Farmer's Market

One of my favorite things about Summer in a small town is our local farmer's market. I love nothing more than waking up on a Saturday morning, throwing Little Bit in the car with me, and heading down to the park to see what wares are spread before us. Like magic, a rainbow of tents and umbrellas has bloomed overnight, and between their fluttering canvases drifts a sea of people, most of them friends, family, neighbors or acquaintances.

Little Bit is always a main attraction when we go (well, she is everywhere we go really), in her pink sunglasses and sporting her wild hair do'. Little old ladies and men alike ooh and ahh over her (it's especially cute to see these big, gruff farmer-types start cooing and waving at her!)
We're bound to run into someone we know, or someone who knows us, or just a friendly stranger out enjoying the glorious sunshine as well. I love the feeling of community, of Mayberry alive and well just beyond our doorstep, especially with all the craziness out there these days. This is a place we can go that hearkens back to simpler times, reminds us to slow down and enjoy the simple, homemade pleasures of life - juicy treats like fresh watermelon, crunchy greens, frozen sorbets, sunny daisies and crocheted kitchen towels that look like baby doll dresses (what? You don't have a place in your kitchen screaming for a baby-doll-dress-towel? How sad is that!).

And, joy of joys!, I just discovered that starting this Wednesday our Farmer's Market will have an afternoon session as well! I cannot wait to get Hayden from daycare and run out there to find some fixin's for dinner, and get our fix of small town Summertime for the day!

Mini-who?

Mini-Chris. Apparently that's what you all think, anyway. I asked you all to vote, some of you did (not very impressed with the response, by the way, folks. I expect better out of you!), and you almost all agreed - Hayden is a Chris clone. Thank you to the lone dissenter.


Actually, my feelings aren't hurt at all. I have thought from the very beginning that Hayden looked like Chris. In fact, after our 4-D ultrasound waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back when, I told Chris that she looked like him.

All orange and blobby. With funky eyes.

He didn't agree with me then, but now I think he's on board (in fact, I have it on good authority he logged one of the 'Chris' votes himself).

I think it all depends on how you're looking at her, though. That beautiful, adorable, wonderful face is pretty much Chris all over (the jury's still out on her nose -or at least I'm still out. She's going to have to grow into it a bit, I think). Those massive hands of hers, with the scary-long fingers? Me. Those odd toes, that look like they were stuck on in the wrong order? Me! (notice our 2nd toes are too short. Medically, it's called something like a "fused digit". My husband just calls it weird.)That thick, wavy, totally unruly hair? HELLO!! All ME!

Whoever you think she favors more, I think Chris and I both agree she is her own unique little person, and we can't wait to see how she grows and develops and proves us both wrong over and over and over again every time we think we've got her figured out!

We've come a long way, baby!

I just happened to look at the calendar this morning and realized it was June 1. That's the day Chris and I met and had our first date, eight years ago today. Holy cow - eight years we've been together! As Chris so sweetly told me, "it feels like it's been soooo much longer." Just kidding, although I swear there are times I feel I've known him my whole life, and other days I can't believe how long it's been.

I probably wouldn't remember the date of our first date, except that it is 3 days after I started working here at Royston - May 29, 2001 - and for various and sundry reasons, I have to fill that out on forms occasionally.

For those of you who haven't heard how Chris and I met, I thought in honor of the anniversary of that fateful day, I'd share the story here. For those of you who have heard, feel free to stick your fingers in your ears and sing "lalalalalalala" until I'm done. Or, just skip this post.

Our Story
Fresh out of college and thrust headlong into a "management development program" at the small manufacturing company I'd signed on to (seriously, I wasn't even sure I understood what they meant by 'manufacturing' until I walked out on the shop floor the first time and saw they were really and truly producing product. Here! At This Very Facility!), I was introduced to a fellow "development-tee", Carrie McKinney my first day on the job. As a Jasper native, and three weeks further into the program than myself, she was asked to take me out to lunch the next day to show me the ropes and the town.

We began chatting, getting to know one another, and she asked me to tell her a little about myself - "Where are you from? What do you do for fun? Are you single, married, seeing anyone?", and I told her, "Marietta. Hang out with friends, go out, (insert random activity here). No, not seeing anyone - you know anybody? (half-kidding, half-serious. I wasn't sure I'd ever find anyone in this teeny town on my own!)" She then asked me what was to be probably the most defining question of my life, " I just might (know someone, that is). Do you like bluegrass music? Allison Kraus?" To which I fatefully replied, "yes. I like Allison Kraus." Of course, little did she know, that was THE FULL EXTENT of my knowledge on the subject.

By the time we got back from lunch, she had me set up with Chris on my very first blind date ever, a double date with her and her husband Joel. Poor Joel suffered a bout of kidney stones the night before our date was to take place and he and Carrie spent all night up and in the emergency room, but he was a trooper and stuck it out, and because of her match-making and his heavy-duty pain medications, Chris and I met that night for the first time.

Poor sucker. He never saw me coming.


This is a picture of Chris and I at a Vince Gill concert (which apparently is what prompted the "do you like bluegrass" question from Carrie) a few weeks after we met. He already had an extra ticket. Just in case he met someone. I'm so glad, too. Believe it or not, that night was the first time we mentioned the possibility of the "M" word (for you guys out there, the M word is marriage). Man, were we young and dumb and in love!