all i ever needed to know i learned in a percy jackson book

home again. it is a day of sudden weather changes, gusts of wind, hard rain, bright sun in a cloudy sky. miles seemed really sick this morning, coughing and hacking after a weekend of marching in the chinese new year parade, playing soccer, playing futsal, but is now dancing around singing "it's a hard butt life" to the tune of hard knock life. now he is surfing on a little rocking chair eating chocolate pudding and grinning ear to ear lip syncing to dynamite and singing "i stick my hands up in the poo sometimes." oh, ho ho, the potty jokes so funny i just can't stand it. really. why didn't i send this kid to school?

i just ate a delicious home grown lunch of a radish sandwich (sliced radish on wheat bread with butter) and a big bowl of radish greens and arugula. the garden continues to surprise me. it kind of does its own thing at this point, although i am sure it could use some more help from me. many of the greens have reseeded, and surprises like big red radishes just kind of pop out some days. sorrel, arugula, broccoli raab, radishes, slowly rounding blueberries, tall green onions,a lone lemon on a small tree. the fruit trees are blossoming, confused by this weather. i don't have much to do with any of it but i love going out back and coming back in with some food.

miles and i watched "pelada" today, a documentary made by two soccer players who traveled around the world filming pick up games and meeting players. i tried to tie in a little geography and explain some of the different cultures, but miles aptly summarized the film as "if you miss something just keep on doing it to enjoy it. or if you miss it keep on doing it. if you quit start again." which is really what the movie was about--the film makers were both players who were very good, but never made it to the pros, and in the end were joyfully playing pick up games in a park as an enrichment to the rest of their lives, like the folks they found playing pick up games around the globe for the pure enjoyment. one child described first seeing a soccer ball and finding it "beautiful".

anyway, the title here refers to the rick riordan books which miles has been reading pretty relentlessly. he is learning about greek myths in detail from them. somehow this is tied in to the rest of this sick day post, and the rest of our lives...how? i am not sure, but you do have to keep doing what you enjoy....reading, writing, studying our goofy kids, sports, marching in a spectacle, pulling backyard greens for lunch. everything doesn't need to be complicated.