This is very nearly our family's longtime favorite cranberry relish, but along with oranges, cranberries, and sugar, we finely chop roasted walnuts. It's amazing stuff. 

Yes!! Ricochet in Tyler!! Oh how I'd love to be home to join in. Stanley's is incredible - they catered my wedding. Their brisket is unreal, but my other favorite is the Big Swimmer: pan-fried tilapia on jalapeno sourdough bun with melted cheddar cheese, guacamole, and lettuce/tomato. Get your order in quick - they sell out of brisket by about 1 p.m. Don't forget the peach cobbler! 

Mollie, we must go to similar parks! I'm flabbergasted at parents at our park who don't let their children freely learn to climb, slide, or fall down and pick themselves up. My 17-month-old revels in her ability to climb and even go down slides by herself, with my supervision. On the other hand, even more shockingly, there are a few parents who sit in their car, watching their kids from behind the steering wheel, and honk if the kid does something wrong! 

Why should kids go outside and play when there's a TV, computer, Xbox, iPad, iPhone, and iPod inside? No contest these days. Thus, the one kid who doesn't have these luxuries probably shouldn't play at the neighborhood park all alone. 

I completely agree with your comment. Self-discipline is terribly out of style. I find the stickK.com clever, and perhaps helpful for many, but a sad reminder that many people can't stay healthy by simply eating well by will, on their own. I'm the ultimate anti-dieter. I believe in happy, wholesome eating, real food (yes, butter, cream, red meat, etc.), in natural moderation, with outdoor exercise and good sleep. I'm irked by people who can't stay at a healthy weight unless they're colon-cleansing, or on some all-carrot diet. Also, our popular obsession with no-fat is so flawed - the overweight person chowing down on fat free Weight Watchers cookies thinks a bite of Brie will kill them. It's not the Brie, folks. 

Love it, Ursula. Classic. 

I agree, and I failed to make the bigger point that government bans just aren't the answer. And while I joke about peer pressure, I regard peer pressure as sort of a lost social sentiment. If something is right to do, peer pressure among citizens is a better answer than government policies, which require citizens to do no thinking themselves. If reusable bags are a serious answer, then I'd rather my neighbor and the cashier show dismay at my ignorance than a city ban.  

You're so right. You've got to be proud and bold, especially in Ann Arbor. 

Paul, thank you for this lovely account. We love good books on tape (most recently My Antonia (Cather) read by the amazing George Guidall). I'm so glad to get your recommendation on the Tolkien narrated books -- it's going on our list. 

As for Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg, etc., I'm re-inspired to make sure we visit these places while we are living here in Quantico, an easy drive away. 

Just to keep in mind -- and perhaps you don't include military in "some" -- but we're one of many Marine families who won't get a paycheck if the government shuts down. Marines here at Quantico have been briefed on the possibility, and advised to try and budget accordingly. It's a scary thought.

Excellent post, Peter. And as you quote, Fred Barnes makes a terrific argument in the WSJ piece. Particularly here:

In the meantime, the incremental strategy is working. Republicans have passed two short-term measures to keep the government in operation since early March while slashing $10 billion in spending. At this rate, they would achieve the target of GOP congressional leaders of lopping off $61 billion from President Obama's proposed budget in the final seven months of the 2011 fiscal year.

There's every reason to believe the incremental strategy would continue to succeed. Democrats are flummoxed by it. They'd like to block more cuts, but they've been unable to explain why spending reductions of a few billion dollars at a clip are unacceptable. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tried, only to embarrass himself by saying Nevada's cowboy poetry festival might be jeopardized. Mr. Obama has prudently declined to wade in.

Agreed. As another terribly nervous flyer, I often find any discussion about the particulars of flying planes and landing to be anxiety inducing (I don't need to know everything!). But, this post was an exception -- I am happy to learn that a pilot CAN land a plane by himself. Keep it up, pilots! 

Thanks for the heads up on the link confusion, genferei and Adam. All fixed!

Casey, I agree that the reports on the deployment of thousands of Marines has been misleading, and only recently did I also read about them patrolling in the Mediterranean. 

At least the no-fly zone is being taken seriously: in breaking news, French fighter jets shot down a Libyan warplane, said to be the first Libyan plane sent into Libya since the coalition bombing began. 

Great post.  The military has been doing this for years! My husband runs or lifts weights with fellow Marine officers on base each day during lunch as part of their mandatory physical training. It's got to be great for clearing his head during a long day of desk work. 

Now at home with our toddler, I find my days are bettered by a walk to the park with her, or at least a few trips hauling laundry up and down two flights of stairs.