I love this time of year…cherry time. However, why is it that the two weeks a year that tart pie cherries are available had to be….now? I’m trying to pack a house, people! And, sneak some sleep past the newborn! Alas, we had to buy a million cherries to pit and freeze today, or we would have been without cherry cobbler/pie/syrup/ice cream all year. And we can’t have that. Here, in all its sticky goodness, is the project we found ourselves elbow deep in today:

This was only half the cherries — we got six flats to split between three people. One of the three, my sister, was conveniently out of the country at cherry time. Many guilt trips to be delivered upon her return, as she enjoys freshly pitted (read: slaved over) cherries from her freezer.

Our friend Dennis employed the sad little cherry pitter we bought. Next year, we’re considering this one, and even more cherries!

Tom, who picked the cherries up, enjoyed many a mouthful of these before he even delivered them to our house. Though they’re better smothered with cobbler batter and baked for an hour, a handful right out of the crate isn’t bad.

Bagged up and ready to freeze. We had a cobbler in the oven before the first box was even done!

Very “Witches of Eastwick,” no? I couldn’t resist.

Nor could I resist using lyrics from…

UB40, Cherry Oh Baby

Do I have a blog or what?

I know. I know.

I really have missed blogging, and vow to get back to it. Pronto. As soon as I get some sleep. And, let’s see. Get Shepherd settled into daycare. Help Ruby with her transition from private preschool to public pre-kindergarten. Move into our new house.

You’ve all been very patient with me these past weeks. I appreciate the encouraging emails about the first month or so of a new baby’s presence, and about the fact that you miss my musings. I really will not wait for all those things to happen to start updating Fannfare again. I can’t believe how much time got away from me since my last entry on Ruby’s birthday.

We have lots of news here at Chez Fanning. The biggest item is that we are indeed moving, to a house about six blocks away. We have been looking, sort of casually, for a new place since we got back from Colorado. The house we ended up buying popped onto our radar on a Thursday afternoon, and we went to the Open House and made an offer on it that Sunday. We are so happy to stay on the Hill. Have I mentioned we love our neighborhood?

Following are some pics of just why we love it here.

Happy 4th of July dear readers! We spent the morning hoofin’ it down the main drag in a fairly respectable Independence Day parade! Our Nation’s Capitol also boasts a pretty impressive fireworks display this evening — the jury is still out as to whether or not we will brave that.

Hope you are enjoying time with your families, good food and drink, and (y)our freedom.

More on Fannfare soon, I promise!

Eddie from Ohio, Fifth of July