La Vie En Rose

Ahhhh....now that's better.

We spent the better part of the day indoors. The best way to get a cat (or three) acclimated to a new situation is to keep them inside for a few days, so they know where the food is, and the litter. And the dog and the other cat, in some cases. It seems the same trick works for humans who have a big adjustment to make.

Today we let the heat have its way with the day and just stayed in. Washed some diapers, made aloe vera solution for the cloth wipes, cleaned off our new dresser (which was generously donated to us by Kenneth's young cousins, Ella and Mia, and covered with Mia's Dora the Explorer sticker collection.), put away some clothes, and had Trader Joe's chicken enchiladas for lunch. We set up the high chair and because it's missing a buckle we used some ties from an old housedress to tie Edie in.

Today was her 6 month birthday so we mushed up a sweet pear and gave her a bowl and a spoon. She handled that spoon like a champ. All that grabbing at Mama's food paid off. The pear made her face make a face like, oh....not so good. But she kept eating and eating and then slammed the bowl around and fingerpainted and licked pear off the side of the tray, so I think it was a success.

After the day had become tame and we'd all had a little nap, we went to the El Segundo Farmer's Market, which was much more like a farmer's market than the farmer's market from the day before. There were maybe 3 or 4 local vendors, and they were so eager to give out plastic bags. I'd pick up a plum, turn it over, and there would be a freshly opened plastic bag in my face. "Oh, no thanks, I'll just use the one I've got." Then we'd get to the next stand and they'd follow us around with an open plastic bag. Apparently once they get you to put the fruit in a bag it's official, you can't steal or change your mind about buying. And we were two blocks away from the Chevron Oil refinery, for what that's worth.

For dinner we shared a bacon-wrapped hot dog and a strawberry-watermelon agua fresca, then walked around El Segundo a bit at my insistence. I really like this part of town. Kenneth tells me that's because it's an exclusive white-people community, but really it's because this town reminds me of parts of Portland, with small independent restaurants and coffee shops and walkable streets. Apparently these things exist here only in the "white" neighborhoods. There isn't as much commerce in the "black" neighborhoods, like where we live. For the record, I saw a lot of different kinds of people when we were in El Segundo. All shades of brown, and some with accents I couldn't place. And yes, there were a lot of white people. But the best thing we saw was actually heard, not seen. Andean Pan Pipers playing Dust in the Wind.

We whistled La Vie En Rose all the way home.