Haymarket

Yesterday, Jon and I met up with a friend in Boston and went to Haymarket!!!  I am absolutely impressed by the deals on fruit, vegetables, and fish!  I got enough stuff to fill one large cooler and one lunch box.  The thrifty part of my brain was jumping all around, excited beyond control that an avocado was only $1!  And then I saw the leeks, onions, peppers...and the exotic foods.

I love trying new foods.  This was an amazing opportunity to just go for it!  Besides plantains, a coconut, and Arabic dates, we also got:

 Malanga coco (potato/jam-like root veggie, related to taro, tastes of artichoke heart and chestnuts)

 Banana flower (the actual flower that has banana buds inside!  supposed to taste lightly like leeks)

Rambutan Fruit (a little sad and slightly past prime, but still amazing, tastes like a starchy grape)

We also got some fresh salmon for $4 a pound.

The Russian grocery store was open so we got kvas, sushki, pryaniki, some candy, and some Baltika No. 9 (51 oz size!).

It was a wonderful day, despite a few misadventures, and I am absolutely in love with the market.  I can't wait to go again!

Translating spree and emptying the pantry.

Yesterday, I got a large document to translate.  It is technical, complicated, long...and I often wander away to do other things.  Not packing, though.  I've decided that I cannot pack any more until this document gets done.  This may not be the best plan.

I am finding a few things to go to Goodwill in the meantime, though.  If I haven't worn it in a year, my mother did not make it, and it is not formal, it goes in the box.  I get most of my clothes from second hand stores, hand-me-downs, gifts, or I make them.  Besides wedding-related clothes, I went shopping online three times last year for new things- a dress for a wedding, a blazer, and a few clearance items.  I did get some new shoes, though =)  You can never have too many shoes!

We are also slowly eating down our food supply.  This is extremely difficult.  I keep thinking that I need more, we are going to run out!  What will I bake and cook with?!  I have enough to make bread once more, make a giant black bean veggie stew with a ham bone, and maybe if I'm desperate, brown rice with greens.  I am going to have to get pretty creative to only use what I already have.  This reminds me of an episode of Chopped.  Limitations: good enough for Jon to like it, quick enough to finish this document and pack and sleep.  Lunch time grows near...

I am just incredibly excited about this move.  5 days to go!  It will be stressful, and then calm and I can unpack at my own pace.  I have no idea how often Jon will need to commute back to finish up work, or what he will end up doing when he can't go to his old studio and needs to find more jobs.  We will be without internet until I receive our new Virgin Mobile mifi modem (wireless internet anywhere!).  I might just find some started plants and spend all day in the garden.  There is a huge garden area all ready to go, right next to the house!  My father has also offered a garden space at the farm, and I'm thinking of using that for less needy plants/experimentation...sugar beets?  Oats?  Wheat?  Will I be able to get a Level 1 Homestead License to sell baked goods and jam/jelly?  Will I have enough time to devote to all this, go to a farmers' market, keep house, translate, and spend time with Jon?  I am bursting with excitement about the possibilities...

(Area to the right will be my garden at the farm)

The document is calling, and I shouldn't procrastinate any longer.  Dreams of fresh greens, sunshine, and UNpacking are distracting me.  One step at a time.

Money is tight.

I just sat down and worked on a budget.  I need another car, and I realistically don't have the money for it.  I can't really cut anything out of my budget- its all pretty much gas, food, rent and wedding stuff.  And of course, rabbits, but they will always have plenty to eat and be comfortable.  I love them!  When my garden gets going, they will have plenty of veggies, and when my future father-in-law starts haying, I'll get hay from him and not the pet store.  Wedding spending is almost over, though, and I will be very thankful for that.  I still have a few more things to pay for.  This is going to be a beautiful wedding!  Its coming up so soon...19 days, I think.  I'm getting nervous, but I guess that's good.  Waiting is the hard part.  If I can finally save up for another car, then I'll need to save up for a house and future children.  It never ends!

This last weekend went by very quickly.  I knit quite a bit, and am now on row 99 of the shawl.  I babysat Saturday night with Jon.  We stopped at the Russian grocery and got dinner food!  We had potato and mushroom perogi, real Russian sour cream, kvas, cake, sushki (sweet crackers in the shape of rings), kolbasa, an apple, and Challah bread.  Lots of lovely leftovers.  Очень вкусно! (Very tasty!)

I'm about ready for a nap.  I spent all morning outside with the kids.  The baby is already starting to lift onto his hands and knees...at 5 months!  The toddler ran and ran and biked and slid and giggled for hours.  =)  The kids are napping now, so I might just catch up on some hulu and think about knitting patterns!