atwitter: february/march

I never got around to writing an atwitter post last month, so there’s more to share this month. A few of the things that have me all worked up these days:

my honey builds me a beeyard

beekeeping. About ten years ago, we planted our front hillside with more than sixty lavender plants. Every July the hillside is smothered in bees, and I’ve always thought we ought to have a beehive. Of course, I envisioned some other beekeeper maintaining the hive, and leaving us with a share of the honey. But several of my friends have been keeping bees themselves–Stefaneener, Susan and Kristin–so I’m encouraged to try it too. (My beekeeping friends are also bloggers–what’s the personality trait that draws people to both blogging and bees? What, did you say geekiness?) My honey is building me a terraced bee yard out amongst the lavender, and I’m reading The Backyard Beekeeper and Beekeeping for Dummies, planning to get my bees in April. And of course I’ve found some fantastic bee bloggers who are already convincing me to do things differently and be a beekeeping rebel: Backwards Beekeepers and Linda’s Bees.

olive plate from barcelona

spain, on the road again. I bought this book for my Spanish-blooded husband for Christmas, and we’ve been enjoying the accompanying PBS series on disc. It’s basically a show about Mario Batali, Gwyneth Paltrow and friends driving around Spain, taking in its gorgeousness, and eating delicious food at every opportunity. My kind of trip. They visit many of the same places we visited when we went to Spain in ’05, along with the kids and Chris’ parents. (Where I had the distinct pleasure of pronouncing my name Pa-tree-thee-a Tha-ba-yosh. And picked up that cute little olive dish pictured above.) We love Mario Batali around here–he’s such a happy hedonist. It’s hard to watch all the food talk without getting hungry, but watching with a glass of Spanish wine in hand helps.

learning how to make perfectly hard-boiled eggs. Just in time for Easter! Why is it that Americans don’t seem able to boil an egg without rendering the yolk grey and chalky? In Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone  (favorite cookbook ever), Deborah Madison writes, “When cut in half, the yolk should have a dime-sized moist dot in the center.” Yes! The yolk is so gorgeously gold and succulent when boiled this way. A while back, Clotilde from Chocolate & Zucchini gave directions for perfect hard-boiled eggs, and the instructions are spot on. Follow the ones for a 9-minute egg and you will not be disappointed.

india explorations

studying india. We’re wrapping up our India studies. Mr. T is anxious to move on to Mongolia, and Lulu to Japan. But I sure loved learning about India and would be happy to linger there a little longer. I’m planning to listen to A Passage to India on disc (which might also be the motivation I need to work up some steam in my knitting and finish that dang sweater coat!) But it’s been fun reading Indian tales, visiting local Indian shops and restaurants and learning how Indians live. Check out this fascinating video on the complex Mumbai system of home-cooked lunch delivery, carried in tiffins, those stainless steel stackable food containers that are now all the rage amongst the green crowd. We finally bought our own, after insuring that the one we bought was authentically Indian.

tiffin

a new blog. I really like Homeschool. Style. Bytes. It’s sort of a homeschooling blog co-op. Helen gathers beautiful photos and text about homeschooling from Blogland and makes a lovely bouquet of them. I keep meaning to write down our own homeschooling recipe and send it her way.

So, what are you all worked up about this month?

7 comments… add one
  • stefaneener Mar 27, 2009 @ 14:17

    Me? Garden garden garden bees knitting work kids garden garden garden oh and sewing too has been bugging me. Can’t find good patterns yet, but gardengardengarden.

    My head’s a busy place.

  • melissa s. Mar 27, 2009 @ 20:33

    my son and I just started the American Girl series and I admit, I read ahead after his bedtime because I’m kinda hooked. also: seedlings, our new ant farm and the neighbor’s trampoline.

  • Carrie Pomeroy Mar 27, 2009 @ 21:16

    What has me atwitter? Here in Minnesota the crocuses and tulips are just starting to push up in the garden, along with some mystery bulbs my kids got as a birthday present and planted back in October.

    Going to the Minnesota History Center every Friday with my kids and finding interesting new things to look at every time we go, even though the exhibits are the same, and finding new connections between exhibits that we hadn’t seen before.

    I’m also feeling really excited about writing lately. My head’s been a busy place, too–full of essays wanting to be written. What the heck–it’s spring. Time for growing.

  • susan Mar 28, 2009 @ 11:49

    I’m excited for your bees! You are going to have such fun. So far we have not had to medicate our bees. We haven’t been in the hives in months. It is nice and hot this weekend, so maybe we’ll have a look and see how they are doing. A skunk has been lurking about, making a stink and getting the bees riled up, but he doesn’t seem to have gotten in yet.

    This month I’m atwitter about antibiotics and about getting done with this horrible month and moving on to a happy, healthy April. Hoping we are spared any April Fools “jokes” in this department.

  • Barbara Mar 29, 2009 @ 16:21

    Hmmm….

    Spring, gardening, working part-time at a pretty cool job, spring, gardening, getting back into some sewing and knitting, reorganizing our work/play space, spring!

    I’m jealous of the bees. That and chickens are on our wish list.

  • Kristin Mar 29, 2009 @ 17:17

    Oh–such a smattering of fun stuff going on at the Wonderfarm. The new terrace for your bees looks like it will be a perfect location. Once they arrive, watch where they fly. It is interesting to note how long it takes them to find different flowers in your yard. It’s not as obvious to them as it is to us. Sometimes they don’t seem to find water, for example, right next to them. It will be fun for you to watch them zoom around to their own private crop of lavender. Your honey is going to taste magnificent.

  • patricia Mar 31, 2009 @ 23:17

    I do love putting up these atwitter posts because it’s so fun to see what you all are enthused about. Thanks for taking the time to share.

    Seems like there’s a consensus that spring is pretty dang exciting right about now!

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