Visited the Old San Juan Farmers Market on Saturday. So colorful and full of foods I couldn't identify without asking what they were. Also...my first ever purchase of fresh annatto (achiote) seeds as well as tastes of some fantastic local foods.

Although the market is still young and as yet quite small, there was such a great atmosphere and feeling of camaraderie. I can't wait to go back!

I have been yard-saling all day, a giant step in the ascension of the inner gypsy's takeover. "Priced to sell... everything must go." Sadly, I am surrendering my beloved fondue set, but the possibility of my coming back from Italy and other European sites, after three months, without something very special to replace it with is slim to none. Ok, none.

The fondue set sparked a really fun memory of a cheese fetish gone awry, a New Years' Day celebration with 14 guests and no recipe... no resource for shopping... and no idea how to handle the ill-conceived fondue for 14. Since my life has become about packing, storing, moving, hauling, tossing, and Craigslisting, there has been little time for cheese. After the yard sale today, allison and I bolted for Pizza Shack for a mozzarella fix. That's how desperate I'm getting. But again, the payoff is Tuscany, a mere four weeks from this moment.