After our meeting at work yesterday, I dropped by a Chinese store across the street from the school where we met. I bought a bunch of water spinach (kangkong) and a pound of malabar spinach (alugbati). and a bag of dried shitaaki mushrooms. As soon as I got home, I picked the leaves out of the stems and stood them up in a glass with a little bit of water. I am lettng this stems to root out before I'll stick them in pots. I could use more free greens this summer from these stems and not have to go back to the store. In the afternoon, some of us went to John Bowne High School to look at some goals we could use for next year's work. The school has a bird room with all sorts of noisy and one talking birds. Three really exotic-looking iguana and a beautiful box turtle also graced this mini-zoo, right in the building. We also visited the school's farm. I did not think that some young people in NY and at this time would be interested in agriculture as to even take it as part of their career choice. We stopped by under a mulberry tree and helped ourselves to the juicy berries hanging by our heads. At home, Zach and I sat on the porch to (intentionally) appreciate our plants and flowers. The roses are emitting a faint sweet rosy smell. Zachary began to make up a song about how he loves his "parents" to the tune of It's a Wonderful World. He sang it slowly enough so that he could have time to think of the words he made up. Then he went back inside and got a book to read me. My Zachary is my delight.

water spinach
sauteed in garlic, ginger and soysauce

malabar spinach
steamed, then put together with fresh tomatoes, onions, vinegar and anchovy sauce

I sit on the steps of the porch and I smell a faint rosy smell