Perhaps you are already aware of this this attack on a relatively new blogger. If not, I’ll wait while you get up to speed.

I’m still waiting for a thoughtful critical analysis myself. In the meantime, if someone I considered a friend pulled this kind of immature, insensitive crap and tried to explain her actions away as humorous, necessary and insightful, I would call her on her bad behavior, rather than rush to her defense.

I would also ask my friend to take a few minutes to remember what life with a newborn baby was like. To remember the sleepless nights, the hormonal highs and lows and how vulnerable she must have felt behind her ever-present sneer. I would also consider the possibility that this new mother–who already has several other small children–might also be vulnerable to the same postpartum depression plumbed to generate her friend’s own emo ridden, parasitic content.

Remember postpartum depression? Remember banging your head against the wall of early motherhood so many times, and begging someone to convince you life would get easier? Now, Alli seems perfectly cheerful and emotionally healthy, and I’ve yet to see any mention of PPD on her blog, but how can any of us know for sure? Tracey, did it ever cross your mind that cutting down a tired new mom could have caused real harm? Do you care?

No, women do not need to pretend to like one another, but unsubstantiated public attacks, on unsuspecting, newly postpartum women is not behavior that should be allowed to hide behind a label of humorous, straight-talking, cultural commentary. What the fuck is wrong with the lot of you who believe it should?

And on the topic of humor, the importance placed on pretending there is some wider ranging, meta issue of what constitutes original ideas for anyone with offspring to consider before launching a blog,rather than admit one of your own is simply behaving badly, is hilarious. Best of luck developing that discussion.

Go visit Stuck in Customs for one stunning travel shot after another.

Hi Missy, and thanks for the tag. I’ve been a rather absent blogger and most days when I glance at Google reader, I shrug my shoulders, and mark all items as read. There are elephants in my writing room, and I don’t know how to tiptoe around them, so ennui and neglect win most of the time in favor of any passable content.

This post will be no exception.

Seven songs that are shaping my summer? OK, then.

The first song is my near constant companion while playing WordTwist on Facebook. The opening strains of Strange Way remind me of New Mexico. I want to gallop into the impossibly blue Taos sky, wave to the black dog guarding the pueblo and duck beneath the door to a sweet little adobe, where the smell of burning pinon mingles with strong coffee and sage. This ache is not soothed by the fact that I keep reading and re-reading Natalie Goldberg’s new guide to writing memoir,Old Friend From Far Away.

The next song is one I turn to again and again. How can you not want to slip into a morning from a Bogart movie or visit a country where they turn back time, when Al Stewart’s Year of the Cat begins to play?

Similarly, a few melancholy moments ofTime Passages reminds me as I glance at my ever-changing son, that years really do go falling in the fading light.

These are the three. I wish there were seven songs. Seven loud, raucous songs that spoke of days at the beach and good times on the road, but so far, it is not shaping up to be that sort of summer.

Man, what sleep-deprived new mom could pass up an opportunity like this one gleaned from Craigslist?

Freelance Blogger on Babies & Parenting (Work from Home)

Perfect job for a new mom.

* Location: Work from Home
* Compensation: $2 per daily 100 word post with bonus for measurable results
* Telecommuting is ok.
* This is a part-time job.
* Principals only. Recruiters, please don’t contact this job poster.
* Please, no phone calls about this job!
* Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.

TWO whole dollars? Hot damn! It’s 1983 again, and I just spent the cash I earned for half an hour of babysitting on a fluorescent green bottle of Wet & Wild nail polish and a snack-sized bag of Cool Ranch Doritos.

The lucky new mom who lands this gig could almost support a tall latte per day habit.

I cannot say much more than Thank you, Theo, for writing your memoir.

On a semi-related note, why does UPS always deliver my Amazon prime orders in the evening after I’ve scrubbed my face clear of makeup, eaten a bunch of garlic and taken off my bra? While I’m far from glamorous normally, I’m embarrassed that they must associate my address as the one where a mother screams at her child to Stay right there!, runs down the stairs and throws open the door to reveal toxic breath, and sagging flappentitz swinging free under an ancient t-shirt above stained, holey yoga pants.

Hot.

I’ve been inspired by Venessa and Adrienne to try and document a few of the meals I base on goodies from our CSA.

Last week was the first CSA, and since this is New England, it was greens, greens, a turnip or two, more greens and some rather anemic strawberries. No matter. This week already showed a bit more variety, which tonight’s kitchen reflects.

Got turnips? Got kale? Got no idea how to incorporate both into a meal? You’ve got Vegan Linda’s turnip and kale soup, with a twist. The twist in the form of slightly overripe grape tomatoes, paprika,a can of tomato paste, twenty something cloves of garlic and a liberal pinch of rosemary infused sea salt.

This is what it looked like before I stirred in some already cooked arborio rice.

We’re fortunate to have a fantastic little Italian market, Capone’s, at the bottom of our hill. Max and I have been shopping on foot quite a bit this week, and picked up the rice, and a bar of dark chocolate infused with earl grey tea earlier this afternoon.

Speaking of arborio rice, this week’s CSA also included a small head of cabbage, which I decided to use to whip up a make-as-you go batch of meatless stuffed cabbage. I happened to have a tube of Gimme Lean sausage style in the fridge, so quickly browned the faux meat in a blob of Earth Balance spread, olive oil and the last two garlic scapes from this week’s CSA. Next year, I may add garlic to my container garden–more on that later—simply to gorge on the delicate, flavorful scapes.

I steamed the cabbage until I was impatient enough to deem it tender, ripped off the leaves, and stuffed them with the Gimme Lean mix, and some of the aforementioned arborio rice. I briefly considered making my own tomato sauce, but a scan of my shelves unearthed a dusty container of Muir Glen chunky tomato sauce. I covered the cabbage, dug into the fancy sea salt, sprinkled some ground pepper and tossed the whole shebang into the oven.

Worn out from personal drama, the totaled Pilot and nearly four years of utter sleep deprivation,I needed to laugh-spit-dribble lukewarm coffee down the front of my six year-old Grand Circle Corporation Worldwide Business Works t-shirt this morning.

see more politics and fun!
Thanks toAlison for directing me to Pundit Kitchen.

Started out like this in Wingaersheek:

And ended up like this in Cambridge:

Both Max and I are fine, but the Pilot is seriously fucked. A young guy ran a stop sign, and plowed his even larger, heavier SUV into my driver’s side. At minimum the axle is gone and the brake line ruptured beyond the obvious cosmetic damage. (ETA: According to the insurance company, a broken axle can flag as totaled. More fun to follow.) My neck feels a bit odd, so hopefully I will not wake up tomorrow unable to walk–which happened when I was rear-ended almost 20 years ago– because walking is exactly what I’ll be doing for the next week or so.

As some of you know, life has thrown us a few curves lately. I do not want to discuss the specific challenges here, but I need to clear my mind and hell, before prices at the pump soar past $10 a gallon, I need to hit the road again.

So, in mid-July, after my baby brother’s wedding, and Grunty willing, this not-so-young mom will once again go West. And North. And probably in circles, with shaken fist aimed at the GPS goddess in the sky.

Since we’re wandering with a bit tighter budget and aiming to camp this time, suggestions for campgrounds and slightly off the beaten path inexpensive things to see and do along a yet to be determined Northern route very much appreciated.

10. Why don’t jellyfish have eyes?
9. (In Trader Joes) Where is the frozen dog? Mommy, what animal eats dogs?
8. How do worms poop?
7. When you were little, did you have to use tossitories?
6. Mommy, do you put chemicals in your mouth? (I think he means mouthwash.)
5. Not a question, but up there: Mommy, I know a dead person. She’s your fwend before college. She’s always happy and she has freckles and she says hello. Also? She’s not worms. She’ll be OK. *
4. How many books are in the library? Why?
3. When are you going to grow a beard? When you’re a man?
2. Can I have ketchup for my pancakes, please?
1. When the Mommy and Daddy do the special hug, does the placenta do a special hug too?

*Eerily close description of my friend Beth, who died in a car accident when she was 18.

Bonus just now: What is macaroni and cheese made out of?

Add your own.

And pass the margaritas.