What we did this summer

I know I know I know I have been neglecting Drew's fan base terribly, but I'm sure you will all forgive me when you hear what I've been doing--Drew made me project manager for the goat farm! I have been learning a lot, and Drew has been re-learning a lot. For example, "breeding pairs" is a bad idea. Goats are creatures of instinct, not romance. And they have a herd mentality: only one guy gets all the girls. She even had the names all picked out: Sissela and Derek; Geraldine and Tony. We kept Sissela and Derek, for obvious reasons. But Derek has to live apart from the does except for during those special times in the moon phase.
What about Tony? Here's where it gets complicated. Bucks get terribly lonely, but they can't live with other bucks. Housework would never get done! Sorry, my bad. They would fight. The solution is a wether. We couldn't name the wether Tony and Drew wouldn't let me name him Larry, so we just call him Sweetie Pie.

Sidestepping Death

Miss Grimke: I can't read your book before I go to bed. Last night I dreamed my yard was full of corpses. I couldn't walk out the front door without stepping over a dead body.

DGF: You must have lived in Gettysburg in a prior life.

Miss Grimke: Why did you write that book?

DGF: All I ever really want to do is figure things out.

Miss Grimke: That, and run things.

DGF: Well yes.

Miss Grimke: I guess if you could write I can at least read it.

DGF: During the day, by a window where you can hear birds singing and children at play.

Pride Week debrief

Miss Grimke: So what did you wear?
DGF: My gown over my qipoa, as I do whenever I want to look and feel special.
Miss Grimke: Ha. I bet you wore that navy pantsuit.
DGF: If you know all the answers why bother asking me questions?
Miss Grimke: Okay. I'll try some hard questions. Can a southern lady be gay?
DGF: Don't be silly. Of course she can.
Miss Grimke: Can a southern gentleman be gay?
DGF: Ditto.
Miss Grimke: Can a gay gentleman be a southern lady?
DGF: Some of the best southern ladies are gay gentlemen.
Miss Grimke: Can a gay lady be a southern gentleman?
DGF: I believe I have seen a few.
Miss Grimke: Why don't you wear your gown everywhere? It looks the best on you. I'd love to see you wafting back and forth across the Yard in it several times a day.
DGF: That would look pretty dumb.
Miss Grimke: Not really. It would upgrade the whole scene.
DGF: I'm afraid it wouldn't go over well with the powers that be.
Miss Grimke: Aren't you the powers that be?
DGF: You got me there.

Report card for a Southern Lady

The young ladies and gentlemen over at the Crimson graded Drew's freshman year. We don't know much about being president of the World's Greatest University, but we do know a lot about being a Southern Lady. Here is her report card, as graded by those of us who know what's really important.


Fashion: A minus
A lady should look pulled together without drawing undue attention to herself, unless she is Queen of May.

Sometimes it is the person being graded who does the teaching, and that is the case with Drew and Fashion. She gives us little to talk about, and for that we commend her. We would like to see more creativity around piping and lapels, perhaps a subtle tweed from time to time, and we'd love to see a punchy color in the shells she wears under the jackets. But absolutely don't stop with the pearls!

Decorating: B minus
The office says President--what more could we ask for? The Aeron chair, though, is so Route 128. We'd like to see something a little more donnish.

Cooking: C plus
Drew knows her strengths and looks for ways to transcend her weaknesses. Sometimes the middle of the road is exactly where you want to be.

Animal Husbandry: Incomplete
Drew is poised to do some of her best work in this arena.

Gardening: Pass
We congratulate Drew on not making a mess (yet) of converting Elmwood into a dairy farm.

Conclusion: We cannot say that Drew exceeded our expectations for the year, because, really, our expectations could not have been higher. We can say with confidence that she surprised us in many many wonderful ways, and although we have had a few eensy eensy differences, which is not to be unexpected between even the best of friends, in the final analysis we are thrilled thrilled thrilled and can't wait to see what's next!

Sex or Death

What a cruel world! The library called to let me know that my copy of This Republic of Suffering had arrived on the same day that SATC premiered! How can I chose between Drew Faust and Carrie Bradshaw! Between Carrie Bradshaw and Drew Faust?!

I am paralyzed with indecision!

Who do you think Drew is? Is she a Carrie? A Charlotte? A Miranda? Surely not a Samantha LOL! Like most of us, she's probably a mixture. But what proportions? I think maybe 20% Carrie, 40% Miranda, 30% Charlotte and 10% Samantha.

Recipe swap

Miss Grimke: What's your favorite cheese?

DGF: That's a trick question to which I have the correct answer: goat cheese.

Miss Grimke: How do you prepare goat cheese?

DGF: I prepare goat cheese by going to the Trader Joe's in Cambridge, next to the Microcenter. There's plenty of free parking and Charlie and I like to browse in Microcenter. It's what we consider a date. We like puttering around with electronics. I got one of those digital picture frames. I love it to death!

Miss Grimke: All full up with Matthew Bradys I bet.

DGF: I am not that much of a geek!

Miss Grimke: You consider shopping at Microcenter a date and you are not that much of a geek?

DGF: I thought we were talking about cheese.

Miss Grimke: How do you prepare the cheese after you go to Trader Joe's?

DGF: I take home the cheese. Then I take out my pepper grinder and a sheet of waxed paper. I grind the pepper on the waxed paper, thick and wide. Then I unwrap the goat cheese. It comes in that log shape you know? Then I roll it over the cracked pepper until it is totally covered. I serve it on a nice china plate with fancy crackers and a real sterling silver butter knife.

Miss Grimke: I bet that gets the oohs and aahhs!

DGF: It does. It looks real fancy. I don't do it often though, only for very special guests that are worth the trouble.

Fogg of war

Miss Grimke: I cannot believe you are closing the Fogg until 2013. That is five years. Babies not even conceived this year will be walking and talking, saying their ABCs, counting to 100, potty trained, quoting from Shrek...

DGF: Don't you go all Obama on me!

Miss Grimke: I will not be able to stand it. I love that big picture with all the people in it, and the one with the babies in heaven and all that fruit! And that chalk thing of the storm at sea done by the guy they named Allston for! They all soothe my savage breast!

DGF: Suck it up, Miss Grimke. Go to the Gardner for heaven's sake!

Miss Grimke: I will. I will go to the Gardner, and maybe I will not be back.