Dog days

The dog days of August began in July when we had almost two solid weeks (or maybe even more) of temperatures above the 90s. My husband and I, who aren't fans of having the AC on, have had to cave in and keep it on even though we set it at 77 degrees.

Lizzy, for her part, has been trying to claim the cat bed that is really Chiquita's bed and not doing very well at it, while Darwin, who has been spending a lot of time in our bedroom since we had our ugly carpets torn off and had a wood laminate floor installed, likes the idea of hanging from my open drawer.

My husband and I are trying to make the most out of this summer and going out on the motorcycle to explore the surrounding sights, and this weekend we went to Landoll's Mohican Castle for lunch. It wasn't much of a castle, at least not as we imagined, but the food was good and the ride through some beautiful country, so we didn't complain.

I've also vowed that I will make it to the Farmer's Market every Saturday through October, barring travel and any other unforeseen interruptions. More so now after I've watched Food, Inc., the documentary about the agricultural industry in this country, which has made me vow NEVER to eat again a mass produced piece of meat or eggs or vegetable, if I can possibly avoid it. I've also requested Tomatoland: How Modern Industrial Agriculture Destroyed Our Most Alluring Fruit from the library so I can learn more about what we eat when we buy produce in supermarkets.

Two years ago, I listened to an audiobook of Barbara Kingsolver's Animal, Vegetable, Miracle and it changed my understanding of what it means to be a consumer of mass-produced food in this country and made me embark on a more purposeful effort to become a locavore. One of the real perks of living in Ohio is the bounty of farm fresh produce that we can get, and the Amish baked goods (including ready made pie crusts!).

Continuing to educate myself more about and improve on what we eat in our household is one of my priorities this summer. Especially now that I've met the two main work-related deadlines I had for June and July, turning in a chapter for an edited collection and revising an article that will be published in a journal. Now it's on to the book manuscript, while we also try to eat better and do some more sightseeing in Ohio.

As my papi might say: Sigue pa'lante y pa'trás ni pa' coger impulso.