You know when you spot someone across a room and just desperately want to be their friend?
I feel that way about the blog 6512 and growing and the gal behind it. Everyone, meet Rachel. She lives in my hometown. I’ve known of her for quite some time, in that way that you know of most everyone in the small town where you’re raised. I watched over the years as she and her partner transformed a very “normal” looking house in our neighborhood into what most “upstanding” members of our community would call a hippie commune. With every top-heavy sunflower that sprang up in the front yard, I silently cheered. As if that wasn’t reason enough to be friends forever, she is a sensational writer, has refreshing things to say about parenting and relationships, can teach you an easy way to make yogurt, and writes magazine articles about fermentation that read like sonnets, driving J to such distraction that he forgets to eat breakfast. (You can read it too, flip to page 30 here.)
I took this picture with the hopes that Rachel’s kids will see it and decide they want to be friends with us, since J has the same taste in local food quarterlies as they do.
Here’s hoping.
Stephanie Mackley 
Love this bit about the current book 6512 and Growing is reading: “Gretel Erlich’s memoir, Solace of Open Spaces, which is absolutely lovely in its descriptions of blinding blizzards, getting struck by lightning, cavernous loneliness and the scouring winds of Wyoming.” That pretty much sums it up, although perhaps it seems more interesting if you don’t actually live in the “scouring winds of Wyoming”. I’ll have to look up that book.
Those are some adorable pictures of your kids! I checked out the blog, too. Wow, they did a great job on their home renovation. That made me smile, too.
Steph, you’re too kind. I’m thrilled to read such a glowing review of my blog.
Well deserved praise, I must say.
i love how open your are about your crushes! This inspires me — I should be more transparent about mine.
You and me both!
okay now I´m reading and reading her blog.., how fun! I used to have what I will refer as a black thumb.. everything I touched died. The last couple of years, however, I’m building a rather green (and pink and purple and red..) garden. Her pictures are inspiring!!
Love it! A well-deserved blog crush. Her writing is fabulous.
I know, right?!
Hi! I’m late to the party, but I’m glad I’m not the only one with a crush on Rachel. 🙂 I’m envious that you live so close! (I’m in Seattle). Here’s my homage to her: http://www.taooftwins.com/2011/05/rachel.html