An Artists' Life

Peas aren't vegetables. I just read that on Maggies' Chronicle, a wonderful blog that her mama Miriam is keeping to record her life and days as she grows. She is 6 months old, and a very engaging, adorable, and happy baby. She has the most awesome smile, and is very easy to entertain. You know, she has told you, you know Maggie, or I have mentioned this. Well back to peas.

When I read that peas aren't vegetable, something started to set me off into a giggling fit. What are they? Tiny little apples? Balls of green pudding? Cute goo, meant only to be spread around babys' face, and not eaten at all... I know that our very smart and perfectly correct Leah Miriam was referring to the fact - I think - that green peas are legumes. Like garbanzo beans. Which probably aren't even beans. Aren't they all healthy anyway?

My favorite photographs of babies are the ones where they are covered with food from their first meals. There is an old photo of my nephew Todd looking like he was baked inside of his first birthday cake, and then popped out of it! The cake was presented to him - while he was sitting in his high chair. And he just tipped his head over and went face first right into it and started eating. I was horrified, because I wanted to eat some cake too - but not covered with essence of baby DNA, etc. Babies have a few things to learn that are quite difficult to teach. Tying shoes come to your mind? Well blowing noses comes to my mind. And a drippy nosed baby smiling up from a frosted cake is adorable. But not appetizing. Oh I wish we could have all stayed in the same town, and raised Todd, Amy, and Rebecca as first cousins.

They will always be first cousins and first in July and then in August, my nephew Todd will become a daddy and my niece
Amy a mom. Todd is having a son named 'Jack', I like that name, and Amy is having a daughter, whose name is unknown to me. I am thinking of making each of them little blankets for their strollers... that shouldn't be too hard, because I haven't sewn in so very long. I wish they could bring these little babies to RI to meet their 2nd cousins, because it is lots easier to travel with infants than to travel with toddler twins. I just intuit this to be true. What could we possibly do to entice them to come and visit?