Patch of earth

"Beth has lost it," you are saying. "Why is she posting a patch of dirt?"

Because, friends, I have changed my commute route again. For some reason, I have decided that it is vital for my feet to touch real earth at least once a day, no matter how manicured or shabby it may be. Because how can I stay grounded if I never touch the ground? I know it's crazy, but I've convinced myself that I absorb something elemental this way. This nutty current compulsion of mine takes me over this little patch in Central Park each morning. I do love it so.

Perfect picnic

Chris had to work the evening of July 4, but we still managed to have a perfect 4th by packing a picnic and hanging out in Central Park. Behold the elements of our perfect picnic:

Munchies.

Cheeeeese.

Genius last-minute sandwich idea: Leftover grilled zucchini, sundried tomato, parmesan, garlic aioli

Last-minute salad idea (get the recipe here!)

Bright, juicy goodness.

Bubbles! (The kind allowed in the park, anyway.)

A patriotic spot next to the American flag.

Bethesda Fountain.

The famous boathouse.

We also had some biscuits and I ate a gigantic red, white, and blue popsicle. We visited our neighbors' barbecue later that night, and even caught a far-off glimpse of the Macy's fireworks display over the Manhattan skyline. What did you do for the 4th, U.S.-based friends?

Hee hee!

I just recently went high-tech and got a smart phone. How much do I want to carry it around in this cheeky little case??

(A lot.)

Jellybeans

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Little girl in Toy Story 3: "There's a secret ingredient. [whispers] It's jellybeans."

Can't say exactly why I love these little buggers so much, but I just love 'em. As a kid, they were sort of left to the bottom of the Easter basket, to be eaten only after all the flashy chocolates were consumed. Now, they always cheer me up with their colors. The name is hilarious. Plus, they're the perfect subway snack.

Once, Chris and I tried to win $10,000 by developing a jellybean flavor and a JellyBelly "recipe". Turns out our flavor (pomegranate) was already in development when we entered the idea (d'oh!). Our "mojito" recipe didn't win, either. Ah, well.

Recently, upon hearing the news about my grandmother's death, Chris and I went into the city to light candles at St. Patrick's Cathedral. Afterward, Chris brought me to Dylan's Candy Bar in search of a jellybean pick-me-up.

I had a terrible work day today, but some Mike & Ikes (another favorite, close cousins to jellybeans) kept me going. (Side note 1: They're hard to find in these parts, but boxes of these collect dust on the bottom shelves of our local Rite-Aid. I think I am the only New Yorker who seeks them out. Side note 2: Still no way of knowing which ones are Mikes and which ones are Ikes.)

[edit: Out of curiosity just looked up the "mojito" jellybean. That exists now, too! Bet that was also in development already. D'oh!]

I love carnations

I have been enjoying beautiful carnations in the kitchen for a couple of weeks now. On the weekends, I walk down to our corner store and buy a bunch in a single color. One bunch came with baby's breath, which looks corny in the bouquet, but terrific in my bud vase:

Anyway, carnations get a bad rap. They smell amazing, don't cost much, last forever, and are virtually indestructible. I just love them. When I was little, my dad used to get my mom a bouquet of red roses for Valentine's Day, and he'd bring me a bouquet of pink carnations.

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What's a girl to do?

Attention cat owners: Is there *any* way to train a cat?

My adorable, gentle, and sweet "bunny-rabbit" greets strangers excitedly, purrs on our laps all the time, infinitely improves my moods and stress levels, and is generally a perfect pet. EXCEPT I cannot stop him from jumping on the counter. This horrifies houseguests and creates work for us (eternal wiping down and/or washing our arsenal of cutting boards—guaranteed cat-free prep surfaces). And, as I was reminded today, when he jumped on the counter and jetted across the HOT STOVE, it is NOT safe for the cat! (He was fine. Phew.)

He jumps on the counter mainly because he loves the sink. We tried getting him a kitty fountain, but he still likes the sink. We tried squirting him with a bottle, but he just deals with the water. "No" is a word that cats understand—and laugh at and ignore. I hear double-sided tape can deter cats from certain surfaces, but our cat loves to chew on tape (what a weirdo!). This "blender defender" seems a little extreme...anyone have any practical advice??

Loving

1) Hot pink lipstick. A fair-skinned friend recently inspired me. She has a complexion like Alexis Bledel here, with the dark hair and ice-blue eyes. I opted for a more muted/less neon version than this. But still, LOVE.

2) Not paying the cable company one million dollars a month. My techie husband has set us up to get all of our media straight from the Interweb to our TV. There are a lot of remote controls right now. But so worth it.

3) Hiding your flatscreen TV. These people are geniuses and I wish I could have a custom cabinet build with one of these reversible bookshelf mechanisms. Maybe we will save enough now that we're not paying the cable company??

4) This video. This little girl turned my day around this morning. I, too, love my pajamas! And my stuff, and my mom and my dad and my whole house!