we'll move the mattress and the kittens, hopefully by Sunday night we'll have installed the toilet. =/

Rats

rat
Originally uploaded by average lavender

Under the porch at this other house is a lot of dirt, the furnace, the water heater, some rusty hooks, a weird cage thing (big enough for one rabbit to live comfortably in, but was apparently used for the ex-owner's vicious dogs), the barn & fence paint for the house, and this rat. It's completely dehydrated and in relatively good shape. Not only does he still have his big nasty teeth, but also his little claws and seven-ish inch long tail. We've joked about making a shrine to it down there, but it's so incredible I sort of want to get him mounted in a shadow box. Regardless, we think that after the renovations are complete the final exorcism will be removing this rat from the premises.

(Yesterday it was in the fifties and sunny, this morning it was partly sunny, by noon it was gray, by two it was raining, half an hour ago it was sleeting, currently it's snowing. What gives?)

Almost

gothic amethyst
Originally uploaded by average lavender

The floors have been sanded and the first coat of finish is on! Man, those floors are great. See the color they are in that picture up there? They don't look anything like that anymore - they glow! It turns out they're made from heart pine so the grain in them is really amazing. The next coat of finish will go on sometime this weekend, I think. Consequently, we've decided to rent the house we're in now for another week. It was either that or stay at a hotel or hostel...with the cats.

We've begun moving things into the weird industrially, garage-y building behind the house. The cats are getting wise to our plans and are unsure about it all. They've decided to cope by going in and out of the house as many times as they possibly can in a day. We're exhausted.

Progress?

Progress
Originally uploaded by average lavender

This weekend is all about insulating. Next week is all about floors and drywall. And moving everything we own. And camping out in our "new home." Hopefully there'll be a floor in the bathroom and a toilet. And no gaping holes in the house. And heat. Follow the picture to Fickr and I've sort of explained what's going on. Too much painting, more sleeping.

Up: date & a tree

The schools in the area are closed today, for a brief moment I thought maybe it had something to do with the inaguration, but as it turns out they're closed for snow, the whopping inch that fell last night.  

We've got two weeks until we need to be all moved out of this house and, boy, is it going to be close.  It means we've got two weeks to finish the other house, today is inspection day for wiring, plumbing and framing, the paint arrived last night, there's no floor in the bathroon/laundry room, the kitchen should be arriving from IKEA today and the drywall that's up is still drying.  We're hoping the floors will be refinished as they're cleaned up and not all in one fell swoop.  George has gently argued for the floors to be refinished with some nice, friendly stuff from Vermont Natural Coatings, and as of this morning he's succeeded!  It doesn't smell as awful, it can be recoated in two hours, it's made from whey!, and it's made it Vermont.  

We've recently rediscovered our one friendly, neighborly neighbor who is (surprise!) also from Vermont! and who's looking for a new job!  She lives with a great golden retriever, Indigo.  We've been taking Indigo out for walks since we got home; it urges us (read: me) get out of the house, it lets our neighbor get out to continue the great job hunt, and Indigo gets to run around twice as much.   

Yesterday afternoon Boy got himself up the biggest tree in our backyard and it took at least an hour of coaxing to get him down.  In the end, I think it was jealousy that Girl was getting all the cat treats that got him down.  (Something to remember for the future.)  Since it's only about 20 degrees this morning he's content to stay inside and no up a tree.  Girl is content to take a bath directly in front of the space heater. 

Fauxskine

Fauxskine
Originally uploaded by average lavender

I don't usually use any of the blank books I make, it's akin to not really eating after making a gigantic meal. There's something in the effort that says, "this is for other people." I haven't been able to find a new sketchbook since coming to Asheville so I decided to try and make something for myself. After a lot of debate, laziness, and "meh"ing I whipped up: the Fauxskine. What makes it not a Moleskine is it's lack of page marker, lack of pocket in the back, cloth cover instead of leathery cover, and it's got grommets.

Dutch Baby

Dutch Baby
Originally uploaded by average lavender

It wasn't until we reached Boston that we started hearing about this breakfast thing called a "Dutch Baby." Cynthia described it as a giant popover, and as you may know, I adore popovers. Once we got to Vermont George's mom started talking about a Dutch Baby. I had honestly never heard of this baked good until Cynthia first mentioned it, so naturally after hearing about how delicious it is from her and Susan, we had to make one.

Preheat oven to 425.

Whisk up:
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. a.p. flour*
1/4 c. sugar
2 eggs, room temperature

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a cast iron skillet. Swoosh the butter around in the pan so all the sides are coated. Pour in the batter and let cook for a minute on the stove top without stirring. Stick the skillet in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes. Serve immediately! Sprinkle a little lemon juice and powdered sugar on top and serve fruit preserves on the side!

Seriously, delish.

I've put some pictures from our trip up on Flickr, we realized when we got back to Asheville is that we didn't really take any pictures at all. So when I say, "some" I mean "most of."

* a.p. = all purpose (it's something I say to myself and use when I write recipes and will probably do it again, so now you know what I'm talkin' about.)

Whew

I'm sorry we didn't go post crazy while we were in the north.  It had been my intention to document the trip with great detail and oodles of pictures - this plan, pretty much, immediately failed.  There are some pictures and even a couple of videos.  As for narrative, the plot of our trip was eventful in all the wrong ways.  I know what you're thinking: "But, Jenne, those are the best stories - hilarious, heart-warming, something-you'll-look-back-on-and-think-is-just-too-funny!"  Yeah, but, no.  Let's work chronologically.   

After we left Boston we had an uneventful trip through New Hampshire and a familiar trip up I-89 to our home-sweet-surrogate-home of Montpelier.  If you're driving that route yourself, I recommend stopping at the Sharon rest area - not only is it home to the Vietnam Memorial, but it's a green rest area.  It uses a "living machine" to recycle waste water, among other things.  (One of the other reasons it's awesome, especially in winter, is it's big, bitchin' greenhouse for the living machine.)

New Year's ended up being less a new beginning and more a rerun of classic instances: bad weather, good friends, video games,  car breaking down.  

We did some sledding, we drove the various routes we always drive, we visited our favorite shops and resaurants, and we saw people we missed.  

Now that we're home we're overwhelmed, which is really what I wanted to convey to you.  We're offically moving into the other house at the end of the month and while we were gone the need for bigger repairs was discovered.  The Asheville job market has not improved since we left (as I dearly hoped it would have.)  I may or may not be returning to VT at the end of the week to help out while my grandfather is unexpectedly in the hosptial.

The overwhelmed isn't all stemming from stress, we've also managed to come up with a ton of new and exciting ideas.  They're so exciting and new that we don't even know where to begin, we just know they're going to be awesome.  

Pictures from the trip will show up soon, we'll lead you on about the exciting ideas for a while, and we'll strive to post more regularly. (Promises, promises.)  

News flash:

It's snowing!