Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Big Trip Part 2: Boothbay, Maine

We went to the Aquarium of Maine. It was the Deliciousness Museum, clearly funded by lobstermen of Maine. mmm, made us hungry.


 Why does Maine, a cold place, have so much good ice cream?
 I had to make an emergency Salvation Army run with my two tropical-blooded children. We were freezing. We found a little track suit for RJ and a football sweatshirt for MP, and Rosie found the love of her young life: the sexy, the flexy, Barbie. I fought it, resisted, but she bargained me with a full day of delightful good behavior so I gave her a dollar and she went in and bought this alarming, sexist, naked, anatomically warped thing, that she loves with all of her young heart.
 Auntie Annie taught RJ how to sew, and they created an apron together. I also snuck and made a frock for Barbie-- Rosie was irate that it impeded her flexiness, but I sewed it on forever.

 Jammin at Mexicali Blues, a store so awesome I was paralyzed and couldn't buy anything
 The children frolicking under the peach tree


 Cooking with Auntie
 Celebrating with KJ
 I love this significant glance...

 At dinner, Rosie snuck my camera out of my purse and took about 35 candid pictures of Ivan chewing.
 And her own toes.


 And our delicious TB raw milk, yum.
 Homemade raspberry jam-- really everything in boothbay was hyperhomemade: you want bread? Let me grind the wheat and voila! Breakfast time? Go get the bacon from suzie the sow!



 Bedecked by auntie...










It was so so lovely. Words can't do justice.

The Big Trip Part 2: Portland, Maine

It's painful but also delightful to realize that I am a country mouse. Things like, local salami at a wine bar with local music sent me into a moony fit of delight. If I didn't live on a rock in the pacific with no wine bars and even less live music then I might think ho, hum. So, see? Deprivation is character building. Or, binge-inducing. Ho, hum.

 An actual dandelion, like a unicorn!

 Really, truly, lovely.




 What if mermaids only had pointy seashells?
 The Lobster Shack: worth the wait.

 Lobsters: thumbs up.




 Matt hates stuff like this. Thanks for humoring me, dear.







 LL Bean capital of the world...
 You can put the kid in the trout tank.
 I love me a retail outlet with taxidermy.