My Little Orange Kitchen

BIGGIE

I'm just peeping in for minute folks, but I want to thank those of you who stopped by the booth this weekend. I love meeting people who read the blog...so, thanks for introducing yourselves Dia and Jaimie! 

Art-Craftic was fun and the best news was...no rain. It was the first Indie show in our area and afterward when Andrea and I headed over to Titletown for a 400 Honey Ale (named after the 400 train to to Chicago) we enjoyed talking with other vendors and the coordinators about what worked and what didn't.

The long and short of it was positive. For a first year show, I think it went over fairly well.  People were unanimous that it should happen again and there was an interesting discussion about not diluting the art with too much food and other entertainment. I agree with the food part---while I love food vendors at art/farmer's markets, I like the idea of the local restaurants on Broadway being the only food source during Art-Craftic.  After all, their sidewalks and parking are taken up all day.  Though, personally, I'd love to have some musicians...not on a big soundstage like Art Street, but playing in shifts at the square. I think music makes for better shopping.

I never made to Heather's show closing at the Art Garage, but did finally meet her when she swung by the booth and wow...nicer than nice. She radiates such bright positive energy and it matches her work.

You can't choose your family nor can most of us choose our neighboring vendors at fairs. I've always had the good fortune to be next to nice people and this show was no exception. As soon as I saw Bridget's sign I did a double take because I could have sworn it said "BIGGIE" (it did) and for me, there is only one Biggie and he loves it when I call him Big Papa. :)  AGHAHAAHAHAHA!!!

Yep, Biggie Smalls is my secret delight. Mark laughs when I have trouble with my itunes and have a tantrum because, "HELP! The stupid thing says it can't locate my Biggie!!!" Though, he still cringes and makes fun of me for standing up and yelling "F*%$ the Po-leeece!" when I saw Ice Cube at Lalapalooza 1992 (it was a bonus, I was REALLY there for Pearl Jam).  initially, I was repulsed by Biggie because he seemed so arrogant, but then I saw a picture of him as a little boy and shucks...how could the chubby  ten year old named Christopher George Latore Wallace in husky jeans and a bunched up sweater not win me over?  

So, while I didn't mention all this to Bridget  or ask if the name of her shop was a tribute (I assume not-instead I assume she just goes by Biggie), it still made me curious about her and of course....when she set up and I saw her felted bead earrings and then her hand dyed and screen printed bags, I was in.  Her work is meticulously done and I like her display too. 

She came in from Illinois and I think (?) she was our only out of state vendor...I'm glad she made the trip. I think Angela at Petal Pusher may be trying to get some of her things in the shop, but be sure to check out her etsy for now...she's having a sale on some of the pouches.  Did I already mention they are hand dyed, screen printed and sewn?

I got a kick out of reading about her micro brewing adventures and how they relate to Abraham Lincoln.

All right, that's all for now folks.

Art-Craftic! Today!

Today the Broadway District here in town will host it's first Indie art show! Right On! I'll be there somewhere between Red Awning and The Gift Itself.  I'm booth number 12...(correction-I'm on front of Beemster).  It's from 10-6 and lots of vendors will there selling everything from Upcycled Billboard purses and re-fabricated clothing to prints and jewelry. The restaurants in the area will be in action and that includes the Urban Frog. 

I hope everyone likes these  mini journal covers (shown above too). I like how they turned out. They come with a mini-journal in your choice of graph or lined paper for $10.00. They're a little blurry, but you get the gist!

 

Plus, I made more checkbook holders....

And more cardholders. 

Have a great weekend and if you're local, be sure to stop by!

 

 

Rejected

The quality control team over Little Orange Kitchen Studio rejected the extra large wallet pictured above. It was deemed un-saleable since it closed a little crooked and there was a tiny fleck of something in the vinyl.  It was put in the reject box and now the proprietress gets to tote it around.

Thank God for small favors. She loves it.

In other wallet news...I just have to show two.

This one sold right out of the gate tonight at farmer's market, but I had to get a shot of it...excuse the glare. I love how the four strips on the left are all from different sources and you'd think they would clash horribly, but somehow they all collided to make a match. I also love the black and white on the end. It's from a 1965 book on needlepoint. I may be overdoing the tearing of various papers, but I love the look. 

I'm in mad swoon with F.P. Journe wristwatches. I'd love to have the extra $35,000 (plus) for one. In the meantime...

I've been striking out a bit on the "spend not one dime" challenge this week...it's been one of those nutty weeks, but spending has been kept to a minimum and I did manage to choose a natural foods grocer to fill in where Farmer's Market can't and decided that Mark's soda purchases will happen at the Webster Avenue market, which just happens to be locally owned by a woman I know.

Aren't strawberries great? I love June for this reason...strawberries and Greek yogurt...who says you can't fall in love after 40?

P.S. Greg? If you're reading...this is the pic from last's years festival--she really is a cutie! For some reason you'll have to click on it to see her:
      

3/50 Project

Before I share of how I plan to shop in the future, I wanted to post about something I'm doing next week (thanks to Emiko).

I've decided to try the No-Grocery-Shopping-For-The-Week Challenge beginning on Monday.  Now, many of you may remember the Food Project posts (see sidebar), and while this is shorter, it's a good way to keep myself in check.

I plan to shop (but not vend) at this Saturday's Farmer's Market for more vegetables and strawberries then meal plan on Sunday. I have plenty of staples, so I think I'll be good. Mark will be gone all week as per usual, so it will be easy to make what I want and need.  I'll keep you posted.

I've been watching money closely for almost two years now and we shop so much less than we used to it's sad. Or really, it's not sad since we want to consume less, but it's sad in the sense that there are so many new businesses locally that I'd love to support in a big way, but can't.

We tend to plan our purchases these days and even small ones like books or music are mentioned to one another whereas before, we had an unspoken deal that only purchases over a couple of hundred dollars warranted a spousal notification (Not permission, just a heads-up). That's all changed and in truth I think it's a good thing...consuming less, enjoying what we have, finding deals etc... However, we still have to shop for basics and thanks to another gem from Emiko, I have some decisions to make.

I like shopping locally and keeping our money in the community, but I tend to spread it around several businesses.  Thanks to the 3/50 Project, I've realized that concentrating my spending and choosing a few businesses to consistently support can make a real difference.  Yes, a certain natural foods grocery store may not have everything I'm used to, but perhaps with consistent support they could invest in more produce or fresh breads.

I think it will be hard at first because I do like supporting everyone when I can, but I can see the value of concentrating my dollars.  I did decide that from this point forward, I won't be buying any fruits and vegetables that don't come from Farmer's Markets here in town. Now, that isn't one vendor, but it is keeping the money local and if I buy more than normal and freeze it, we'll be in great shape for berries and vegetables all winter long. This will also help me to eat in season...no watermelon until it shows up at the market (blinking back tears). :)

If you feel this is too restrictive (and it might be), please consider shopping local at least.  For every $100.00 you spend in local stores, $68.00 goes back to the community in the form of taxes and payroll.  This is especially staggering if you think of it this way:

For every $100.00 you spend in your local store, only $32.00 stays in the store.

This is why it's so hard for small businesses to stay alive.

I'll keep you posted on how I think I'm doing with this, I admit it will be a challenge at first and I may have to bend the rules...ahem...Mark's Coke (cola) habit and my penchant for watermelon all year round, but we shall see. I think our best bet is to pick a place for groceries and be as loyal as we can to it, but since we do not buy a lot of gifts/misc, we may have to settle for local, since it really varies.

Note: If you are a small business, check out 3/50 to sign up for free window clings and flyers to let your customers know about it.

The Sweet Life (This Is Naturally Sugarless!)

A few years ago my friend Nancy became interested in raw foods. She attended the raw foods potlucks at the Urban Frog and made me a few treats...a fruit pudding and a scrumptious "pasta" salad made from zucchini "noodles".  We discussed the whole process quite a bit and while we agreed we couldn't go 100% into the lifestyle, we were intrigued by the idea of incorporating more raw foods into our lives.

The problem was that while Nancy experimented with fruits and vegetables, I got a little caught up on the whole dessert idea. Are you surprised? :) I even whined to her about how I wished the people into raw foods could step it up a bit on the sweets. I came up with all kinds raw desserts that other people should make, most of which were some sort of variation on truffles, cake, brownies and cookies. Did I ever make anything? Nope. Instead I sat around thinking of how brilliant all my creations were and that other than the Urban Frog's Twister Parfait, the raw foodies of the world had no imaginations and it must be due to the lack of red meat.

Oops.

Last night after the farmer's market, I picked up a sandwich and a dessert at Vita Raw. The open- faced "chicken salad" sandwich was flavorful and filling. Instead of chicken, it's more of a cashew pate  and topped with cucumbers, sprouts, marinated mushrooms and tomatoes.  IT IS POUND ON THE TABLE GOOD!

Mark is a notorious food snob and I don't mean that he shudders at the thought of Chef Boyardee, I mean that he turns up his nose dismissively at the suggestion we eat at places that don't serve Coke and call something made with nuts, "chicken".  However, after hearing my rave, he's agreed to try it...or he said, "I guess" in a non-committal tone when I asked him if he'd try it "sometime", which sounds like a solid and enthusiastic "YES!" to me.  Agahaahahaahaha!

The sandwich was served with spicy zucchini chips and the whole meal blew my mind. To make it even better, Mary and Bianca White (mother/daughter team) at Vita Raw have clearly debunked my theory that raw foodies lack the inspiration to come up with blow your mind (and diet) desserts. I ordered the Chocolate "Cheesecake" with oranges and pistachios. Oh. My. God.

It's sweetened with agave...no sugar or artificial anything. It's creamy and has a brownie-like crust made of nuts and raw chocolate (???), but the thing that sent me over the edge was that unlike other versions of chocolate-orange anything, this wasn't flavored with a hint of orange, it actually had a layer of orange segments. Look at the picture. 

If you're local and reluctant to try a complete raw foods meal, you can feel confident starting with the desserts...Bianca and Mary know what they're doing.  I hope the business goes well and urge locals to stop in and try it with an open mind.  Though, one look at Bianca's absolutely beautiful skin and you'll need no convincing...you'll want to eat everything she does...really, she does have the famous raw foods glow.  By the way...I found this article about eliminating and preventing stretchmarks with raw foods and dry-brushing...just in case anyone is interested.

In other news...today I am working to prepare for Saturday's farmer's market.  Have a nice morning!

Oh...and this is a great book of raw foods dessert recipes if you're not lucky enough to live in Green Bay, Wisconsin (of all places) and have a raw foods restaurant nearby. 

On My Way Out

I know I just posted less than twelve hours ago, but I'm headed to the Broadway Farmer's Market to set-up and thought I'd show you some of the little friends tagging along:

 

I am hoping for more rhubarb and perhaps some fare from mega delicious Vita Raw (our new raw foods restaurant which is right on Broadway).

When I get home, I'm going to relax in the "big chair" and watch Revolutionary Road.  I know it's a downer, but I've been wanting to see it for ages.

Little Houses

One of the things I enjoy most about the Wednesday night Farmer's Market on Broadway is seeing the variety of artists out there promoting and selling their work (in addition to the vegetables!). 

The space next to mine is reserved for non-profits and the organizations change weekly. This week it was the NEW (Northeastern Wisconsin) Arts booth and two local artists were promoting the fall Art Studio Tour.  The artists had some samples of their work and I took pictures to share.

Janna Zimmerman is a local quilting artist and is opening up her studio for the tour. It's her sixth year participating and she encourages local artists to get involved.  She doesn't sell on line or have a website, but her participation in the tour and word of mouth keeps her business busy. Wow!

One of her quilts is at the top of this post and here are a few more details:

The second artist was Naomi Moes Jenkins who owns a studio with fellow sculptor George Reynolds.  Studio 2 is located at 1404 S. Webster near Hansen's. The hours are listed at the bottom of the post. Naomi works with many materials and sculpts all kinds of whimsical pieces. She's a member of the Art Colony. Her tall giraffe was a favorite at the market this week.

 
There are twenty six artists participating in the Art Studio Tour and there's no charge...you just choose where you want to go and stop on in.

I'll admit I like to see artist's studios almost as much as their art. I'm nosy!  I like to look around and see what their system of organization is and if they keep things around for inspiration. My friend Janet and made a few stops on the tour together the year before last and had a good time.

For those of you as interested in other people's spaces as I am, there's a book filled with pictures of women's studios called Where Women Create . I like the variety and to be truthful, it's as fun to see my dream studio as it is to see one that I could never ever work in!

I tend to be more interested in seeing how old library shelves are used to store fabrics, paints and materials and tend to like work spaces that are colorful, slightly cluttered with tables and tins filled with heaps of tools and supplies than I do the the spaces that are more meditative and clear, but that's just me. I like my space to feel clear, but be a working space and look it.  Of course, right now, my own studio is a mess and half and looks like a cyclone went through. 

Here are a few links to such groups on Flickr for studio voyeurs such as myself:

Etsy Member Studios

Work Spaces

The Living Spaces of Creative Minds

Artist's Studios

Here is Naomi's studio info:

Studio 2
1404 S. Webster
Green Bay WI 54301
920-366-6348

HOURS:
Thursday 2-8
Friday 10-5
Saturday 9-2
Also by Appointment 

Off to spend some time with Mark and then finish checkbook making a slew of checkbook covers and maybe some gift tags.

I fell off my water wagon and didn't drink much yesterday, so it's a gallon today for sure. Remember, one quart for every fifty pounds of body weight is a good goal to work towards. I've been drinking a gallon a day for a long time and my body is used to it. Now, if I miss a few days, my skin gets crepey. Never let anyone tell you water consumption has no effect on your skin. It may not make your skin softer, but when you are dehydrated, your skin isn't as plump. Seriously...well, at least for me.

Have a great weekend Kitchenettes!

Headed Toward The Weekend

Friday is here, but it doesn't feel like an introduction to the weekend.  I have a weekend of wallet making ahead of me, though you can bet I'll be at the Farmer's Market bright and early tomorrow. I've got a hot date with a gang of fresh strawberries.  I plan to seduce them right out of the market and into my freezer.  

I'm taking part of today off and in honor of it feeling like a Saturday morning (to me), I made some organic blueberry muffins. I used Ina Garten's recipe, but with all due respect to a culinary hero, I had to make a few changes...I like a not so sweet muffin and I had a lot of blueberries to use.

Blueberry Muffins (Slightly Adapted From Ina Garten's Recipe):

1 1/2 sticks butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature  (no warmer)
1 tspn pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup milk
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tspns baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn sea salt
1/4 tspn nutmeg (nutmeg goes in almost everything here from bechamel to muffins)
1 pint fresh blueberries (I use more, but you might not want yours as blueberry-ey as mine)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add eggs while mixing vigorously, stir in vanilla, milk, sour cream...let sit for 10 minutes and stir again (this gets the sugar melting and your muffins brown better on the top.  I discovered this all on my own...it's a Little Orange Kitchen Tip). Add all remaining ingredients (except blueberries), mix until all flour is absorbed...a gentle mix..not hard.

Then fold in blueberries slowly and soft as a whisper...spoon batter into greased muffin tins (18 muffins total)...it's OK to fill to top of cup. Dot some extra blueberries on the top if you have them. 

Bake until golden (about 20-25 minutes)...can also be baked in a loaf pan, but takes about 40 minutes. Turn out of pan and cool on a wire rack. If you dotted some blueberries on top, remove your muffins carefully or those hot blueberries will pop and leave your muffin tops with deep purple starbursts (which isn't so bad!).     

Tip: If you have the experience of your blueberries always sinking to the bottom of your muffins, this means your batter is too thin. Muffin batter has to be thick and hold its shape. This is another reason not to take any shortcuts and soften your butter in the microwave. Room temperature is a must. Anything warmer leads to a thinner batter.     

Enjoy!

There's a time and a place for everything and when making cupcakes I like to use paper liners because there's something about a cupcake that's individual. Peeling away the paper is part of the ritual, however, when it comes to muffins, no papers allowed.

To me, a muffin is a community experience and I like seeing them all together with no paper walls to serve as dividers. It's easy just to reach in the basket and break one in half and everyone can just reach for a warm one and instantly take a bite. Even a five second delay when eating a muffin is lost time. 

Plus, you save the papers and can feel environmentally superior or you can make cupcakes right away!

Happy Friday!

What Abundance & Prosperity Mean To Me

Yesterday, in spite of the pouring rain, high winds and breaking down my display at The Farmer's Market, only to set it up again on a last minute hunch, I ended up having a nice night with good (if not spectacular) sales. Especially considering the first half of the market was a rainy mess...the sun was never more welcome.

I'm so glad I decided to set everything up again. Plus, my friend Jill stopped by to say hi and ended up staying until closing and perhaps this was why my booth was super busy with wallet fans.

I'm finally at the stage where I see light in the tunnel as far as initial expenses and investments in paper and tools. I've begun to pay us back for some extremely large business related purchases to prepare me for Art Street and the holidays. This feels good, because even with preparing for upcoming shows, I should be able to use the modest surplus in my business account to pay for any supplies and displays needed from this point forward. Using credit cards or our money to get started seems to be over. I'm not truly at the "paying myself" stage, though it's been less than a year since I first put up a shingle on Etsy and started doing shows, so that time will come.  I say "more of this please" with every sale, no matter the size.

I felt good as I realized where I am with the business and decided to change my cash box a bit. I always keep a list of prices with tax included (just to make busy times easier) and of course have my red envelope and a piece of citrine handy in the box at all times. Citrine is a stone of prosperity and great to have in your cash box, register or even taped to the side of your phone if you happen to conduct business that way.

Instead of hoping for just for prosperity and abundance, I decided to name what those words mean to me. I closed my eyes and meditated on it and this is what I came up with:

What Abundance & Prosperity

Mean To Me:

 

Hardwood floors, clear and open space, nice windows with sun streaming in, but diffused by sheer curtains, music playing throughout home, no debt, hydrated body, nice well-fitting clothes that feel good on my skin, freedom to make choices, sleeping in, quality dinners in restaurants that cook food grown with love, clear skin, a daily yoga or meditation practice, a room dedicated solely to my art and writing work, travel, nice luggage and purses, freedom in my body, trips to salons and spas to tend my body,  time to make gifts for friends and family, joyful celebrations, a savings account, trust in life and myself.

The great news is that I already have many of these things in my possession (including hardwood floors and a room dedicated to my work), and while some of them only appear rather intermittently (hydrated body, clear skin, daily yoga and meditation, trust in myself), they don't require money to bring back to my life. The things that haven't arrived yet, soon will. 

I felt good as I realized my list didn't talk about new cars and million dollar checks (though I'm not turning anything down!) and instead got to the core of the essence of things I need.

I taped the chart into my cashbox this morning and read the affirmation I printed at the bottom aloud. It made me cry because it's a simple task...to feel deserving of good things and good feelings, but it's always been a challenge for me to believe this (intellectually, no problem...to the core of my being...big problem). But, I'm rooting hard for myself and guess what Kitchenettes?

I'm rooting hard for you too.

You deserve to live an abundant and prosperous life.  You deserve to feel good about your life and work and to accept the goodness that comes your way.

Putting Up Walls....Of GratItude...

OK, it was a rather cold and rainy Farmer's Market ...but, the people were great and so was the scenery.

It shut down early because of the rain (much to the chagrin of the organizers.  Apparently, artists are given a little leeway in the "rain or shine event" and as long as we ask to leave if we worry about our work being ruined...however, this same courtesy isn't extended to produce and food vendors. 

I was determined to stick it out, but was really surprised when many vendors began to call it a night.  I consulted with two who seemed as reluctant as me to just start packing, but once we saw that on our end of the street the tents were down, we decided to go ahead.  It was wise...the weather wasn't great and the crowds of walkers all but disappeared.  I still felt a little guilty though.

The picture of the flowers is from a display in front of a local business...

I want to tell you about this awesome project:

The Gift Itself is one of Green Bay's most eclectic gift shops and galleries.   They're one of the original Broadway pioneers and saw the potential of the area long before anyone else did...which actually, knowing the area and what it once was, makes them positively visionary. 

The Gratitude Dream Wall is a community art project they're sponsoring.  It's free and all you have to do is take one of the silk strips and write a note of thanks (for whatever or to whoever) or a prayer and attach it to the wall...amazing.  It's just getting started, but I did mine and saw that people had written everything from "Obama 2008"  to "Thank you for helping me heal."  I stopped reading when it occurred to me that perhaps it was more polite to keep my eyes on my own ribbon! 

I love it! I think I want to start one in our house...kind of like this blogger did last Thanksgiving using leaves...brilliant. This is Green Bay people...we have a free to the public outdoor community art project...the times must be changing!

Hey...Many over at Octomandarian has another tea review up...as is her tradition on Wednesdays!

P.S. To those of you who commented in the last post...really...my problem is that I do not get enough done...I don't work hard enough...seriously...I have some real discipline issues and just can't accept your praise..even if it does inspire me to work a little harder!  It's a real issue...my time management problem...but it is slowly getting better.     

Show Us Your Wares

I can't believe I haven't posted in five days! We've got lots going on here and more on that soon, but in the meantime...The On Broadway Farmer's Market kicked off tonight and in spite of threatening to rain and it being the first one of the season, it was busy and a lot of fun.

I was super stressed because my stock was low, but no one seemed the least concerned and the wallets got a great response from people passing by. The booth rental is fairly inexpensive, but guess what? Sales weren't even super high, but as of tonight, the booth is paid for completely! For the whole season! Woo-Hoo!

Some really fun things happened. A young woman walked by and I recognized her from the Urban Frog.  We chatted because she's a big wallet fan and already owns three!  Then, I noticed what she was carrying! It turns out that the Frida wallet was a gift for her! I had no clue when I made it that it was a birthday present for sweet Carly!

Carly was extra nice and let me take her picture holding Frida...actually...she let me take three. I believe in "safety" shots just in case the first one doesn't turn out.

It was nice because many of the women who stopped by the booth already had one...some had purchased them at Arti-Gras and some had received them as gifts from other women friends!  I loved seeing wallets I made in the winter being pulled out of bags now!

Then, I was blown away when this friend stopped by.

When I owned Mico Femina I had a large female staff and one guy. Pete.

I used to call my staff Pete & The Girls as if they were some sort of 50's band!  When many of my female customers learned through the grapevine that I'd hired a guy, they were concerned. They liked the women and the store was so feminine in nature that they feared a man would throw it off balance. I knew he'd be perfect. Besides, I was an equal opportunity employer!  It worked out. Everyone loved him.

Pete was a great match for the shop. Women came up to me over and over and said that they just couldn't believe how perfect Pete was. Soft spoken, gentle, a tad nervous, a little hesitant and a very good sport. The girls and I were relentless when it came to teasing Pete (kindly).  He was so nervous his first few weeks that we took great delight in pretending he'd made "serious" mistakes and seeing him get his trademark worried look! Agahahahaaha! 

He has a very dry sense of humor and doesn't say much, but when he speaks you have to listen and usually laugh...he's so funny.   He and I had a lot of fun because I'm so animated and he isn't (AT ALL) that we got a kick out of one another.   

I haven't seen Pete in a long time and when he came up to my booth I was overcome with joy! Hugs all around!  I could go on and on with Pete stories and of how he had to deal with his prankster female boss (me!) and seven female co-workers during the holiday season, but I won't...it would make me look like a terribly unprofessional boss!  Good to see you Pete! 

My mom swung by and watched my booth so I could take a break to go see the beautiful Liz.

Her work is amazing and so reasonably priced!  Look at her magnets!

If you're local, please stop on by (she's near Sassy Girl).  It was fun to meet a fellow blogger and Etsian.  She has pendants, hair clips, magnets and her prints on wood and earrings. If you aren't local, head on over to Etsy to see her.

My pictures  of her booth came out with a big glare, so you'll have to take my word about the beauty of her colorful artwork.

All and all it was a nice night and my EZ-UP canopy worked well, but let's just say that for a canopy called EZ-UP....well, it isn't all that easy...at least for me. Though, I think it just takes getting used to.

I have many good things to blog about including great mail from Kai and Emiko as well as a tag from Racheal, but I promised myself that I wouldn't post again until I can get over to your blogs tomorrow. I'm so behind on my blog reading. 

Hey....I was late in getting the give-aways out, but finally did on Monday...though, I'm still waiting for addresses from some of you.  Please shoot me your address to receive your consolation prize!

Oh...bad news. I just learned that the phrase I use regularly ...  "For all intensive purposes" is really supposed to be "For all intents and purposes".  Lovely. Just lovely. I feel pretty dumb because I say it a lot.  I use it in the right context at least, but somehow the right words alluded me for 39 years.

Good news. My new hearing aids are keepers! I was able to hear almost everyone at the market tonight even though it was super loud and the music was playing (great singer by the way).  It feels so good to finally hear people even when they are looking away from me as they talk!

Sweet dreams all!  I'll post as soon as I do some blog reading tomorrow!