Yesterday a friend told me where to find a local “you pick ‘em” blueberry farm – I’ve been on the hunt. I couldn’t find any friends out & about today (and on my sister’s scale, I rank below her friends… typical!!!) So I was fixing to just go by myself, no biggie, I figured I’d take lots of photos & wander around. Then DAD said he’d go. You know… “just to keep me company.”

Now, Dad has never picked a thing in his life. Mom & I pick everything we can get our hands on – you’ve already heard about our loquat escapades!. Her side of the family is thick with generations of gardeners & farmers. My grandma’s pickles beat out all the mountain folk at the Carolina fairs & just today she told me about the ripe tomatoes in her garden; and my Uncle Bill can grow a feast if you give him an inch of soil. Dad’s parents, on the other hand, loved the cooking part… just not the “getting dirty” part. And Dad has rightfully inherited Grandaddy Bob-Bob’s culinary skills. But dirt? outside? picking things? Not really his style.

Or so I assumed. Next thing I knew he was rummaging around the garage for buckets. If he’d had time, he would have googled the best picking techniques. We raced off in my truck, with a huge thunderstorm looming in the distance. The blueberry farm was close by… (you can go to the LocalHarvest.org website to find local farms, farmers markets & co-ops close to you).

The farmer, Jim, pointed us towards the endless rows of potted blueberry bushes – $4 a pound. Can’t beat that, when they’re about $6 a pint at the grocery store. Dad was so cute: first he paced down the row checking them out, then would pick just the biggest ones. He answered work phone calls about computer problems, and compared my bucket to his. He had less than I did, but they were all perfect looking. I pick everything ripe off of a single bush before moving onto the next. (Maybe I’m just a lazier picker!)

The sky was getting thicker & the rain was about on top of us. I could feel it prick at the back of my neck & the temperature dropped fast. Just look at the sky in the photos I’m posting here – can’t you feel that rain about to come? So Dad poured his berries into my bucket & we headed back to the barn to pay up. 2 pounds even. The first quarter-sized drops hit the windshield as got in the truck, and by the time we pulled out onto the hard road it was a downpour.

15 minutes to pick 2 pounds of blueberries with my Dad. Fantastic. If you know my dad, you know that he shows love by DOING. And today that meant getting away from the computer, getting a little dirtier than normal & having purple fingers. I guess this means I have to share some of the cobbler I make with him, huh? Yeah, he earned it.

“185 voices from 12 countries join a choir that spans the globe: “Lux Aurumque,” composed and conducted by Eric Whitacre, merges hundreds of tracks individually recorded and posted to YouTube. It’s an astonishing illustration of how technology can connect us. Despite receiving no formal training until age 18, Eric Whitacre is one of the most performed composers of his generation.”

Music is a universal connection. This brilliant project, “A Choir as Big as the Internet”, is what’s right with technology, and a perfect example of what a “creative spark” can accomplish. The spark to try something different; the creativity to bring unlikely people together.

I officially give Taylor  Brown, the lead software architect, at YNAB: “You Need a Budget” a gold star!

My boyfriend & I have been researching budgeting softwares (beyond the usual scope of Quicken & the like). We found the website for YNAB software and their philosophy made a lot of sense for my lifestyle. I downloaded the trial, and was really loving it. The concept is like dividing your money in envelopes, with certain amounts alotted for utilities, transportation, savings, etc. The user interface is designed around a clearly explained method, there are no superfluous widgets & add-ons to clutter the dashboard, and it was easy to use “out of the downloaded box”. They offer free, live online classes. They have a user forum that bubbles over with giddy debt-free YNAB zealots who answer every question they can. I was getting those warm software fuzzies.

By day 3 of my trial download, I was feeling all empowered & wanting to budget everyone’s budgets.
So I purchased a license to YNAB.

Enter: Taylor.

As soon as my paypal transaction went through (and I jokingly typed in the “How did you hear about us?” field, “My brilliant boyfriend!”), I immediately received an actual, person, not automated email from Taylor. He introduced himself, and wanted to personally thank me for purchasing the software. And said that my boyfriend must be brilliant for recommending YNAB. Funny guy!

Jeremy & I were cracking up at this point. I emailed Taylor back and thanked him… and then did The Most Annoying Thing In The World. I asked if he could wave his magic wand & add in Feature XYZ. Now, I’ve lead enough web and software development projects in my day… I know how different kinds of architects react when asked for a new feature (especially after the latest & greatest version has just been released). Taylor was the extremely gracious kind; He responded with “That exact feature is going to be in the iPhone app we’ve just submitted to Apple!”

YNAB is the kind of speciality software I love: It does what it says & does it well. And it is build & supported by people who care enough about new customers to email them personally!

(BTW: This totally makes up when I sat fuming in a hot stairwell in India, attempting dozens of times to reach customer support when my iPhone AT&T service had been mysteriously disconnected. BTW, the irony: I was in India and couldn’t reach tech support. I finally got ahold of a human being… a South African living in Nebraska).

Question: How do you end up in such a gorgeous, quiet place like this?

Answer: By kicking up dirt & riding noisy 4-wheelers around in the backwoods for hours with 6 of your best friends!

(Jeremy striking a manly pose)

It’s spring in Florida (and Mom’s birthday today!) so that means little orange loquats dangle from the trees like Christmas ornaments. My momma, Susan, has a one-tracked mind as soon as they’re ripe. She knocks on strangers doors to ask if she can pick their loquats. She’ll drive all over town trying to find one she spotted the day before. And (my favorite), she regales us with stories that start with “So I sat there in the car trying to decide – that tree was covered in loquats, but it was smack in the middle of yard of a scary looking trailer, and I didn’t want to get shot!”

Momma even remembers being about 3, and her grandaddy lifting her up high to pick the loquats across the neighbor’s fence. So she comes by all of these fruit-inspired shenanigans honestly! So when she & I found a perfectly ripe tree in the middle of town, we naturally filled up a bagful of them (yes, we asked first). We were originally in search of the more elusive mulberry, but we were NOT about to turn down these beauties! We had a great time picking & photographing them (and each other!)

Are you asking me: “What the heck are you rambling about? What’s a loquat anyway?!” I gotcha covered. They’re a sweet little fruit that grows in bunches, kinda like grapes. Touch your fingertip to your thumb – that’s about how big they are. And they’re bright orange when they’re sweet & ripe. Loquats have a thin, super-soft fuzzy skin & flesh like a peach, and a “peach grape” is about the best way to describe them. There’s about 3 hard, smooth pits in the center (so have a seed spitting contest).

When I got home with my bag o’quats, I consulted my favorite food/cooking site, The Kitchn, for ideas on perhaps baking with them. Here’s what a I found: an entire page of people saying “Forget that, just stand under the tree & eat them on the spot like the rest of us!” No matter. By the time I finished reading it, I’d eaten them all anyway.

So here’s to my momma, the loquat-hunting queen, on her fifty-something birthday: May your life continue to be fruitful & sweet! I love you, your Katie girl.

We all know Etsy.com is one of my favorite places to shop – I love buying one-of-a-kind, handmade things. Here are some useful and fun finds to make your office or cubicle feel more homey, or to show off your geek pride. Ain’t no shame in it!

Felt Fabric Storage Bin Made by FreshStudio. She has a bunch of different patterns & styles – how cute would 2 or 3 of these look on a cubicle shelf? They’d brighten the place up & hide the mess. Yeah I’m a packrat, so I live by the “decorative bin” approach to life.	The Freakin Never Ending To Do List Made by FinchAndHawk. This snarky notepad won’t get your list done any faster, but it’ll at least make you laugh.	“A New Day” Photograph Print Made by ZuppaArtista. If you hung this in your office, it would be like taking a little vacation every time you look at it. This fabulous L.A. photographer chick has a great way of capturing a moment so that you feel like you’re there… I can almost smell the salty Pacific air.
Dry Erase Wall Calendar Made by SimpleShapes. Applied directly to the wall, this calendar can be wiped off & reused each month. I can picture this in a home office, or in a cool graphic design studio. Isn’t that the life?!	Rounded Felt Mouse Pad Made by FeltPlanet. No more icky, thin, plastic mousepads.. this is thick and soft Merino wool felt. Pick from 23 colors. Swanky.	Smiley Face Coffee Cup Cozy! Made by MouthyMitts. Okay, it doesn’t GET any cuter than this. Forget the little cardboard sleeves.. get your own reuseable coffee cup cozy with an adorable emoticon smiley face. Freaking cute.
Computer Power Tie Tack Made by CreativeDexterity. For your favorite computer man… because he’s got the power. (Yuk yuk yuk, I know, that was lame).	OMG Necklace Made by JL67. Yeah, this little sterling silver pendant is, like, oh my god, like, way too cute not to post. like, shyeah.	Wood iPhone/iPod Docking Station Made by Woodtec, this docking station is made of real cedar. “Reconnect with nature as you charge your apple devices.” I really want this.
Super Mario Bros hard drive Made by 8BitMemory, this classic video game cartridge contains a 640GB external harddrive! They have different game cases & hard drive sizes available. Old School Geek!	Ima.Mac.Girl Laptop Sticker Decal Made by LanaKole. Your MacBook needs some love, and LanaKole has tons of awesome vinyl decals for ya!	Darth Vader Laptop sticker Decal Made by LanaKole. Your MacBook needs some love, and LanaKole has tons of awesome vinyl decals for ya!
Mini Thank You Card Set Made by MailboxMemories. I had a boss who taught me how much a handwritten thank you note can mean to a client or coworker. There are some things that just don’t translate as well in an email; so keep a little stock of thank you cards in a drawer. You will absolutely make someone’s day! Talk about good office karma.	Live Moss Terrarium with Gnome Made by MissMossy. Do plants die in your care? Are the flourescent lights making you forget about the natural world outside? Get a little moss terrarium! They’re cool, they’ll bring some nature indoors, and they’re pretty much impossible to kill. Really. Spritz it with water once a month. Done. Cool!