changing market

I made the semi-monthly pilgrimage to the DuPont Circle Farmers Market Sunday morning. After three or four market trips I figured my way around the streets and found perfect street parking right at the former Iraqi Embassy east of DuPont that's always open. This Sunday morning all the whole street was full; I was foiled! As an aside, I don’t know where the Iraqi ambassador lives these days – is there an Iraqi ambassador to the U.S.? Maybe I’ll be the first to know when the war is about over or when the Iraqi government is functional; they'll cut the grass, clean up the place, and it'll begin to look as if occupancy is imminent. Maybe diplomacy is a last resort. I drove a bit further north on 18th St. and found a place to park within the leafy confines of New Hampshire Blvd. and ambled over just as the bell sounded to open the selling. It was a gorgeous morning in the city but the market wasn’t nearly as crowded as usual and I’m not sure why. Maybe everyone was scared off by the massive amounts of greens on sale this time of year. Could it be that the shopper are gourd-ers?

We were sitting around the table after dinner last night (vichyssoise, roasted green bean salad, eggplant marsala scallopini) and I was mumbling about how I’d broken a few buds off the lilies brought home from the market. As I’m turning the stem to observe the fallen soldiers, X says “be careful...the nut will fall.” I’m not stupid - there are no nuts on lilies. After a few seconds with a dazed look across my face, and the WonderTwins eyeing me as if I’m crazy, I say “nut? What nut?” That is the best response to anyone who dare say anything about nuts and falling. X comes back with a very straight-forward response…”the nut in the vase.” At this point I look over at Kt for any type of assistance figuring that, as a DoJ operative, she might have the correct coded response for this stupid pas de deux. Nothing but a blank slate. I think some more, compose myself, and respond with the only thing I can imagine might stop this insanity – “the spaghetti is in the pot.” Okay, I didn’t say it…but I thought it. My actual response was a lost look that was eventually replaced by a quizzical look when X told me that the nut (methinks it might be a hazelnut) has been placed in the neck of the huge vase in order to keep the lily stems separated enough for the bestest blooming. Right. This harkens back to Thelma and Louise when Thelma’s husband, in response to police questioning, says, “I love my wife…as much as anyone can love a nutcase like that…” See. Nuts. I just got up and dished up the dessert…

The Eleven spent a fitful hour yesterday afternoon looking for Biscuit, the ‘lost’ rat. Said rat was not in his cage and both boys were gone so we started looking around the house and courtyard. Ends up H. decided to take his pet with him to his friend’s house for a few hours of entertaining them with...a rat. Nice. I'm sure he'll be invited over for a future slumber party. At least Biscuit didn’t come to a bad fate because if he had escaped he’d be a goner.

The pool on base is open so the boys are in full swimming mode. They are lobsteresque after 2 ½ hours in the water on Saturday afternoon.

All three children had their hairs cropped Saturday morning. My Arab and Israeli barbers probably find it strange when they're overrun by the Twins and the three minions. I'd imagine that if they walked in and there were three or four people waiting for cuts, Q. would pipe up with "What the Hell!" from his small noise box. A simple detail of life to pass along…

We have tickets for the Joan Armatrading show in Alexandria tonight. Another detail.

T.