May 2009 Archives

Will was only a few weeks old when we discovered that the rashes that seemed to come and go all over his body were being caused by allergic reactions to eggs, cow’s milk, peanut products and dog saliva. Interesting combo, but impossible, right? I mean he was only a few weeks old… it’s not like he was eating any of these things… However, his Allergist was quick to point out that he in fact was ingesting all–through my nursing… which then came to a screeching halt. The dog saliva–that was just welcome-to-the-world-love from the Bluedog.

We left the Allergist that day–Epi-pen in hand…just in case the test results were off the mark… and ears full of instruction… Speechless. Not only could Will not have eggs, milk or peanuts in their singular form–but he also had to avoid foods/drinks that contain them as ingredients. Do you know how many products this cuts from daily living? Aside from having to read every label on every item that ever comes in contact with Will… there was the guilt… MY GOD THE GUILT. How did I let this happen, it must have been something that I did or didn’t do.. Dammit, why did I smoke in the nineties? I thought wine and coffee were supposed to be good for you.. Maybe I didn’t eat enough apples… And as for the dog saliva, we’ll just have to tie Blue’s tongue up in his ears somehow… A bubble.. I need a bubble to put my boy in… Maybe there was too much Mercury in all the fish I’ve ingested these 33 years.. I’m a minefield..  Maybe I… But wait. There is a chance that he’ll grow out of it. All of it. A very good chance.

Now, let it come to pass that I have researched food allergies inside out, up down, backwards, under-over and in my sleep. There really aren’t any answers to be had… despite the seriously condemning nature of the topic… Most kids born today–in America– are allergic to something… And, most parents are not as insanely bothered by a rash as we were… but everyone is looking for an answer. And thank God–for Will, his reactions are just a rash–some kids go into shock and the unspeakable happens. After major investigations… it’s the same as everything else that seems loopy in modern day life… We can blame the world around us, the things that we have done–most unknowingly, to our bodies and well–life as we know it. The rash, by the way, never seemed to bother him.

So, we are in it… and honestly, it really isn’t that bad. Will is incredibly healthy–turned 18 months this past Friday. There are tons of “alternate” food choices out there… Alternates to things that, as it turns out, are really not very good for him anyway. And, thanks to the vegetarians and vegans of the world, these things are not hard to come by. Soy is a blessing in disguise… and cow’s milk–not so great for the bod anyway… who knew? Most things, in fact, that contain milk and eggs, even on their own, are not so hot health-wise (as heart disease sweeps the nation). And, on a more “all about me” note… We as parents are in massive growing company of others that are scouring over books, websites, blogs– frustrations equaling fear demanding answers looking for solutions….. something has to give.

Eventually–sooner than later…  there will come a day when he’ll want the ice-cream… someone will give him a piece of cheese… I guess we’ll deal with that day when it arrives.. Peanuts — we have high hopes that they will be banned from existence entirely.  For now we’re doing great, and as for Blue… we untied his tongue and are just mindful about the number of licks that actually land on Will…. as that friendship grows, however, it has become the hardest part. 

(March 2009)

3OnTheSides

1. This book is amazing: Go Dairy Free: The Guide and Cookbook for Milk Allergies, Lactose Intolerance, and Casein-Free Living by Alisa Marie Fleming
2. This book is awesome too, although it has given me a huge bought of deja vu: The Unhealthy Truth: How Our Food is Making us Sick — And What We Can Do About It by Robyn O’Brien, Rachel Kranz
3. These cupcakes rock, as does the yet again deja vu causing article.

Whoa the month of May went fast! I suspect June will feel the same although I hope not… time for some nice lazy summer days—we might have to wait until July.

1. The Mini-Boost @ Cool Tools…
2. Easy-Peasy improvisation… [lifehacker]
3. Humble pie, Mr. Koons… [recessionwire]
4. Same site—I was mentioned… (less than pleased and the last interview I ever do)…
5. Before & After…
6. A list for your tongue…[mightygirl]
7. So true, Mr. Dempsey…  [graphicjourneyblog]
8. Czars…
9. This is one healthy desk drawer… staged perhaps?[kitchn]
10. Enough Already!! In the Hamptons…
11. Oh great…
12. Some venting @ Noisy Decent Graphics… we totally relate…
13. Was David the Designer mugged? We hope not… and we may mug for one…
14. The SNARC effect… (just wanted to say SNARC)… [cognitivedaily]
15. Avocados are finally in season… [seriouseats]
16. Check your physics at the door…. [cosmicvariance]
17. Ugh.. in-flight dining…
18. A lot of words explaining a simple theory… [alistapart]
19. One of our Portsmouth, NH faves… The Friendly Toast… Nostalgia..[seriouseats]
20. I once had a co-worker that tapped his mouse... hours of anxiety… [passiveagressivenotes]
21. Royal whines on Royal Pains… This Thursday@ USA Network…. all kinds of royal hypocrisy…
22. Go ahead.. Talk to strangers… [thehappinessproject]
23. Partying for partying's sake… in Dubai (of course)… [jaunted]
24. Martha gets to the bottom of Twitter…
25. AND… only one week into the season—The 2009 MAGAZINE WARS!…if it isn't one, it's another.

JUNEWARD!

Good friend and Artist Photographer — Doug Young presents…..

Click to enlarge.. or here are the deets…

Land & Sea
Fine art prints on canvas by photographer Doug Young
In “the gallery” at the Greyhorse Tavern
Opening Reception May 27th, 6-8p.m.291
Bayport Avenue, Bayport, NY 11705, 631.472.1868
www.greyhorsetavern.com

Before going out to fight the Memorial Day weekend acutremont gatherers, a morning of calm….

• 2nd cup of tea
• Baby swan
• No messages
• http://www.lenneganandmarantz.com
• The new Citarella is now open in the old Red Market in Bridgehampton
• Open windows
• Monday is a holiday making today [Thursday] the new Saturday
• Pizza night
• The IRS is surprisingly understanding
• Will’s haircut
• Fun people coming to visit this weekend–arriving on an early Jitney
• Gardening, playing, updating
• Thai food this weekend
• I understand Flickr
• I’m beginning to understand Twitter
• Bluedog is all better

 

I am addicted to cookbooks…. someone once told me that I was really good at cooking "comfort food"… not sure if that was a complement, but I took it as such. When the food network became a staple on cable, I was glued… still am sometimes, although I am seeing a trend in over salting. I've tried a few food tv receipes and I have to say that they never turn out tasting as good as they look… it must be the lighting. Still, after watching people cook—I wonder, can I get this in hardcover? Printing from the internet is an option, but it doesn't have the same feel.

My Grandmother had the tiniest kitchen you could ever imagine but she chruned out some fabulous dishes (in my opinion). She collected cookbooks—loved to read them. I have a few from her collection—some with handwritten notes correcting the author with her own take… a habit that I am quitely adopting. I'd say that out of the books I buy – cookbooks are at the top of the list… pretty soon though, we are going to need a bigger boat.

June 4th – the debut of Royal Pains (we’ve mentioned this one before)…. Filming a few scenes locally… the show was initially aimed at the typical Hamptons gleam  – wealth, greed, glitz and gobs of debauchery… an example of the social climbers heaven. A humble doctor from NYC finds himself in the middle of a Hamptonite
boozefest that results in his good fortune of becoming a personal
physician to the obscenely rich…. one can imagine where this leads..
Not to say that the Hamptons are not without good times, but it isn’t
1999. In tomorrow’s NYTimes article, the co-creator is even quoted as saying that after growing up in Roslyn, he  was once “someone who’s on the outside of that world and wants to get in.” You know, we live here… we live here everyday and night. And it’s a really nice place… with (some) nice people… people that might be wealthy… but then again might not be… it’s really hard to tell unless they have their personal physician in tow.

Since it’s initial filming…  has reality struck? Madoff made off… the big bad economy… wealth is suddenly hush hush–bad… Hiding is the new flaunt. Value is the new gem. Saving is the new spending. What was supposed to be a look into living in this world overflowing with granduer has now become a rather low key release. Already low-brow (the USA Network, ew.), Royal Pains is predictably annoying, ugly and at best a pointless waste of time. You know we’ll be watching.

This new logo design for Lennegan & Marantz is lovely and refreshing. I'll pat my own back, thanks.

But enough shameless self promotion… Lennegan & Marantz is a new furniture retail line that has opened up on Main Street in Bridgehampton—at the American Wing. Please view their website… http://www.lenneganandmarantz.com . 

In other news… (back to the shameless self promotion) if you are looking for us, we've moved our Studio space one door down.. swapping with our neighbor. Office swapping if you will. This decision was made because we've become a smaller operation… more nitche—unique—specialized…. dare I say, boutique. Still at 2405 Main Street—and still signless (sigh).

Happy weekend!

I had a massive list of 12 things to get done today…

1. Call Rick…
2. Email David…
3. Email that client that finally paid a portion of their bill and thank them…
4. Call Kim…
5. Call Susan…
6. Email Brent…
7. Get the L&M postcard finished and to the printer…
8. Design the pharmacy website…
9. Finish invoicing for April…
10. Layout the Landscaper company ad and send it to the publication…
11. Email Sheryl…
12. Send the retouched images to Jeremy…

So far… 1, 2, 3, 6 & 11 have been accomplished. All of the others are being held up by circumstances beyond my control…. and therefore I sit here. I had planned this very productive time around Will’s morning nap (jealous!) … I also hired a babysitter to come in this afternoon so that I could accomplish the list… She’ll be here by 1… What are the chances that the world will set in motion and make the rest of my list doable?

In other news….

Last week my husband and I went on a culinary adventure… for those of you that know us–this is rather out of character… Once a week (usually Thursday) we order pizza for dinner. This used to be our pizza & martini night until my alcohol tolerance decided to vacate… now it’s just pizza night.

Two weeks ago our regular pizza delivery guy –Budhi arrived (pizza in hand) and informed us that he was bringing us home-cooked Thai food for dinner on Tuesday. Since we live sort of out of town bounds… we tend to tip rather generously–we thought this was his way of thanking us… and Yes, we love Thai food (lie) we can’t wait for Tuesday (lie). My husband was excited… mostly because of the bond that seemed to be growing between himself and Budhi… I, on the other hand, was skeptical that he was even going to show up (never trust anyone at face value).

So Tuesday arrived… I went to the market as usual to buy goods for dinner… Upon returning home, I was instantly chastised for my untrusting ways… Budhi was coming. How could I be so anti? Well–it wasn’t just about him showing up… if he does show up, what will he have with him? Where did he make the food? How? Where did he get the ingredients? How do we know Budhi doesn’t have bodies in his basement? What if….  wait… this is Budhi, he’s been delivering us pizza on an almost weekly basis for YEARS–how many people do you know that can say the same thing about thier delivery guy? He even called us once because we had guests and had ordered gobs of food–he didn’t want to deliver the wrong thing.

I poured a glass of wine and waited.

Budhi did, in fact, show up. The meals were actually quite good…very spicey–perpared by his wife in their kitchen.. These were down-home cooked Thai meals… straight from Thailand–nothing like what you could get in a restaurant… He handed us a menu–please don’t tell too many people about this, he asked–we only do special orders and don’t want to get too busy… If we want to order again, please call 1-2 days in advance, they are in high demand… He went on to tell us about all the catering jobs they have… We plan to order from him again soon… try out something else new… and maybe, who knows… replace pizza night?!?!?