07.27.08

Remembering Grandpa

Posted in Family at 2:15 am by rachel

It’s been a difficult week for our family. My grandpa passed away on Monday, at home. He was so happy to finally be back in his familiar surroundings. He never really made a very good sick patient. It’s hard to imagine him in the hospital at all. I’m so happy he was surrounded by family, friends, and even military colleagues during his last weeks. We are grieving and trying to focus on the positive, remembering what an incredible life he led.

Grandpa fought in World War II and in Korea. He is still affectionately referred to as “The Colonel.”

In Korea, one of the soldiers in his unit made this sign. They were “Wimpee’s Warriors” - under the leadership of my grandpa, Second Lieutenant Wimpee (and you’ll never see any of these men make a joke about our last name!) If you’d like to see what an impression he made in the Marines, read this website in memorial to him.

He never told many “war” stories, but did have many funny stories to tell about all of his travels and experiences in his life. It’s only because of the stories other people have told that I know what an outstanding military career he had. Always modest, it seems he found interesting and positive things to say about even the most difficult of life’s situations.

Although I remember Grandpa always having a mustache, this photo is proof that wasn’t always the case. This is my dad getting his Ph.D. in 1984 (I’m the little one on the right).

Grandpa loved to sail and had many adventures with my dad on various sailboats. This is the last sailboat he owned, and he gave it to my dad a few years ago. He named it “the Carolee,” after his parents, Carol and Lee.

I’m so happy that as an adult I had so many opportunities to spend time with my grandparents. In the fall of 2004, they came to Connecticut for a Marine Corps reunion, so I drove up to meet them.

Seth and I made it out to the Bay area on more than one occasion, and Grandpa was always the best tour guide (here we are on Lombard Street), although Grandma always teased him about driving “like a bat outta hell.” Don’t let that handicap sign fool you!

Grandpa was also a successful engineer and could build or fix anything. He helped my dad make the arch for my sister’s wedding in October 2005.

They would work so late on the project they needed spotlights to see what they were doing!

At Monica’s wedding…

…and at my wedding in December 2006.

I took this picture last July when Seth and I were visiting northern California.

I think it was that particular trip that I had a sandal come apart while staying at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. My grandpa, the engineer and colonel, and winner of a silver star, spent an afternoon with his fancy equipment to put my silly little silver sandal back together. Special glue and C clamps and some delicate workmanship made it better than ever. That was how Grandpa was: he would do anything you’d ask (or even not ask) in order to help out or fix a problem. And such a banal “problem” it was, but the amount of care he put into this small act of fixing a girl’s shoe was proof of how much he loved all of us. I wish I could wear those sandals still: the second one broke, just as the first one did, but I didn’t get the chance to ask Grandpa to fix it.

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07.21.08

Showered

Posted in Baby, Family at 3:45 am by rachel

My sisters, Monica and Laura, organized an outdoor co-ed baby shower for us on July 5th, while we were visiting family in Wisconsin. What a blast! It was a Mexican fiesta theme, which meant the most delicious home-made salsas, fajitas, burritos, and my favorite, guacamole. It was a great opportunity to see old friends from growing up, and to celebrate a growing family. Seth’s parents and sister, Renée even made it from Ohio, so we were particularly spoiled!

Monica made the flower arrangements.

My mom and aunt Barbie did a lot of prep work under Stella’s surveillance.

Laura was in charge of a lot of the food (like the fajitas, above), and made the delicious guacamole.

It was fun to have Granny’s Queen Ann chairs outside!

Monica organized a Name-That-Tune-style game where each song had the word “baby” in the title. She also had a stack of blank onesies and fabric pens so that guests could decorate one for the baby. Always thinking ahead, she got sizes from 3 to 18 months so that the baby will have hand-decorated mementos for over a year.

The finished product… (and a hand-made blanket crocheted by my aunt Marge Ann)

Oh my! Look at this! I’ll have to take some pictures and share some close-ups of the hand-made items. We are set for a while, and what a wonderful way to connect with our friends and family in the Midwest while getting ready for the baby. We are fortunate to have such generous and talented friends. Come visit any time!

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07.17.08

It’s starting to come together…

Posted in Baby, Family at 4:15 pm by rachel

After a wonderful shower that completely spoiled us (which I will blog about soon!) and a trip to Ikea, we’re closing in on being ready for CraftyBaby’s arrival. We hope to be living proof that a young family of three can live in under 400 square feet!

Our “wall of Leksvik” includes: an armoire for all of Seth’s clothes, a changing table/chest for baby’s clothes & blankets (the changing table attachment is sitting on top of the armoire for now), and a bookshelf/cabinet for baby’s books and toys. My closet is built-in and to the right of the cupboard. The crib – a family heirloom that has been used for every generation since my maternal grandfather was born in 1920 – will be in the bedroom as well, which I’ll photograph as soon as it gets here. It’s being completely refinished and refitted with extra slats to conform to today’s safety standards.

So one room is done, and we’re just waiting on a couch and a rocking chair for room number 2!

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07.14.08

Thinking of Grandpa

Posted in Family at 4:35 am by rachel

My grandpa has been in the hospital for a couple of weeks now, and although things were looking up, there are new concerns about his health.

We’re thinking of you, Grandpa, and sending you all our love.

Grandpa, the Colonel, in a July 4th parade last year.

At Chirstmas Dinner, 2007.

A talented artist, Grandpa can make the most life-like drawings. We hope he’ll be drawing again soon!

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05.20.08

It’s a boy!

Posted in Family at 5:56 pm by rachel

I went for a 22-week ultrasound on my 30th birthday last Tuesday. What a wonderful present to see more images of the little one, and to find out that it’s a boy!

Crafty Baby at 22 weeks.

Another big surprise was that the ultrasound technician turned on the 3D machine, so now we have some very baby-looking pictures of our son. He looks a little confused or squished or maybe just bored.

What a week! After the doctor’s appointment, I was off to London for my 30th birthday dinner at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant The Warrington. It was delicious, from the pre-dinner sip of wine I allowed myself to the sticky toffee pudding and all the soup and steak and vegetables in between! I am loving my 30s already.

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05.11.08

Mother’s Day

Posted in Family at 9:14 pm by rachel

Mom & Me, 1981

Happy Mother’s Day!

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04.22.08

Earth Day 2008 - Eco Baby

Posted in Crafts, Family at 10:30 am by rachel

Greetings from London, where I am spending two weeks with Seth (who is working here weekdays until the end of June). The trip over on the Eurostar was quick, comfortable (Seth reserved us both seats in leisure select - my second time ever riding in a seat other than coach! yippee!), and apparently carbon-neutral - a far cry from my first visit in 1996, which involved a French tour bus full of high school students on an hours-long ferry.

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would share a few of the eco-inspired sites and craft ideas that inspire me. Did you know we are in the middle of Use What You Have month? I was already trying to use up my stash in preparation for our eminent move from Paris, so when I found out that other crafters were on the same quest to find projects using materials either recycled or leftover, I felt like I was ahead of the game! First, you must check out the Crafting a Green World blog. Sometimes I (and perhaps other crafters) get so involved in making things ourselves that we just assume we’re doing the planet a favor…but craft supplies are a huge industry that is leaving quite a carbon footprint of its own. How those supplies are produced and their material composition are just as important to check as any other consumer item. This blog keeps me aware (with a conversational and non-preachy tone!) and also has some really awesome ideas for projects.

My current craft obsession: using up ball after ball of cotton yarn. In just 18 months or so, I’ve collected a dozen skeins of blue, yellow, and red yarn that has taken over my craft boxes. It seems to be multiplying! I’ve decided to use up this stuff for baby crafts before buying anything else. We don’t know yet if we’re having a boy or a girl, but no matter: I prefer to ditch the pink and baby blue for primary colors anyway. But what to make with it all? My solution: a “patchwork” baby blanket made of blue and yellow squares (I’m over half done; photos to come soon), a red sweater using the free “Marinière” pattern from Enfant Magazine (really beautiful designs, available only in French, hélas), and a couple of new baby bootee patterns. I’m working on creating a cross between a sock and a bootee (sockootee?) and hope to have a pattern up soon. Bootees are darling, but I think the stretchy ankle of a sock could make them easier to put on (and stay on?) a squirmy baby… The blanket and the bootees are perfect for stash-busting because you can just craft and craft until you run out. Bootees don’t take much yarn, and whether the blanket is crib-sized or queen-sized, it will be useful!

I will never get tired of this excellent bootee pattern.

In preparation for our new arrival in September, I’ve done some research on ecological baby products and am trying to do my best to create a healthy environment with as few toxins as possible. This little one will be born in the middle of Manhattan, so anything I can do to make his/her environment as clean as possible is worth it! We’re planning to use non-toxic, flushable gdiapers (a middle-ground alternative to disposables or cloth ones) and glass bottles (this daughter of a toxicologist has always been plastic-shy). My dad is going to brush up his toy-making skills and make some wonderful wooden toys (it’s what my sisters and I grew up with and cherished). But there is a lot more to think about.

My new favorite blog is ohdeeoh. It’s not particularly environmentally-focused, but like so many of us these days, there is a clear effort to find products that are better for the planet – and by extension, better for baby. The design inspiration is beautiful as well! One thing I appreciate on ohdeeoh is that every few days they post findings of used products on sites like craigslist. Having a baby sends many of us into a buying frenzy, but reusing or repurposing objects can mean a lighter load on the wallet and the planet. Of course, safety should always be the primary concern, so be sure that anything used (especially furniture) isn’t covered in lead paint and that they meet current safety standards.

I am setting the bar high but am also a realist: because this is my first adventure into motherhood I don’t know how much I can stay on plan once baby is here. But at least I’ll try!

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04.13.08

My Latest Craft Project

Posted in Family at 4:40 pm by rachel

Seth has just fixed my photo uploading issue (which kept me from posting for a while), so now I can share these photos with the world. Thank you, Seth!

I’ve been working on a new craft for about 17 weeks now..

Crafty Baby at 14 Weeks

Two little feet!

This, of course, means many more posts to come about baby sweaters, baby bootees, and maybe a second try at a quilt? In the mean time, check out this awesome bumper sticker by Mutha Crafter:

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03.31.08

Eating Our Way Through Easter Weekend

Posted in Cuisine, Family, Travel at 12:17 pm by rachel

What a month March has been! Seth’s family was in town, and then my parents came, and between the two groups, Seth and I drove all around France, from Normandy to the Mediterranean Sea. Since Easter weekend is still fresh in my mind (probably because I’ve never eaten so much), I thought I should post about that first.

Seth, my parents, and I spent the weekend in Roanne, which is a relatively little-known city near Lyon. Most outsiders know Roanne because of the famous restaurant Troisgros (150€ lunch, anyone?), but to us, it’s the place I was warmly welcomed as an exchange student for the 1996-1997 school year. I stayed with three lovely families, and am thrilled we’ve kept in touch. Because we only had about 24 hours in Roanne, we visited two of my three host families.

We started out Saturday chez Gérard and Josiane, my first host parents (their daughter, Julie is a good friend of mine and lives in Paris - lucky me!!) , along with their son, Francis (it was his 27th birthday! Joyeux Anniversaire!), and his girlfriend, Laura. We ran into a little traffic on the Paris side of the trip, so we didn’t arrive for lunch until about 2pm. Everyone held out and when we arrived, the feasting began!

The apératif (pre-meal drink course) was served with the most amazing spread of appetizers: endive with herbed cheese, crab in home-made mayonnaise, toasted spiced bread with goat cheese, dried sausage, and the original version of pigs in a blanket: delicious sausages in a puff-pastry.

On to the main course: two different kinds of pork (the mustard sauce was particularly memorable), potatoes, and green beans. Seth looks overwhelmed!

I don’t know how I missed taking a picture of the cheese course. It was a beautiful spread on a rustic wooden cheese plate. I also missed photographing the wine, which was made my a family friend. My parents loved it (I think they’re wine drinkers now!) and Gerard & Josiane sent them home with a bottle. We were so stuffed after the cheese that we decided to take a walking tour of Roanne before the dessert course. Julie and I showed my parents the center of Roanne, with its pedestrian walkways, and most importantly, our high school (Lycée Jean Puy). The bar near the high school is called “Bar du Lycée” which always made me laugh, since in the states you can’t drink until college.

Roanne’s most famous bakery is called Pralus, inventor of the original Praluline, which is a brioche with candied nuts (almonds? pecans?). We picked up a small one to try later on, since we knew we would not need to eat anything for days.

Back at the house, we moved on to the dessert course. It was an especially vast spread since it was Francis’s birthday and his girlfriend made a special crumble for him. I thought the Easter-themed papillotes were cute. This is the first year the Révillon chocolate producer has made them for Easter (they are usually a Christmas & New Year’s tradition).

Josiane made my and Julie’s favorite dessert: the île flottante (”floating island”). The island is made of sweet whipped egg whites, floating in a sea of custard.

The chocolate mousse was a hit, and my mom got away with the recipe for both that and the île flottante.

Dad played a couple of tunes after dessert.

By the time “lunch” was over it was about 9pm! Our hosts:

It was time to move on to Renaison, chez Michel and Martine, where we spent the night and Easter Sunday.

We had mini pastries for breakfast Easter morning and tried not to overdo it, since we knew we were in for another delicious meal. If the size of the bread loaf alone was any indication (about a yard long by maybe a food wide?), we were not going to go hungry.

Michel took this picture of the group enjoying the apéritif of champagne.

With the apéro we had crab in a cream dip with avocado and toasts with tapenade and a fish spread.

The first course was escargots. The sauce is amazing! Put anything in butter, parsley, garlic, and shallots, and I’m sold. This photo shows just one of the two trays of escargots we ate.

The traditional main dish for Easter in France is lamb. This lamb was tender and delicious, served with green beans wrapped in slabs of pork breast akin to bacon. Martine served it with whipped mashed potatoes.

After some salad, guess what was next?

A spread of regional cheeses and yogurts, as well as some camemberts (one of them aged in calvados, a liquor from Normandy).

To finish it off? Warm Tarte Tatin. The name comes from the Tatin sisters who first made a homemade apple tart in this method. Served with some crème fraîche, it was a delicious finale to an afternoon feast.