Category Archives: exciting news

Kalamazoo for the weekend

July 10, 2012

This past weekend some good friends of mine from college were having a baby shower. Since I didn’t have a car in Austin and won’t be in Michigan long enough to justify getting a car I decided to take the bus. It was actually not quite as bad as I expected. It was nice and cool, I had my own 2 seats with a charger, and I had plenty of time to work on my knitting baby shower gifts (about 9 hours, it would take 5 if one were to drive).

I went to school in Kalamazoo and still have a handful of friends there. I love the feeling I get when I’m there. It’s such a familiar place with so many memories. Since I left about 4 years ago this is only my second trip back. I’m glad I had a bit more time on this particular trip to visit some of my favorite places.

I stayed with my friends who are expecting and on Saturday I borrowed a bike to visit the farmer’s market. You know I’m a sucker for a farmer’s market and I do remember how much I loved it when I lived there. Despite the souring temperatures I rode all the way there with out passing out from heat stroke and had a nice time shopping around and chatting with an old friend once I stopped sweating so much and hydrated. Ha!

It was a bit of a dry weekend, as far as drinking goes, with a baby coming.  On my last day though when I was on my own and waiting for the bus I stopped into Bell’s Brewery for a beer before boarding the bus. Good thing it was only a quarter of a mile away. I got back just in time to head back home. Next time I visit I get to meet a new friend, a sweet baby girl. I can’t wait!

Perfectly timed ben kweller concert

June 29, 2012

A few weeks ago I said to Walker, I would really like to see Ben Kweller play one more time before I leave Austin. That same day in the car they announced on the radio the line up for Blues on the Green and guess what?! Ben Kweller was to be playing on the 27th of June-3 days before my departure date!! What?! I really couldn’t have planned that better if I tried. I like to think it was set up that way just for me. Did you know this year marks 10 years of my listing and going to Ben Kweller concerts?

But of course being Austin the day of the show was blazing hot so after biking there and then sitting in the sun Katie and I were sticky!! Can you see the sweat about to drip in my eye? Once the sun went down it was a bit better though. The show was so much fun. It was a bit weird looking at Ben with greenish blue hair (get it blues on the green) but that was only distracting for the first few songs. Then we just sang along and danced and had the best time. Until we had to bike home that is (it’s all uphill and I got a flat about a mile from home but we played in some sprinklers so it wasn’t all bad).

Finally figs

June 24, 2012

I absolutely love to forage. I get so extremely excited when I find a fruit tree, a nut tree, or berries that are ripe for the picking. Since living in Texas I have discovered so many things to forage especially since it’s so warm most of the year. Despite the overall lack of rain quite a few things grown around here.

I discovered this here fig tree a few years ago in my favorite spot on campus. It’s this secluded little area up on the top of a hill right at the end of a street that is surrounded by trees. One time while I was taking a lunch break there I noticed a chewed up fig. I figured this could only mean one thing…that there was a fig tree nearby. Sure enough I was right! The figs weren’t quite ripe yet and by the time I came to investigate the second time they were all gone. Last year I don’t think the tree was very successful because of the horrible drought that happened last summer. What little fruit it did produce went to the squirrels and the birds.

This year however I got soooo lucky! A coworker brought in some fresh figs that her husband had picked and I just knew my tree had to have ripe figs also. I went home, got a container, walked to my tree, and sure enough it was covered with figs just waiting on me to come pick them! They were so ripe and delicious. I ate a few while I picked them and I still have quite a few. I’m thinking I will eat them with cheese, prosciutto, and honey. Yum!