Eggplant Blossom and Other Stuff

Eggplant Blossom -- This was in the yard a week or two ago. 

Received a text from Munchkin #1 last night saying the beach was cold, but fun. She's going for a ride on a boat today, and will get to eat crab. She's never been much of a seafood eater, but landlocked Kansas is probably not the best place to try seafood. I'm really looking forward to all the stories she has to tell.

I have officially completed one week of part-time employment -- Farmers' Market Manager. I already feel like I'm getting to know the ropes, but I'm pretty sure there is a whole lot of rope I haven't seen yet. The logistics and bookkeeping portion of the job are going to be easy to slide into. The previous manager is extremely organized and a list maker, much like myself, so she already has things set up in a manner that make sense to me. I feel extremely fortunate to be following in her footsteps. She's making the transition easy.

I'm rather bursting at the seams with ideas for the promotional side of things, but am trying to pace myself and make sure I get all the technicalities of the operation down. I've been thinking about how many people I've worked with over the last 10 years or so while freelancing that I've never actually met. I have all these names in my head with no faces. In some cases I know voices (via online conferencing or digital recordings), but the image I've conjured for those voices remains entirely my own. In one short week, I've met a lot of people here locally. Many of them are faces I recognize, but now I am getting names and occupations and getting to know the whole person. It's been a very full, but very fun week.

Yesterday I took the munchkins to the zoo for a picnic and and then we wandered over to the old bridge across the Cottonwood River and marveled at the water and the mud. As we were driving from there to the Java Cat to pick up smoothies, hubby was crossing the street and we got to say a quick hello. It's only in a town this size that it works that way -- the perfect size. I do think I'm beginning to love this town.

When I interviewed for this job, one of the things I told them about why I applied for the job was that after four years, I guessed I was getting to a place where I was ready to commit. I can truly see myself being here for a long, long time. The kids have felt it, hubby has felt it, but I guess I've been slow to get here. I do like this community and I look forward to becoming more deeply a part of it.

The kids are happy. Hubby is happy. We have a set of grandparents here now which makes our roots feel stronger. If we could only get the Amtrak train to stop here again, this place would be darned near perfect. (Right, Sis?)

Scenes from the Zoo

It was the perfect kind of day for me to be outside and apparently the turtles agreed. We were all basking beneath a cloud covered sky.

The ducks were having a mighty good time, as well.

I've never met a water lily I didn't like.