7_quick_takes_smIt’s time for Quick Takes, brought to us every week by the lovely Jen of Conversion Diary.

–1–

What’s with the funky pictures in Google Reader now that I have a WordPress blog?  Any ideas, ye of techie ilk?

–2–

When the dog starts barking outside the toddler’s room, and she starts barking with him, exactly how should I react? Check on the toddler or kick the dog?

–3–

I’m not fooled.  I’ve been invited to our family and our parish ESPN Fantasy Football leagues.  My husband is already rubbing his hands at the thought of having two more teams to manage.  I think I’m earning evening online time.  🙂

–4–

Most Saturdays, I don’t set the alarm.  In an ideal world, Saturdays are a day for sleeping in (which, in a house with small children, means 7:30 if we’re lucky).  Last Saturday, I opened my eyes to look out of the window by my bed and about jumped out of my skin.  There, smiling at me, was my four-year-old daughter.  I don’t know how long she had been sitting there, but it was still a little…creepy.  (But also good, because she had been quietly sitting there waiting for me to wake up.)

–5–

I really enjoyed this article, found via Darwin last week, and have much to say about it, especially given my background in agriculture: The Omnivore’s Delusion: Against the Agri-Intellectuals.  It should be required reading, as far as I’m concerned.

While I was an undergrad, studying to teach agriculture, I learned a lot about how things are from within the ag community.  For quite a while, I had a sort of chip on my shoulder about what I perceived to be the Good Ole Boys’ Club.  Then, in my years of working at the big green tractor dealership, I came to appreciate some of the real life applications, things that just can’t be taught (and, frankly, aren’t taught for a reason).  It was probably much like it is in any other field, where the college campus just can’t expose you completely to the way things are and the appreciation of why things are the way they are.

But one thing has stuck with me, has continued to be reinforced in my various agricultural exposures: most people, and especially those outside the small percentage who actually work in agriculture, do not understand or fathom what’s involved in bringing the bounty of food from the field/barn to the store to their tables.  In that lack of understanding comes some very misguided conclusions.

–6–

Speaking of Darwin, I’ve been actually reading their blog, DarwinCatholic, which is a husband-and-wife venture.  I’ve followed them on and off for a number of years, but I’ve gone through a couple of periods of serious cutting back on the number of blogs I read.  Well, I’m glad I’ve rediscovered them, and I’m really enjoying their posts and links and thoughts.

–7–

Last Friday, I was motivated by a not-so-strange desire to organize.  It’s something with back-to-school, I’m sure it is.  I moved tables and toy boxes and had the house in shambles before it was all put back together again.  It was one of those times when I wish I had taken before and after pictures.