oh, beans.

We're looking at a bumper crop of green beans this year: I planted four rows (two rows at two weeks apart) and we've just now started picking. They're tender, tiny and incredibly flavorful. The first handful went into a saute of fresh corn, fresh sweet onion and summer squash. The next batch will get sauteed in lemon olive oil. Delish!

going left.

Monday through Friday, around 7 a.m., Rob and I take Wrigley on his morning constitutional. This happens pretty much without fail; it's become one of our (many) routines.

We walk to the end of the cul-de-sac, make a right, and walk up the hill and through the neighborhood, about a half-hour loop. Just enough to get, er, things moving in the morning.

If we're headed out on a longer walk—say, during an evening or weekend—we typically make a left, walk down the hill, cross the street, take the steps over to Ellison and go off on any number of routes: through Mt. Lookout Square and up to Hyde Park Square, perhaps up Delta Avenue and through the neighborhoods to the north and east of us, or maybe all the way to Coffee Emporium on Erie. On those routes, there are any number of spots where Wrigley can score a biscuit: at the fire station, at Carl's, at Sassy Boutique or Poeme on Michigan Avenue.

Some weekday mornings, in spite of the ingrained nature of our routine, Wrigley will tug on his lead and try to make a left turn onto Kroger Avenue. We tell him we wish we had more time to take a longer walk, but we both have to go to work and we need to take the quick route. So we steer him to the right and on up the hill.

But I think Wrigley's onto something. When it's a nice morning, and you've got a bit of energy, why not take a longer stroll? Why not enjoy the outdoors?

Why NOT go left?