The fourth and final challenge for April was "Get Down Low and Shoot Above." Which for me, meant a trip up to Richmond.
I had all sorts of ideas, my only limitation was the weather and that turned out to be a big problem this week. Wednesday was the first decent day and it was only in the afternoon, far too late for me to drive up to Richmond. Thursday was a complete wash, but today was just right with abundant sunshine and not a raincloud in sight.
My plan was to drop off a couple of bikes at Bunnyhop (best bike shop ever) and take pictures around Richmond whilst the bikes are being fixed. I would first try to take a few pictures of a parking deck (far more interesting than it sounds), duck into my favorite building in Richmond, and then down to the canals.
The parking deck was a bit tricky, I essentially sneacked in with the idea of shooting a few quick pictures at the bottom of the well formed by the exit spiral. Unfortunately my path took me right past the guard room and I knew I had to talk to security before crossing two lanes of traffic and hopping over a guard rail. They hemmed and hawed for a good five minutes over my decidedly odd request. I stood there smiling away until they relented. As I got into position two pigeons flew up and out, sadly they were gone before I could get my camera out.
I was much happier with the old city hall. The sunlight was streaming down from the skylights and I was able to get quite a few good shots. The one featured here is my favorite. I was positioned at the base of the staircase, aiming the camera up and across. It is such an interesting shot with strong diagonals and a lovely diffuse light. I knew I had a keeper when I pushed the shutter release. I good thing too since I never did get down to the canals.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Something Extra With the Paper
This is the newspaper slot below our mailbox. Nothing fancy, just grey boards nailed together with the mailbox attached to the top. For the past few years we haven't gotten the paper, the local paper is not that exciting and I can never keep up. So excepting he occasional flyers promoting various lawn, home repair, and house keeping services the slot remains empty.
Although sometimes in the spring it is not.
A few days ago I saw a bird flitting about the mailbox. I didn't think much of it until I realized it was nesting season. I peered inside and could see way in the back a soft little nest of moss, down, and lawn clippings.
Our little bird tenants were back.
A few years ago a nest appeared, but sadly the chicks didn't survive. Some sort of predator got to them before they had fully fledged. From what I could see the chicks in there right now are still quite young, if you look carefully you can just make out a beak. There are at least three chicks in there, maybe four.
I'll try to keep tabs on them, but in a low key manner. I don't want to overly disturb the parents. At least they are used to our daily collecting of the mail. Hopefully this brood will do better than the previous one. It's fun having a secret nest under the mailbox.
Although sometimes in the spring it is not.
A few days ago I saw a bird flitting about the mailbox. I didn't think much of it until I realized it was nesting season. I peered inside and could see way in the back a soft little nest of moss, down, and lawn clippings.
Our little bird tenants were back.
A few years ago a nest appeared, but sadly the chicks didn't survive. Some sort of predator got to them before they had fully fledged. From what I could see the chicks in there right now are still quite young, if you look carefully you can just make out a beak. There are at least three chicks in there, maybe four.
I'll try to keep tabs on them, but in a low key manner. I don't want to overly disturb the parents. At least they are used to our daily collecting of the mail. Hopefully this brood will do better than the previous one. It's fun having a secret nest under the mailbox.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Artist of the Week: Driving
This week's artist is my not so little Jacob.
For a while his feet have been bigger than mine and that was not problem for me. Just this year he has gotten taller than me and that, well... was a bit disconcerting. The biggest milestone in his growing up, however, happened at the end of spring break.
My baby boy got his learners permit.
He breezed through the test and was issued a paper permit. A few days later his official learners permit arrived in the mail. In seven months he needs to get 45 hours of driving under his belt with a good chunk after sunset.
Then we'll have three drivers in the house.
I can't believe it's happening already. He's gone from playing with cars, to bumper cars, and now the real thing. He can't be that old.
For a while his feet have been bigger than mine and that was not problem for me. Just this year he has gotten taller than me and that, well... was a bit disconcerting. The biggest milestone in his growing up, however, happened at the end of spring break.
My baby boy got his learners permit.
He breezed through the test and was issued a paper permit. A few days later his official learners permit arrived in the mail. In seven months he needs to get 45 hours of driving under his belt with a good chunk after sunset.
Then we'll have three drivers in the house.
I can't believe it's happening already. He's gone from playing with cars, to bumper cars, and now the real thing. He can't be that old.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Goose Invader
Yesterday Dell and John successfully repelled an alien invader on our property.
The red boys were peaceably lounging about inside when they set up an almighty fuss. I initially thought it was a squirrel was cavorting on our deck and was all set to let loose the hounds when I saw the goose standing on our lawn. This was a picture worthy moment and I grabbed my camera. In that short space of time the goose settled down on our lawn. I had to take my picture through the window since I knew the second I opened the door the dogs would fly out and the goose would fly away.
In the twelve years we have lived here this was the first time a goose has shown up in our backyard. There is a pond in our development, but it's far away from our property. We have friends with lake front property and the geese are an awful nuisance, honking about and pooping everywhere. The last thing I want is another creature pooping in our yard. So I was happy that John and Dell, aka home land security, did their job with a great deal of zeal and noise. I'm not sure why the goose stopped by, but I know it will not be returning.
The red boys were peaceably lounging about inside when they set up an almighty fuss. I initially thought it was a squirrel was cavorting on our deck and was all set to let loose the hounds when I saw the goose standing on our lawn. This was a picture worthy moment and I grabbed my camera. In that short space of time the goose settled down on our lawn. I had to take my picture through the window since I knew the second I opened the door the dogs would fly out and the goose would fly away.
In the twelve years we have lived here this was the first time a goose has shown up in our backyard. There is a pond in our development, but it's far away from our property. We have friends with lake front property and the geese are an awful nuisance, honking about and pooping everywhere. The last thing I want is another creature pooping in our yard. So I was happy that John and Dell, aka home land security, did their job with a great deal of zeal and noise. I'm not sure why the goose stopped by, but I know it will not be returning.
Monday, April 23, 2012
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Box Head
Sometimes all you need is a large empty cereal box and somebody to help you cut out eye holes.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Project MCP: Blooming
This week's Project MCP challenge was "Blooming."
It's been a wild spring this year. With the repeated cycles of hot and cold weather. all of the flowering plants have ended up blooming at the same time. It's also been a horrendous spring for allergies.
As for this week's picture, I love color however the pristine white of my azaleas was calling out to me. They have just started blooming last week and the bushes, where the deer haven't nibbled down to the nub, are awash with flowers. I do have some pink azaleas, but they are nearly as riotous with blooms as the white.
This picture is straight out of the camera. I like the overexposed feel of the white, in bright sunlight these flowers are dazzling. I'm glad I was able to capture the bright white without having to enhance anything on my computer.
It's been a wild spring this year. With the repeated cycles of hot and cold weather. all of the flowering plants have ended up blooming at the same time. It's also been a horrendous spring for allergies.
As for this week's picture, I love color however the pristine white of my azaleas was calling out to me. They have just started blooming last week and the bushes, where the deer haven't nibbled down to the nub, are awash with flowers. I do have some pink azaleas, but they are nearly as riotous with blooms as the white.
This picture is straight out of the camera. I like the overexposed feel of the white, in bright sunlight these flowers are dazzling. I'm glad I was able to capture the bright white without having to enhance anything on my computer.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
That's the Ticket
Diane hit the nail on the head, the lemon loaf is just begging to be paired with strawberries.
The lemon flavor has deepened considerably since I baked it on Tuesday. However, the cake is still very dry. Strawberries and cream are a wonderful addition and nicely overcome the dryness.
The lemon flavor has deepened considerably since I baked it on Tuesday. However, the cake is still very dry. Strawberries and cream are a wonderful addition and nicely overcome the dryness.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Artist of the Week: James Town
This week's artist is Rebecca.
The picture is from way back in November when we were at a birthday party for a one year old. The birthday girl's Grandpa decided that his first grandchild would have a very memorable party. He arranged for a petting zoo and pony to ride. The toddler set wasn't overly interested in the pony, but Rebecca was more than happy to do the riding for them.
So it's an old photo, but that is appropriate since the art work is also from last year.
Just before winter break Rebecca brought home a booklet she made in school on colonial James Town. I promptly scanned it, but then stopped. I was on the fence on whether or not to post it on Flickr. On one hand it was wonderful pictures illustrating the various facts about James Town, on the other hand the spelling is rather rough.
Really rough.
Obviously I decided that the illustrations win out over the spelling. You can check out the whole series if you click on the cover picture featured here. The set is called James Town, the fourth one in the series is particularly hilarious.
The picture is from way back in November when we were at a birthday party for a one year old. The birthday girl's Grandpa decided that his first grandchild would have a very memorable party. He arranged for a petting zoo and pony to ride. The toddler set wasn't overly interested in the pony, but Rebecca was more than happy to do the riding for them.
So it's an old photo, but that is appropriate since the art work is also from last year.
Just before winter break Rebecca brought home a booklet she made in school on colonial James Town. I promptly scanned it, but then stopped. I was on the fence on whether or not to post it on Flickr. On one hand it was wonderful pictures illustrating the various facts about James Town, on the other hand the spelling is rather rough.
Really rough.
Obviously I decided that the illustrations win out over the spelling. You can check out the whole series if you click on the cover picture featured here. The set is called James Town, the fourth one in the series is particularly hilarious.
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Baking With Julia- Lemon Loaf
This month's second challenge from Baking with Julia was Lemon Loaf. For details on how to bake the cake head on over to Treats (which has a nice modification) and The Beauty of Life that has a very bittersweet post.
I'm so very glad that this cake came after Passover, it made for a very nice post-Pesach treat. Though really, I was just happy neither of the challenges were scheduled then. Yes I could have baked in advance, but it would have felt all wrong to blog about chametz.
Anyhoo, the cake itself is a snap to make. It's nice to make something simple and unfussy. The lemon flvor is mild, but I expect it to deepen over time.My only complaint is that the cake was quite dry. A tall glass of milk is in order with a nice dollop of whipped cream on the slice. Diane had an excellent idea of macerated strawberries as a topping. I might just have to pick up a pint of two of strawberries.
I'm so very glad that this cake came after Passover, it made for a very nice post-Pesach treat. Though really, I was just happy neither of the challenges were scheduled then. Yes I could have baked in advance, but it would have felt all wrong to blog about chametz.
Anyhoo, the cake itself is a snap to make. It's nice to make something simple and unfussy. The lemon flvor is mild, but I expect it to deepen over time.My only complaint is that the cake was quite dry. A tall glass of milk is in order with a nice dollop of whipped cream on the slice. Diane had an excellent idea of macerated strawberries as a topping. I might just have to pick up a pint of two of strawberries.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Wild Celtic Bagpipe Piece
For Max, who really loves the bagpipes and I'm more than happy to help him out.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Mini Ninjas
I have gotten completely obsessed over a game we picked up a while ago
called Mini Ninjas. Nate had money burning a hole in his pocket and
wanted to get a couple of games for our PS3. He quickly picked out one
game, but was stuck on what to do with the few dollars he had left. I spotted this game amongst the used titles and told him to get it. A few days earlier I had stumbled upon a glowing review of the game, and was appealing for both grownups and children. He bought the game and we didn't do much with it.
This week I picked it up and decided to give it a whirl. I got completely hooked.
It relies more on puzzle solving skills and not so much on lighting reflexes. The kids are just bulling their way through the game, while I meticulously fine everything on each level before moving on. As a result I am maxing out my character to an impressive degree and unlocking all sorts of things. I'm not the best player, but I sure am having fun. Here is the game's website, it gives you a chance to play a few demo games.
This week I picked it up and decided to give it a whirl. I got completely hooked.
It relies more on puzzle solving skills and not so much on lighting reflexes. The kids are just bulling their way through the game, while I meticulously fine everything on each level before moving on. As a result I am maxing out my character to an impressive degree and unlocking all sorts of things. I'm not the best player, but I sure am having fun. Here is the game's website, it gives you a chance to play a few demo games.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Project MCP: Shallow Depth of Field
I'm back after a little two day holiday. Having everybody home for a week is draining and I got a bit obsessed with Mini Ninjas.
So amongst dental appointments and Dr. appointments I squeezed in a little time to take pictures. The assignment was shallow depth of field and I tried taking a few pictures in the backyard when I got assaulted by Dell. I was on the ground and he was all over me. Silly me, I tried being on the dog's level and expected to get anything meaningful done.
The logical solution (short of dragging the offending dog inside) was to take pictures of the dog. Dell happily milled about when I got this great shot of him with one paw lifted. He is in the shade, perfectly exposed and in focus while the rest of the lawn is overexposed and blurry. I did no processing of the photo, just cropped it down and uploaded.
So amongst dental appointments and Dr. appointments I squeezed in a little time to take pictures. The assignment was shallow depth of field and I tried taking a few pictures in the backyard when I got assaulted by Dell. I was on the ground and he was all over me. Silly me, I tried being on the dog's level and expected to get anything meaningful done.
The logical solution (short of dragging the offending dog inside) was to take pictures of the dog. Dell happily milled about when I got this great shot of him with one paw lifted. He is in the shade, perfectly exposed and in focus while the rest of the lawn is overexposed and blurry. I did no processing of the photo, just cropped it down and uploaded.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Tic Tac France - Worst Breath in the World
Sringbreak is knocking me for a loop. I honestly forgot what day of the week it is. It seems like I'm trapped in an endless weekend. So here's a very silly ad that made me smile.
Monday, April 09, 2012
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation - Adding Tomorrows
These are exciting times for families affected by CF. We are on the cusp of something big.
Sunday, April 08, 2012
Happy Passover and Happy Easter
It's been a busy weekend with the First Night Seder at Meryl's home and the Second Night at our congregation. Both were wonderful and I was utterly stuffed by the end.
Today was a nice quiet break with some wonderful weather. It felt like an actual spring day and I enjoyed it by lunching al fresco, or as I thought of it al pollen, by my pansies.
Today was a nice quiet break with some wonderful weather. It felt like an actual spring day and I enjoyed it by lunching al fresco, or as I thought of it al pollen, by my pansies.
Friday, April 06, 2012
Project MCP: Showers
The first challenge for the month was "showers / wet" which you figure for April would be a piece of cake.
Wrong.
We have gotten some rain this week, but it's either at night or of such an inconsequential amount I couldn't photograph it. I even tried sprinkling water on my pansies and discovered to my chagrin that water droplets do not stick to the velvety petals. So I had to think of another way to do showers / wet.
Then I found Nate's art journal and thought to myself I was being too concrete. I'll just photograph the collage instead. It's not the best response to the challenge, but it'll do for now.
Oh and it's Passover! So Chag Sameach y'all.
Wrong.
We have gotten some rain this week, but it's either at night or of such an inconsequential amount I couldn't photograph it. I even tried sprinkling water on my pansies and discovered to my chagrin that water droplets do not stick to the velvety petals. So I had to think of another way to do showers / wet.
Then I found Nate's art journal and thought to myself I was being too concrete. I'll just photograph the collage instead. It's not the best response to the challenge, but it'll do for now.
Oh and it's Passover! So Chag Sameach y'all.
Thursday, April 05, 2012
Another Season Starts
Sports are in full swing now so I spend about an hour a day watching my kids do a lot of running around. If I remember I'll have a book and that is the best way to while away an hour or so. For days like today, when my books ends up being left behind, I take pictures, chat with other parents, or call up Meryl.
So really, practice not such a bad thing. The only problem is figuring out when to shoe horn in dinner and homework.
So really, practice not such a bad thing. The only problem is figuring out when to shoe horn in dinner and homework.
Wednesday, April 04, 2012
Artist of the Week: Storm
This week's artist is a freshly shorn Nate.
A couple of weeks ago Nate decided that he was done with the long hair. He had been toying with the idea of short hair for some time, but wasn't ready until now. There was no given reason, he said it was time. I think one of the reasons was that he was sick and tired of my harping on hair. I had no problem per se with his long locks, I just required that he properly maintained them with daily brushing and washing. And lets face it, 13 year old boys don't want their moms bugging them about brushing. He did, however, regularly wash. Thank heavens for small favors.
Which brings us to today's art work. It is a small collage he made for last semester's art class. I found it inside his art journal while fishing about for something for this week's post. I like the large black rectangle that sets off he lightening bolts. It's a different sort of composition and I think it works very well. I'm not sure what technique the teacher was demonstrating in the lesson, but the end result is quiet good.
A couple of weeks ago Nate decided that he was done with the long hair. He had been toying with the idea of short hair for some time, but wasn't ready until now. There was no given reason, he said it was time. I think one of the reasons was that he was sick and tired of my harping on hair. I had no problem per se with his long locks, I just required that he properly maintained them with daily brushing and washing. And lets face it, 13 year old boys don't want their moms bugging them about brushing. He did, however, regularly wash. Thank heavens for small favors.
Which brings us to today's art work. It is a small collage he made for last semester's art class. I found it inside his art journal while fishing about for something for this week's post. I like the large black rectangle that sets off he lightening bolts. It's a different sort of composition and I think it works very well. I'm not sure what technique the teacher was demonstrating in the lesson, but the end result is quiet good.
Tuesday, April 03, 2012
Baking With Julia- Pizza Rustica
Today's recipe for Baking with Julia was Pizza Rustica. You can get a full run down on how to make it over at Capital Region Dining Blog and The Place They call Home. And of course you should check out Tuesdays with Dorie for the whole story.
I was a little apprehensive over the whole baking thing this month, however it all fell in place. The two Tuesdays selected very nicely bracket Passover. I know I could bake ahead if there had been a conflict, but it would have seem wrong to be promoting some sort of chametz during Passover.
Pizza Rustica is considered traditional Easter fare in Italy. It did seem similar to some of what I remember Mama Leonardi would make for Easter. She was an amazing cook and we used to go to her house all the time and were considered part of the family. I need to big up some of the family photos we had been included in. With my dark hair I blended in, but my brother with his blond hair stuck out like a beacon.
Anyhoodle, back to the backed good of the day.
The dish itself is not all what Americans would consider to be pizza, it is much more similar to a sort of dense quiche. The crust is made with sugar to provide a sweet counterpoint to the savory and salty filling. I was not a fan of the sweetness, I would probaly halve the sugar next time I make it. The filling on the other hand was great. I really enjoyed the pie. The only change I might do to the filling is throw in some onions.
I think I will make it again . It was very delicious and I ate far too much of it for lunch. By breakfast, however, I had learned my lesson!
I was a little apprehensive over the whole baking thing this month, however it all fell in place. The two Tuesdays selected very nicely bracket Passover. I know I could bake ahead if there had been a conflict, but it would have seem wrong to be promoting some sort of chametz during Passover.
Pizza Rustica is considered traditional Easter fare in Italy. It did seem similar to some of what I remember Mama Leonardi would make for Easter. She was an amazing cook and we used to go to her house all the time and were considered part of the family. I need to big up some of the family photos we had been included in. With my dark hair I blended in, but my brother with his blond hair stuck out like a beacon.
Anyhoodle, back to the backed good of the day.
The dish itself is not all what Americans would consider to be pizza, it is much more similar to a sort of dense quiche. The crust is made with sugar to provide a sweet counterpoint to the savory and salty filling. I was not a fan of the sweetness, I would probaly halve the sugar next time I make it. The filling on the other hand was great. I really enjoyed the pie. The only change I might do to the filling is throw in some onions.
I think I will make it again . It was very delicious and I ate far too much of it for lunch. By breakfast, however, I had learned my lesson!
Monday, April 02, 2012
Graffitiger (short film by Libor Pixa)
A wonderfully imaginative film from the Czech Republic. This one found me via one of my many short film festival subscriptions on YouTube.
Sunday, April 01, 2012
Unintentional Absurdity
Richmond, like a lot of cities, has quite a bit of statuary. In fact one of the main roads is called Monument Avenue and is divided by a wide swath of green that is home to numerous statues. For the most part the statues are of various Confederate notables with one very prominent exception in the form of the Richmond native Arthur Ashe.
The Arthur Ashe statue is my favorite piece of absurdist Richmond.
Don't get me wrong, I think Arthur Ashe was a wonderful human being and is totally worthy of a statue in his native city. But...
Did anyone truly LOOK at the statue while it was being made?
I know they idea is that the piece celebrates his achievements in tennis and his dedication towards education, hence the racket and the book. With the children clustered at his feet it looks like he is about to bludgeon them with both the book and the racket. The upraised arms of the children seemed to be a combination of beseeching him to stop and to ward off his blows. These are truly unfortunate choices of poses for all of the figures.
Seriously, if you ask any Richmonder where the statue is of the guy threatening children with a book and a racket is they'll direct you to this one.
I spent a good bit of time shooting pictures from all sorts of angles and none of them made the statue look good. Why on earth did the artist choose to depict Mr. Ashe with both arms raised in such a threatening manner.
Heck I could have designed a better composition.
In my version none of the figures would have raised arms. I would have the tennis racket tucked between Mr. Ashe's arm and his body while he held the book open with both hands. Certainly it wouldn't be as dynamic, but it would do a better job of celebrating the man and would be a much more peaceful.
Sheesh.
Then again it also would no longer be my favorite statue in Richmond.
The Arthur Ashe statue is my favorite piece of absurdist Richmond.
Don't get me wrong, I think Arthur Ashe was a wonderful human being and is totally worthy of a statue in his native city. But...
Did anyone truly LOOK at the statue while it was being made?
I know they idea is that the piece celebrates his achievements in tennis and his dedication towards education, hence the racket and the book. With the children clustered at his feet it looks like he is about to bludgeon them with both the book and the racket. The upraised arms of the children seemed to be a combination of beseeching him to stop and to ward off his blows. These are truly unfortunate choices of poses for all of the figures.
Seriously, if you ask any Richmonder where the statue is of the guy threatening children with a book and a racket is they'll direct you to this one.
I spent a good bit of time shooting pictures from all sorts of angles and none of them made the statue look good. Why on earth did the artist choose to depict Mr. Ashe with both arms raised in such a threatening manner.
Heck I could have designed a better composition.
In my version none of the figures would have raised arms. I would have the tennis racket tucked between Mr. Ashe's arm and his body while he held the book open with both hands. Certainly it wouldn't be as dynamic, but it would do a better job of celebrating the man and would be a much more peaceful.
Sheesh.
Then again it also would no longer be my favorite statue in Richmond.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Project MCP: On the Lookout
It took all month, but I finally took a picture for challenge #1. Take a picture from a high vantage point, from above your subject.
Part of me wanted to go up to Richmond and shoot a few pictures from city hall, but that would be boring. Then I thought it would be nice to find an old spiral staircase, but none that I could get to sprang to mind. So I just pushed it out of my mind until this week
Yesterday I got my inspiration watching the dogs surveying their kingdom from the deck. I could shoot a picture of them from above while they are looking at the ground while up on the deck. A picture from above of those looking from above.
The dogs were very happy to look out and I got a nice assortment of pictures. I particularly liked this one with the strong diagonals from the shadows slanting across the dogs. I think this was the hardest challenge, since I had to really think to come up with something that was uniquely mine.
Part of me wanted to go up to Richmond and shoot a few pictures from city hall, but that would be boring. Then I thought it would be nice to find an old spiral staircase, but none that I could get to sprang to mind. So I just pushed it out of my mind until this week
Yesterday I got my inspiration watching the dogs surveying their kingdom from the deck. I could shoot a picture of them from above while they are looking at the ground while up on the deck. A picture from above of those looking from above.
The dogs were very happy to look out and I got a nice assortment of pictures. I particularly liked this one with the strong diagonals from the shadows slanting across the dogs. I think this was the hardest challenge, since I had to really think to come up with something that was uniquely mine.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
DC FIRST
For the second week in row things will be a wee bit quiet around here this weekend.
Last weekend Jake was away Friday night through to Sunday afternoon at a show choir competition and sight seeing trip down in Williamsburg. He is in the band that accompanies both show choirs and as a rsult was invited along on the boat trip planned on Sunday. He had a great time, even with the epic thunderstorm Saturday night.
This weekend he has headed off to DC with his Robotics team. They are competing at the DC Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. A few weeks ago they came in second at the competition in Richmond hosted at VCU. The team has high hopes winning this weekend, if they do win the team qualifies for the big national competition in St Louis at the end of April.
Unfortunately we can't be here to watch the competition. Between, school, soccer, and lacrosse we can't just duck out to DC. Which is a bummer. Jake, however, is fine with that and I'm sure he's having a great time.
Last weekend Jake was away Friday night through to Sunday afternoon at a show choir competition and sight seeing trip down in Williamsburg. He is in the band that accompanies both show choirs and as a rsult was invited along on the boat trip planned on Sunday. He had a great time, even with the epic thunderstorm Saturday night.
This weekend he has headed off to DC with his Robotics team. They are competing at the DC Regional FIRST Robotics Competition. A few weeks ago they came in second at the competition in Richmond hosted at VCU. The team has high hopes winning this weekend, if they do win the team qualifies for the big national competition in St Louis at the end of April.
Unfortunately we can't be here to watch the competition. Between, school, soccer, and lacrosse we can't just duck out to DC. Which is a bummer. Jake, however, is fine with that and I'm sure he's having a great time.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Artist of the Week: Ink
This week it's Max's turn to be Artist of the Week.
I took this picture of Max at his behest. A couple of weeks ago he was creating various structures with his favorite building material, dominoes, and wanted me to take pictures of what he had made. I'm more than happy to comply since it results in him being happy to pick up the dominoes and put them away when he is done. Also it's far less upsetting for Max when the inevitable wagging dog ambles by and knocks it all over. Seriously one of these days I should get little Godzilla costumes for the dogs and film the destruction. Add in a little bad dubbing and instant hilarity.
Any hoodle, enough about the dominoes.
What I am really here for is a monkey, specifically this monkey that Max drew in Chinese class. I'm not sure about how much of the language he is learning, an hour once week is insufficient to learn any language much less Chinese, but he is learning a great deal about the culture. The monkey was the result of their learning about how to use ink.
The students had to draw various animals using black ink and brush. It is a bit like watercolor which is all about managing how wet the brush is. I like the monkey Max made, it's a cheerful little fellow like it's creator. Max was very pleased with his creation and promptly presented it to me when he got home. An improvement over the normal "Oh I forgot about it for a week in my backpack."
I took this picture of Max at his behest. A couple of weeks ago he was creating various structures with his favorite building material, dominoes, and wanted me to take pictures of what he had made. I'm more than happy to comply since it results in him being happy to pick up the dominoes and put them away when he is done. Also it's far less upsetting for Max when the inevitable wagging dog ambles by and knocks it all over. Seriously one of these days I should get little Godzilla costumes for the dogs and film the destruction. Add in a little bad dubbing and instant hilarity.
Any hoodle, enough about the dominoes.
What I am really here for is a monkey, specifically this monkey that Max drew in Chinese class. I'm not sure about how much of the language he is learning, an hour once week is insufficient to learn any language much less Chinese, but he is learning a great deal about the culture. The monkey was the result of their learning about how to use ink.
The students had to draw various animals using black ink and brush. It is a bit like watercolor which is all about managing how wet the brush is. I like the monkey Max made, it's a cheerful little fellow like it's creator. Max was very pleased with his creation and promptly presented it to me when he got home. An improvement over the normal "Oh I forgot about it for a week in my backpack."
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Puzzler
Can you guess what this is?
The image came straight out of my camera. No fancy filters, strange settings, or Photoshop were used to create this picture. All it took was my noticing something interesting (at least to me) and taking a picture.
The image came straight out of my camera. No fancy filters, strange settings, or Photoshop were used to create this picture. All it took was my noticing something interesting (at least to me) and taking a picture.
Monday, March 26, 2012
"Spring Maiden"
In honor of our more spring like weather, I offer up a clip from a 1960 (or there abouts) Russian film called "Spring Maiden." Oddly hypnotic in both music and how smoothly the women glide along.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
John Carter
Larry and I took Nate, Max, and Rebecca out to see John Carter today (Jake had a boatload of homework and had to stay home). We tried to go last weekend, but our busy schedules made it nigh impossible, particularly since we wanted to hit the bargain matinee. It was going to another no go this weekend until we decided to bag the matinee and just go already, we were afraid it would be gone before we could pull our act together. The movie has not been a big draw and with the Hunger Games on the scene, John Carter's days are numbered.
I don't understand why the movie "John Carter" is not doing particularly well. It's a good movie that appealed to all of us that went. The CGI was well done without being overwrought, the action scenes made sense, and there was a good dose of humor in a well written script. I guess Disney's marketing is to blame. They don't seem to know what to do with movie geared more for adults, the PG-13 rating has thrown them for a loop. It was fine for the dynamic duo at age ten. They have grown up on Harry Potter and Star Wars and were ready for the intensity of this film. I won't, however, recommend this to our neighbor. Their eldest is in 1st grade and I can see him being very overwhelmed by this movie and his 3year old sister is a complete nonstarter.
So go see it before it is gone, but be warned it is not a Disney movie for little kids.
I don't understand why the movie "John Carter" is not doing particularly well. It's a good movie that appealed to all of us that went. The CGI was well done without being overwrought, the action scenes made sense, and there was a good dose of humor in a well written script. I guess Disney's marketing is to blame. They don't seem to know what to do with movie geared more for adults, the PG-13 rating has thrown them for a loop. It was fine for the dynamic duo at age ten. They have grown up on Harry Potter and Star Wars and were ready for the intensity of this film. I won't, however, recommend this to our neighbor. Their eldest is in 1st grade and I can see him being very overwhelmed by this movie and his 3year old sister is a complete nonstarter.
So go see it before it is gone, but be warned it is not a Disney movie for little kids.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Project MCP: Guess What
Another twofer this week for Project MCP.
The challenge I worked on this week was "Guess What." The idea behind it was taking an extreme closeup, to the point of abstraction.
I have been keeping an eye out for a good subject, but not much interested me until this week. The first picture here is of a broken CD I found in a parking lot. The colors captivated me and I ended up taking the bits home and photographing them in my own drive. I am pretty pleased with how it came out, it's almost straight from the camera with just a bit of cropping.
The second picture is of a pansy from Nate's Bar Mitzvah, they had overwintered in some of my deck flower boxes. The plants have been looking a bit ragged the past month, but have sprung forth with the warm weather. This picture is truly sootc. I was able to position the camera just right to get the bright backdrop. I realize it's not terribly abstract, but it is an excellent close-up of a pansy in situ with natural light. Again I love the colors and I wanted to share the picture and the flower.
The challenge I worked on this week was "Guess What." The idea behind it was taking an extreme closeup, to the point of abstraction.
I have been keeping an eye out for a good subject, but not much interested me until this week. The first picture here is of a broken CD I found in a parking lot. The colors captivated me and I ended up taking the bits home and photographing them in my own drive. I am pretty pleased with how it came out, it's almost straight from the camera with just a bit of cropping.
The second picture is of a pansy from Nate's Bar Mitzvah, they had overwintered in some of my deck flower boxes. The plants have been looking a bit ragged the past month, but have sprung forth with the warm weather. This picture is truly sootc. I was able to position the camera just right to get the bright backdrop. I realize it's not terribly abstract, but it is an excellent close-up of a pansy in situ with natural light. Again I love the colors and I wanted to share the picture and the flower.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Toupee, Or Not Toupee
That is certainly quite a question.
We did some big haircuts this past weekend and at one point I had a large pile of hair. While scooping it up I noticed it was just the right size for a dachshund hairpiece.
I tried Dell at first, but he kept rolling over for tummy rubs. So I grabbed the always patient John. He puts up with all sorts of shenanigans with a sort of resigned look. This time was no exception. He calmly sat there as I tweaked the hair and tried to get just the right angle for the picture.
I think the final result was a hoot.
We did some big haircuts this past weekend and at one point I had a large pile of hair. While scooping it up I noticed it was just the right size for a dachshund hairpiece.
I tried Dell at first, but he kept rolling over for tummy rubs. So I grabbed the always patient John. He puts up with all sorts of shenanigans with a sort of resigned look. This time was no exception. He calmly sat there as I tweaked the hair and tried to get just the right angle for the picture.
I think the final result was a hoot.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Artist of the Week: Pre-Festival Concert 2012
This week's artist is Jake along with his fellow members of wing symphony. This was recorded back on March 1st. The concert was a sort of pre-assesment warm-up. The following week they performed for a panel of judges. They did a bang-up job and got top marks from the judges. However, they were not done.
They not only played the three pieces here, but also did a sight reading with an unfamiliar piece. The director was given 15 minutes to organize her students, then they had to perform for the judge. Again they scored top marks. It was a proud day for all the students and their parents.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Baking With Julia- Irish Soda Bread
This week's baking challenge on Tuesday's with Dorie/ Baking with Julia was Irish soda bread.
A simple bread that is only composed of four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. I have never eaten it before, much less baked it, and honestly I don't think I ever would have if I wasn't doing this baking challenge. Maybe it's the raisins that most people put in, I don't like them and that probably scared me off this particular treat.
Anyhoodle here I am with my very first Irish soda bread.
It really is a snap to make, a welcome relief from the previous albeit delicious tour de force. I waited until it was time for me to pick up Jake from school. Since it's such an ephemeral bread I wanted it to be at its best when my main bread eater was home. Jake loved it and the two of us blew through half the loaf. I've kept it wrapped in a damped towel, but I can see the quality dropping off as the day progresses. I think the bread's next stop is to be sliced up and frozen. It should be a tasty treat for breakfast after it gets toasted.
For a full run down of the bread, with recipes, head on over to Chocolate Moosey and My Culinary Mission.
A simple bread that is only composed of four ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk. I have never eaten it before, much less baked it, and honestly I don't think I ever would have if I wasn't doing this baking challenge. Maybe it's the raisins that most people put in, I don't like them and that probably scared me off this particular treat.
Anyhoodle here I am with my very first Irish soda bread.
It really is a snap to make, a welcome relief from the previous albeit delicious tour de force. I waited until it was time for me to pick up Jake from school. Since it's such an ephemeral bread I wanted it to be at its best when my main bread eater was home. Jake loved it and the two of us blew through half the loaf. I've kept it wrapped in a damped towel, but I can see the quality dropping off as the day progresses. I think the bread's next stop is to be sliced up and frozen. It should be a tasty treat for breakfast after it gets toasted.
For a full run down of the bread, with recipes, head on over to Chocolate Moosey and My Culinary Mission.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Schrödinger's Cat
In honor of last week's Pi day, a little fun with physics.
Turns out there is a whole host of mini physic lectures by the same person.
Turns out there is a whole host of mini physic lectures by the same person.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Project MCP: Natural Light
This month's second challenge is natural light and I finally got some time during my favorite daylight hours, just before sunset, to take pictures.
Saturday I got dinner all set up and in the oven, giving me about 20 minutes to prowl around the yard. Originally I was going to take pictures of the kids, but they were far too busy playing in the backyard. The shadows were too deep to take the kind of pictures I wanted, I had to move to the western facing front yard.
AS I scanned the yard from the front steps I saw a dandelion near the edge of the lawn. It was still illuminated by the sinking sun and was too good to pass up. I had to stretch out on the grass to get just the right angle. It took a few shots to get the focus just right. Feeling pretty pleased I headed back inside, pausing to take a quick picture of the Bradford pear that was in full bloom (that picture was a big meh).
I was halfway down the driveway when I saw these bright and cheery flowers.
I have no idea what they are. They keep popping up year after year with zero help from me. The low slanting rays of light illuminated them with the warmest glow and I had to take a few pictures of them as well.
I love both of these pictures and I'm so glad that this time around I can submit multiple images. If I had to choose I think it would be the dandelion. Maybe.
Saturday I got dinner all set up and in the oven, giving me about 20 minutes to prowl around the yard. Originally I was going to take pictures of the kids, but they were far too busy playing in the backyard. The shadows were too deep to take the kind of pictures I wanted, I had to move to the western facing front yard.
AS I scanned the yard from the front steps I saw a dandelion near the edge of the lawn. It was still illuminated by the sinking sun and was too good to pass up. I had to stretch out on the grass to get just the right angle. It took a few shots to get the focus just right. Feeling pretty pleased I headed back inside, pausing to take a quick picture of the Bradford pear that was in full bloom (that picture was a big meh).
I was halfway down the driveway when I saw these bright and cheery flowers.
I have no idea what they are. They keep popping up year after year with zero help from me. The low slanting rays of light illuminated them with the warmest glow and I had to take a few pictures of them as well.
I love both of these pictures and I'm so glad that this time around I can submit multiple images. If I had to choose I think it would be the dandelion. Maybe.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Ricotta Cake Goodness
Today was my synagogue's monthly pot luck dinner and service. Since it was the second week in a row of dairy pot lucking (for most of the year our congregation does dairy, the grand exception is the passover seder) Meryl and I opted to bring pizzas, there is only so much meatless lasagne and baked ziti I can eat. Meanwhile I needed to make a dessert.
I had a large amount of ricotta cheese leftover from the last lasagne I made, so a ricotta cake seemed to be in order. After looking through most of my cook books I had to fall back to the Google cookbook, none of my cook books had anything I wanted to try. My search criteria were ricotta cheese (and lots of it) and a minimum of oddball ingredients. The winner was from the Food network's Giada De Laurentiis' show Everyday Italian. The only things I needed to get were amaretto and more strawberries. It is called Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries.
I decided to substitute almond extract for the amaretto and bake it in a 9 inch cake pan. Since it was a potluck, I thought it would be better to make a cake instead of a loaf. A cake I could cut into two layers and fill with the strawberries, thus guaranteeing each slice would have the strawberry goodness.
The cake was excellent. It needed to cook much longer that what was stated in the recipe, which had been noted by more than one person in he comments on the site. The strawberries worked out very well as a filling. I considered adding whipped cream, but decided against it. I thought the cake needed to be tasted before adding anything else and I'm still on the fence. I think I will not add whipped cream. The cake is not meant to be all tarted up and fancy, I like the clarity of flavors and I think whipped cream would blunt it.
The cake is definitely a keeper. I forgot to photograph it, so I'll just have to make it again.
I had a large amount of ricotta cheese leftover from the last lasagne I made, so a ricotta cake seemed to be in order. After looking through most of my cook books I had to fall back to the Google cookbook, none of my cook books had anything I wanted to try. My search criteria were ricotta cheese (and lots of it) and a minimum of oddball ingredients. The winner was from the Food network's Giada De Laurentiis' show Everyday Italian. The only things I needed to get were amaretto and more strawberries. It is called Ricotta Orange Pound Cake with Strawberries.
I decided to substitute almond extract for the amaretto and bake it in a 9 inch cake pan. Since it was a potluck, I thought it would be better to make a cake instead of a loaf. A cake I could cut into two layers and fill with the strawberries, thus guaranteeing each slice would have the strawberry goodness.
The cake was excellent. It needed to cook much longer that what was stated in the recipe, which had been noted by more than one person in he comments on the site. The strawberries worked out very well as a filling. I considered adding whipped cream, but decided against it. I thought the cake needed to be tasted before adding anything else and I'm still on the fence. I think I will not add whipped cream. The cake is not meant to be all tarted up and fancy, I like the clarity of flavors and I think whipped cream would blunt it.
The cake is definitely a keeper. I forgot to photograph it, so I'll just have to make it again.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
10 Years of IEATAPETA
I can't believe it, but it's the 10th anniversary of International Eat A Tasty Animal For PETA Day. I'm a dedicated omnivore and I happily go along with the whole idea behind IEATAPETA, Meryl has the full run down here.
We started out with sausages for breakfast plus Rebecca and I split a mom mcmuffin- fried egg, cheese, Canadian bacon, all on a toasty buttered English muffin. Lunch was leftover pumpkin pie (eggs, butter, and milk) with a tall glass of milk. I snacked on a few beef raviollis afterwards to pad it out. Dinner was grilled barbeque chicken breasts and beer (hey don't forget the poor little exploited yeast).
So yeah, I think we had it covered. Oh and peta can go stuff it.
We started out with sausages for breakfast plus Rebecca and I split a mom mcmuffin- fried egg, cheese, Canadian bacon, all on a toasty buttered English muffin. Lunch was leftover pumpkin pie (eggs, butter, and milk) with a tall glass of milk. I snacked on a few beef raviollis afterwards to pad it out. Dinner was grilled barbeque chicken breasts and beer (hey don't forget the poor little exploited yeast).
So yeah, I think we had it covered. Oh and peta can go stuff it.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Pumpkin and Chicken Pot Pi !
In honor of Pi day we had a 2 Pi (dinne)r, chicken pot pi for the mains and pumpkin Pi for dessert. Which was a true labor of love since the temperatures are in the 80s(!) both yesterday, when I roasted the chicken, and today.
If you look closely you can see the pi symbol on each pie. The pumpkin was easy, just pinch off some pie crust and roll it into a long strand. The hardest part was floating the crust on the unbaked filling. The chicken pot pie is a bit harder to see, all I did was cut a pi shaped steam vent.
Both pies were well received and very much appreciated by my very nerdy family.
If you look closely you can see the pi symbol on each pie. The pumpkin was easy, just pinch off some pie crust and roll it into a long strand. The hardest part was floating the crust on the unbaked filling. The chicken pot pie is a bit harder to see, all I did was cut a pi shaped steam vent.
Both pies were well received and very much appreciated by my very nerdy family.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Spring Forth
It hit 80 today and became skirt weather. Leaves are bursting out and the flowers are popping up everywhere I look. It may be a few days yet to the vernal equinox and the official start of spring, but as far as I'm concerned spring is here.
Monday, March 12, 2012
The 53rd Hour
Yet another Tropfest short. This one is the winner of the Mobile category of Tropfest Australia. A poignant film shot entirely on the director's (Jason van Genderen) iPhone.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Ugh
It's been baking, baking, baking all this past week. Rugelach for the blog thingy I'm doing, hamantashen for Purim, two batches of chocolate chip cookies for concessions at the band festival (one for Friday and one for Saturday), and a lasagna for the Purim potluck yesterday.
I don't want to touch my oven for a week.
Mind you I enjoyed making all those things, I just wish it all hadn't been in a five day period. At least things will be back to normal for a bit. That is until the next potluck on Friday. Meryl's idea of springing for pizza is sounding better and better.
I don't want to touch my oven for a week.
Mind you I enjoyed making all those things, I just wish it all hadn't been in a five day period. At least things will be back to normal for a bit. That is until the next potluck on Friday. Meryl's idea of springing for pizza is sounding better and better.
Friday, March 09, 2012
Project MCP: Transition Winter into Spring
MCP Project 12 has been switched to Project MCP. The Project 12 version wasn't generating a whole lot of photos so it was decided by the owner to switch to four challenges a month as apposed to just one.
Which made me very happy.
The one challenge a month was very limiting and honestly boring. If I didn't like it I was stuck for the whole month. Multiple images were encouraged, but again if it wasn't your cuppa tea you not going to be very inspired. I love the four challenges a month and the flexibility of whatever order I want.
One of the four themes this month is transition. What better way to demonstrate that word than the transition of winter into spring. Our little surprise snowstorm last weekend caught my crab apple with its new little leaves and I think this picture is very apt for defining transition.
Which made me very happy.
The one challenge a month was very limiting and honestly boring. If I didn't like it I was stuck for the whole month. Multiple images were encouraged, but again if it wasn't your cuppa tea you not going to be very inspired. I love the four challenges a month and the flexibility of whatever order I want.
One of the four themes this month is transition. What better way to demonstrate that word than the transition of winter into spring. Our little surprise snowstorm last weekend caught my crab apple with its new little leaves and I think this picture is very apt for defining transition.
Thursday, March 08, 2012
Beauty in Strange Places
Sometimes even pollution can be beautiful.
As I mentioned before, it was my turn to drive the carpool to Sunday school and I had my camera with me. However graffiti was not the only thing on my mind. I keep my eyes open when I'm up in the city because sometimes I find beauty in the oddest places. It is almost always worthwhile to have a camera on hand. Case in point was the short walk from the parking lot down the alley to Sunday school.
While tromping down the narrow cobblestone road (yes Richmond has plenty of cobblestones) I espied a flash of bright purple between the stones. It was so very striking amongst the grey rock and green moss, I just had to get my camera out. The picture really doesn't do it justice, the color was far more vivid in person. Of course the big question was why and where did it come from.
I got my answer just a few steps later.
The purple was from what I presumed to be gasoline overlaying the puddle that was draining through the cobblestones. The gas formed a beautiful iridescent overlay on the water. The sight was mesmerizing. I know the spill wasn't doing the environment any favors, but the effect was amazing.
I do my best to be a good steward of the planet and I would never deliberately spill such a noxious item. However I do appreciate beauty in even the ugliest of things.
As I mentioned before, it was my turn to drive the carpool to Sunday school and I had my camera with me. However graffiti was not the only thing on my mind. I keep my eyes open when I'm up in the city because sometimes I find beauty in the oddest places. It is almost always worthwhile to have a camera on hand. Case in point was the short walk from the parking lot down the alley to Sunday school.
While tromping down the narrow cobblestone road (yes Richmond has plenty of cobblestones) I espied a flash of bright purple between the stones. It was so very striking amongst the grey rock and green moss, I just had to get my camera out. The picture really doesn't do it justice, the color was far more vivid in person. Of course the big question was why and where did it come from.
I got my answer just a few steps later.
The purple was from what I presumed to be gasoline overlaying the puddle that was draining through the cobblestones. The gas formed a beautiful iridescent overlay on the water. The sight was mesmerizing. I know the spill wasn't doing the environment any favors, but the effect was amazing.
I do my best to be a good steward of the planet and I would never deliberately spill such a noxious item. However I do appreciate beauty in even the ugliest of things.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
Artist of the Week: Hamantaschen
In honor of Purim Rebecca is this week's artist for our hamantaschen.
There is no snow around here, but I going to pretend with this picture of Rebecca for our trip up north. It is technically still winter, dang it. Our almost non-winter did cough up two snowstorms and we did get a snow day. However spring is here with new leaves, daffodils, and forsythia in bloom.
Anyhoodle, back to Purim and the hamantaschen.
Rebecca was very keen on making the hamantaschen this year. On Monday while I was gearing up to make the rugelach, she kept asking about the hamantaschen.
"When will we make them, can we do it now?"
So I told her Tuesday would be the day. I would make the dough while she's at school and it would be ready to go after dinner (I wanted to make sure homework would get done beforehand).
Rebecca has become quite an assistant in the kitchen. As I rolled and cut the dough, she filled the circles with the chocolate filling she helped to prepare.We both folded up the cookies and I can honestly state that for the first time I can't tell which are her cookies. My little girl is becoming quite the cook.
Happy Purim!
There is no snow around here, but I going to pretend with this picture of Rebecca for our trip up north. It is technically still winter, dang it. Our almost non-winter did cough up two snowstorms and we did get a snow day. However spring is here with new leaves, daffodils, and forsythia in bloom.
Anyhoodle, back to Purim and the hamantaschen.
Rebecca was very keen on making the hamantaschen this year. On Monday while I was gearing up to make the rugelach, she kept asking about the hamantaschen.
"When will we make them, can we do it now?"
So I told her Tuesday would be the day. I would make the dough while she's at school and it would be ready to go after dinner (I wanted to make sure homework would get done beforehand).
Rebecca has become quite an assistant in the kitchen. As I rolled and cut the dough, she filled the circles with the chocolate filling she helped to prepare.We both folded up the cookies and I can honestly state that for the first time I can't tell which are her cookies. My little girl is becoming quite the cook.
Happy Purim!
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Baking With Julia- Rugelach
It's Tuesday and that means I'm probably "Baking with Julia."
The first recipe this month is a doozy of a cookie, in fact I never even considered it as a cookie. I just thought of it as a rather messy and very tasty pastry. Either way it is called rugelach and I like it.
I was a bit dismayed at first when I saw I had to chill the dough twice and the high prune content. I couldn't do anything about the chilling, but I did do something about the prunes. The recipe calls for either prune or apricot lekvar, both of which are a sort of prune/apricot butter. Well, why not substitute apple butter for the lekvar? The apple butter would certainly work with all the cinnamon and nuts. So that is exactly what I smeared on the dough before sprinkling on the dried fruits and nuts. For the fruit I opted for a mixture of dried apples and cranberries with walnuts rounding it all out.Then the whole mess got rolled up, chilled, sliced and baked.
Baking turned out to be a bit of a challenge. Or rather the post baking cool down. I waited a smidge too long and had a devil of a time getting it all off the paper I lined the cookie sheet. I had to bust out my silpat baking mat for the later batches. The rugelach is very tasty and the dough has a wonderful flavor that nicely counters the dried fruit and nuts.
I'm not sure if I'll do this again, but it is very good. I need to see what the rest of the family thinks of it. Jake thought it was very good, we'll see about the rest tomorrow.
The first recipe this month is a doozy of a cookie, in fact I never even considered it as a cookie. I just thought of it as a rather messy and very tasty pastry. Either way it is called rugelach and I like it.
I was a bit dismayed at first when I saw I had to chill the dough twice and the high prune content. I couldn't do anything about the chilling, but I did do something about the prunes. The recipe calls for either prune or apricot lekvar, both of which are a sort of prune/apricot butter. Well, why not substitute apple butter for the lekvar? The apple butter would certainly work with all the cinnamon and nuts. So that is exactly what I smeared on the dough before sprinkling on the dried fruits and nuts. For the fruit I opted for a mixture of dried apples and cranberries with walnuts rounding it all out.Then the whole mess got rolled up, chilled, sliced and baked.
Baking turned out to be a bit of a challenge. Or rather the post baking cool down. I waited a smidge too long and had a devil of a time getting it all off the paper I lined the cookie sheet. I had to bust out my silpat baking mat for the later batches. The rugelach is very tasty and the dough has a wonderful flavor that nicely counters the dried fruit and nuts.
I'm not sure if I'll do this again, but it is very good. I need to see what the rest of the family thinks of it. Jake thought it was very good, we'll see about the rest tomorrow.
Monday, March 05, 2012
L'Odyssée de Cartier
Yes it's an ad for Cartier, but it is a beautiful short. Even my thirteen year old thought it was pretty good.
Sunday, March 04, 2012
Super Mouse Revisted
With our Sunday school carpool I haven't been up to Richmond very often, but I was happy to see this weekend what was happening with my favorite piece of Richmond graffiti. Last month I noticed a new addition, blue cat. It is a rather faintly spray-painted cat that almost seems to be the reason for super mouse's heroic leap.
I love it.
It is a very crudely done sketch and it makes me smile when I see it. I made an effort to bring my camera along this weekend so I could catch the cat before it was gone. It is already paler and more indistinct from the last time I saw it three weeks ago. I think time and weather will slowly erode it from the bricks and that's fine by me, I got a my picture.
I love it.
It is a very crudely done sketch and it makes me smile when I see it. I made an effort to bring my camera along this weekend so I could catch the cat before it was gone. It is already paler and more indistinct from the last time I saw it three weeks ago. I think time and weather will slowly erode it from the bricks and that's fine by me, I got a my picture.
Friday, March 02, 2012
Silly Girl
The dogs' crates are located under a table right next to my computer. It's a good spot for the dogs, out of the way yet close to the action.
For whatever reason, on Monday Max and Rebecca viewed the crates as their playground. In the course of an hour we determined that one 10 year old and one standard sized dachshund can both fit inside a medium sized crate. Two 10 year olds can also fit together inside a crate, but with far less room to spare than the dog plus human combination. As an added bonus a 10 year old can also fit on top of the said crates.
John found all of this vaguely distressing. He was fine sharing a crate, heaven knows he's always piling in with Dell, but he decided it was best to sit in his own crate and keep an eye on things. Dell meanwhile thought it was fun, all that was needed was more treats.
For whatever reason, on Monday Max and Rebecca viewed the crates as their playground. In the course of an hour we determined that one 10 year old and one standard sized dachshund can both fit inside a medium sized crate. Two 10 year olds can also fit together inside a crate, but with far less room to spare than the dog plus human combination. As an added bonus a 10 year old can also fit on top of the said crates.
John found all of this vaguely distressing. He was fine sharing a crate, heaven knows he's always piling in with Dell, but he decided it was best to sit in his own crate and keep an eye on things. Dell meanwhile thought it was fun, all that was needed was more treats.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Squirrel!
This little bugger of late has been the bane of our dogs' existence. It has been clambering around my beloved crab apple tree that is framed by the window near the kitchen table. It leaps from limb to limb, pausing to eat the dried crab apples from last year.
When the dogs first saw it they stampeded to the window and peered out the window while barking madly. I would open the door and the red dogs would thunder out and careen off the deck, still barking. Of course the squirrel would be long gone, usually up on the roof.
Now the boys stretch out on the staircase with their heads pointed towards the window. They are about a third of the way up the steps and now have an excellent view of the wee beastie. They still bark, but it's not as frantic as before. When I open the door to let them out they look at me as if to say "No thanks, we can see just fine from here."
When the dogs first saw it they stampeded to the window and peered out the window while barking madly. I would open the door and the red dogs would thunder out and careen off the deck, still barking. Of course the squirrel would be long gone, usually up on the roof.
Now the boys stretch out on the staircase with their heads pointed towards the window. They are about a third of the way up the steps and now have an excellent view of the wee beastie. They still bark, but it's not as frantic as before. When I open the door to let them out they look at me as if to say "No thanks, we can see just fine from here."
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Artist of the Week: Science Fair, A Bridge too Many
This week's artist is Nate, caught here in a snowball fight with his co-conspirator.
Nate decided this year to team up with his very good friend N for the science project. Which was good and bad. The two of them were able to get things done with little or no nagging from their respective parents, BUT it meant quite a bit of chauffeuring them back and forth at 20 minutes per one way. I joke about us being in the boonies, but N's family has us beat by many, many miles. Fortunately they are considerate boys and scheduled their times together wisely. Hence N sleeping over the night of the big snow storm. It was a Sunday night, but it was a school holiday on Monday and N's parents could swing by when doing something else with N's big brother.
Anyhoodle, they had to finish building their 15 (!) bridges and then destroy them. Originally it was going to be 25 bridges, but sanity returned and they decided that three bridge types (flat, trestle, and suspension) was more than enough. For a month they had been chipping away, first making the 15 bases, essentially the flat bridges, and designing the the other two.
For the final assembly Nate wanted me to buy a boatload of small clamps. Being the queen of improvisation I said no and instead pulled out some 1 inch binder clips. I would be happy to buy those in bulk, particularly since 1 clamp costs as much as a dozen binder clips. As the glue dried the boys stacked the bridges, it got to be a fairly impressive sight.
Then it was time to have fun. The boys, again, wanted me to go out a buy materials. This time it would be weights for the bridge busting. The weather was getting serious at this point with the snow and again I demurred. I told them to use a bucket and water. They didn't think it would work, that is until they picked up the 5 gallon bucket and realized just how heavy water is. I sent then out to the driveway with the bucket, some rope, a large measuring cup, and two sawhorses. They had a great time and got some good data.
As the snow continued to blow they knocked off before the suspension bridges. A few of those still needed to dry and it was getting unpleasant out in the driveway. In the morning they were all set to bust their remaining bridges when I asked an important question, did they photograph the bridges?
Oops.
Luckily they had an extra flat bridge and they were able to cobble together another suspension bridge. I was able to get some nice pictures of all three bridge types plus the underside. Then it was back to breaking bridges.
N did the data analysis and Nate wrote up the experiment. It really was a joint effort. So often one kid does the bulk of the work, but these do fairly split the tasks. I helped out with the poster board by trimming up the printouts and gluing them together. For whatever reason Nate never seems to be able to glue things down, everything always drops off the next day. The whole mess got turned in last week and it'll be a while until we know what happens. They made some lovely bridges, and did a good job with the write-up.
Nate decided this year to team up with his very good friend N for the science project. Which was good and bad. The two of them were able to get things done with little or no nagging from their respective parents, BUT it meant quite a bit of chauffeuring them back and forth at 20 minutes per one way. I joke about us being in the boonies, but N's family has us beat by many, many miles. Fortunately they are considerate boys and scheduled their times together wisely. Hence N sleeping over the night of the big snow storm. It was a Sunday night, but it was a school holiday on Monday and N's parents could swing by when doing something else with N's big brother.
Anyhoodle, they had to finish building their 15 (!) bridges and then destroy them. Originally it was going to be 25 bridges, but sanity returned and they decided that three bridge types (flat, trestle, and suspension) was more than enough. For a month they had been chipping away, first making the 15 bases, essentially the flat bridges, and designing the the other two.
For the final assembly Nate wanted me to buy a boatload of small clamps. Being the queen of improvisation I said no and instead pulled out some 1 inch binder clips. I would be happy to buy those in bulk, particularly since 1 clamp costs as much as a dozen binder clips. As the glue dried the boys stacked the bridges, it got to be a fairly impressive sight.
Then it was time to have fun. The boys, again, wanted me to go out a buy materials. This time it would be weights for the bridge busting. The weather was getting serious at this point with the snow and again I demurred. I told them to use a bucket and water. They didn't think it would work, that is until they picked up the 5 gallon bucket and realized just how heavy water is. I sent then out to the driveway with the bucket, some rope, a large measuring cup, and two sawhorses. They had a great time and got some good data.
As the snow continued to blow they knocked off before the suspension bridges. A few of those still needed to dry and it was getting unpleasant out in the driveway. In the morning they were all set to bust their remaining bridges when I asked an important question, did they photograph the bridges?
Oops.
Luckily they had an extra flat bridge and they were able to cobble together another suspension bridge. I was able to get some nice pictures of all three bridge types plus the underside. Then it was back to breaking bridges.
N did the data analysis and Nate wrote up the experiment. It really was a joint effort. So often one kid does the bulk of the work, but these do fairly split the tasks. I helped out with the poster board by trimming up the printouts and gluing them together. For whatever reason Nate never seems to be able to glue things down, everything always drops off the next day. The whole mess got turned in last week and it'll be a while until we know what happens. They made some lovely bridges, and did a good job with the write-up.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
MCP Project 12: Love and Snowballs
I've been meaning to post this picture for about a week. It is from Sunday before last, during our big winter storm.
Rebecca made a snowball and thought it looked heart-shaped. She then worked on it a bit and asked me to take a picture of her creation. I was more than happy to photograph it along with her brightly smiling face. As I recalled it was shortly destroyed in the epic snowball fight happening in the backyard.
I thought this picture would nicely finish up this month's MCP Project 12 theme of Love. It is of a little girl I dearly love that created a token of love.
Rebecca made a snowball and thought it looked heart-shaped. She then worked on it a bit and asked me to take a picture of her creation. I was more than happy to photograph it along with her brightly smiling face. As I recalled it was shortly destroyed in the epic snowball fight happening in the backyard.
I thought this picture would nicely finish up this month's MCP Project 12 theme of Love. It is of a little girl I dearly love that created a token of love.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
404 Laundry
I actually like doing laundry. It's satisfying emptying out the three hampers and having nice clean clothes when I'm done. It's the putting away I can do without. I have a loose schedule of twice a week, necessary with six people. It all gets done without being totally overwhelming.
Now the laundry room is upstairs, which I love since most of the laundry is up there, but the placement leaves a bit to be desired.
It's a large closet that is partially beneath the attic stairs. Of course the washer is jammed in the far corner so you have to stoop under and around the slope of the ceiling to reach inside. It works, but barely. Thus you have to be a certain height in order to reach inside, a step stool doesn't quite fit.
So yes, I do need to teach my children, Jake is certainly tall enough now to reach into the bottom of our very awkwardly placed top load washer. But it'll be a while until I completely give up the job.
Now the laundry room is upstairs, which I love since most of the laundry is up there, but the placement leaves a bit to be desired.
It's a large closet that is partially beneath the attic stairs. Of course the washer is jammed in the far corner so you have to stoop under and around the slope of the ceiling to reach inside. It works, but barely. Thus you have to be a certain height in order to reach inside, a step stool doesn't quite fit.
So yes, I do need to teach my children, Jake is certainly tall enough now to reach into the bottom of our very awkwardly placed top load washer. But it'll be a while until I completely give up the job.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Cold Blossom
My poor beleaguered daffodils, they don't know what hit them this week.
Sunday we had our big snowstorm that buried them in four and half inches of very wet snow. Some blossoms were knocked flat to the ground and all of them were tightly furled. The one here was pictured at just the start of the snow fall, the rain was just transitioning over to a more frozen form. You can just make out the crystals of ice in and amongst the water droplets.
Today the temperatures spiked all the way to 83. No that's not a typo, it was Eighty Three freak'n degrees outside. So of course we had a huge blow of a thunderstorm whip through tossing all the trees. Now the temps have dropped to 48 and the stars are out in their full brilliance.
This winter has been unbelievable.
Sunday we had our big snowstorm that buried them in four and half inches of very wet snow. Some blossoms were knocked flat to the ground and all of them were tightly furled. The one here was pictured at just the start of the snow fall, the rain was just transitioning over to a more frozen form. You can just make out the crystals of ice in and amongst the water droplets.
Today the temperatures spiked all the way to 83. No that's not a typo, it was Eighty Three freak'n degrees outside. So of course we had a huge blow of a thunderstorm whip through tossing all the trees. Now the temps have dropped to 48 and the stars are out in their full brilliance.
This winter has been unbelievable.
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