for helvede! for chocholade!

so, robert has been talking a lot about chocolate, and how most of the chocolate we eat here in the states is grown by slaves.  here's something by john robbins about it:  Is there Slavery in your Chocolate?  now, i like chocolate as well as the next guy, who happens to be my husband.  okay so maybe not quite as well, but since our first date, at a chocolate restuarant, Dilettante, i have become increasingly chocoholic.  sometimes i get to the point where i just say, okay no more chocolate for a while now, dear.  because my beloved has educated me well in chocolateyness, i do not usually eat hershey's or mars bars, or nestle (boo hiss) because i do not like milk chocolate.  but really now, slave labor?  child labor is one thing, and visiting india taught me something about that, which is that sometimes it is about apprenticeship and learning to make a living while you are growing up, and there is a lot to be said for that.  but slavery is a different thing, and as john points out in his article, if the biggies refused to buy slave grown and produced coffee, there would be some change.  even green & blacks and dagoba are now owned by big multinational companies-- green & black by cadbury and dagoba by hershey.  arrrrrgh!  i am not sure what to do with this information.  are you??  

Wintergrassed

We've arrived home safely from Wintergrass  and full of all of the sounds of it.  Our favorites were Väsen and Joe Craven--well, I liked Pearl Django, too, and Joe played a mean root beer box with them.  I haven't downlaoded photos or any video yet from that, because since we got back one or the other of us has been sick.  Today, we spent the day listening to "Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's Magic" on CD, and lounging and napping on various horizontal surfaces.  A down day, onemight say.  The kids were perking up by the end of the night, but I went to the grocery store and pretty much got stuck in the vortex, and couldn't make my brain think of what might be good to eat for supper.  Therefore, sick children ate smoothies (no dairy) and then some rice and nori later.  Isn't there some thing like "feed a cold, starve a fever?"  At least one of us had a fever today, so whether we're feeding or starving I do not know but, once again, thank goodness for smoothies.  

I was looking through some photos and I thought I'd post one of Gus using the sewing machine, because I think it's so cute, and because I haven't downloaded any new ones recently.  He's making a crayon pouch for Ella, a Christmas gift meant to appease her longing for one like his.  She likes it very much and rearranges her crayons daily. 

The other one is of a local pal, Mr. Rough Skinned Newt, held by our friend Lucas.  Newts are always such a delight to encounter.  They live in our pond, but lately on our walks we are seeing many of them.  The like the wet weather.  

I hope everyone out there in the blogosphere is happy and healthy.  Must drink more tea.....