Rebecca had her first soccer tournament this weekend and it was a bit of a mixed bag. Her team, won, tied, and lost. I know a few parents were dreading the ride home, their daughters were taking the final loss very hard. But Rebecca had a good time and was happy with how she played.
She would have been even happier if they had won and was a bit sad as she left the field. I knew it was best to give her space and wait for the car's air conditioning do its magic. 15 minutes she was feeling better and looking forward to being back home. That is the one thing I have learned about Rebecca if she is overheated or hungry- don't try to talk to her, just manage the situation until her needs are met.
Sunday, September 02, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Project MCP: Sports
The second photo challenge in August was sports, a rather tricky one for me since it is sort of betwixt between for the kids. There has been soccer camp, but I didn't hang around much as a result I have almost no actual game photos. However, we did take some of the kids to the Richmond Fencing Club last weekend.
Max, Nate, and Rebecca had a great time.
They learned a bit about different swords and a little bit about proper stance. In the picture they are all doing a lunge. At this point the exercises are without foils, but that will come in time. All three seem eager to give this another go, so we'll see what happens.
Max, Nate, and Rebecca had a great time.
They learned a bit about different swords and a little bit about proper stance. In the picture they are all doing a lunge. At this point the exercises are without foils, but that will come in time. All three seem eager to give this another go, so we'll see what happens.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Greener Pastures
Yesterday we drove west to Fluvaana to do a bit of inner tubing on the James River. Along the way we passed by the Virginia Department of Corrections work farm in Goochland. The concept of such a place always amused me and for once I was able to take a picture as we drove by the place for bad cows.
When we got back home I decided to look the place up and find out exactly what the deal is behind the work farm. It turns out it is a far nicer place than I thought.
The Virginia Department of corrections has teamed up with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to rehabilitate retired racehorces for life off the track.Each horse is matched with an inmate with the idea of the prisoners learning new job skills in the processes of caring for and training the horses.
So after all it isn't a jail for bad cows. Though there is a dairy farm onsite...
When we got back home I decided to look the place up and find out exactly what the deal is behind the work farm. It turns out it is a far nicer place than I thought.
The Virginia Department of corrections has teamed up with the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation to rehabilitate retired racehorces for life off the track.Each horse is matched with an inmate with the idea of the prisoners learning new job skills in the processes of caring for and training the horses.
So after all it isn't a jail for bad cows. Though there is a dairy farm onsite...
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Artist of the Week: Matisse
This week's artist is Nate.
I love this picture I took of him when we were at Virginia Beach. As I recall I was sitting on my towel with my camera in hand when a rather wet Nate strolled by. I looked up and quickly took a picture. It is a far from perfect, but the lighting and the colors make me happy and honestly that is a big thing. If the picture makes me happy, it is a good picture.
As for today's art, well it made the artist in question less than happy. It's not a bad piece, but he thinks it would have been better if he could have done it the way he wanted.
The assignment was to draw, using oil pastels, a colorfully abstract picture in the manner of Matisse. And this was the challenge for Nate because he wanted to use far more realistic tones. So much so that months and months later he brought that up when I was looking at the picture today.
Ironically his picture was one of the few selected from his class for the school system's Arts and Sciences Fair." Which brings his total up to three now for this year's fair. Mind you I did not see this at the fair, Boy only told his father about the piece. Why he didn't tell completely mystifies me, particularly since I was the one with the bleedin' camera. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I was rooting about his school work when I stumbled upon it and noticed the neatly done tag from the Arts and Scence's show.
I love this picture I took of him when we were at Virginia Beach. As I recall I was sitting on my towel with my camera in hand when a rather wet Nate strolled by. I looked up and quickly took a picture. It is a far from perfect, but the lighting and the colors make me happy and honestly that is a big thing. If the picture makes me happy, it is a good picture.
As for today's art, well it made the artist in question less than happy. It's not a bad piece, but he thinks it would have been better if he could have done it the way he wanted.
The assignment was to draw, using oil pastels, a colorfully abstract picture in the manner of Matisse. And this was the challenge for Nate because he wanted to use far more realistic tones. So much so that months and months later he brought that up when I was looking at the picture today.
Ironically his picture was one of the few selected from his class for the school system's Arts and Sciences Fair." Which brings his total up to three now for this year's fair. Mind you I did not see this at the fair, Boy only told his father about the piece. Why he didn't tell completely mystifies me, particularly since I was the one with the bleedin' camera. It wasn't until a few weeks ago when I was rooting about his school work when I stumbled upon it and noticed the neatly done tag from the Arts and Scence's show.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
2012 County Fair
It's County Fair time which heralds the end of summer.
This year only the dynamic duo wanted to go. Nate was only interested if he could bring a friend and all Jacob wanted was funnel cake. It was a little sad, but honestly it was a lot simpler to keep track of two children as opposed to four, admittedly the older two could go off on their own, but still...
Anyhoodle, It was a beautiful night on Sunday and since Larry wasn't interested in going either I ended up giving Meryl a call.She was game to check out the fair and eat bad fair food. She headed on over to our place to pick us up and go to the fair.
Apart from Max getting a bit queasy after going on a few too many rides in quick succession, we all had a great time. I got wristbands for both Max and Rebecca and they got to go on all the rides they wanted and as many times they wanted (hence the queasiness). We were able to get Max off of the ride in time and in typical little kid fashion was immediately over it as we headed out to pick up some funnel cakes before going back to our house. We stuffed ourselves with fried dough goodness and Meryl even got a deep fried Milky Way on a stick. The deep fried candy bar was a disgustingly delicious treat. It was very rich and decadent, all melty inside a batter crust. It made the funnel cake seem almost healthy.
And speaking of funnel cake, I got a second one to bring back home. The boys were very appreciative of the treat and quickly descended on the plate.
This year only the dynamic duo wanted to go. Nate was only interested if he could bring a friend and all Jacob wanted was funnel cake. It was a little sad, but honestly it was a lot simpler to keep track of two children as opposed to four, admittedly the older two could go off on their own, but still...
Anyhoodle, It was a beautiful night on Sunday and since Larry wasn't interested in going either I ended up giving Meryl a call.She was game to check out the fair and eat bad fair food. She headed on over to our place to pick us up and go to the fair.
Apart from Max getting a bit queasy after going on a few too many rides in quick succession, we all had a great time. I got wristbands for both Max and Rebecca and they got to go on all the rides they wanted and as many times they wanted (hence the queasiness). We were able to get Max off of the ride in time and in typical little kid fashion was immediately over it as we headed out to pick up some funnel cakes before going back to our house. We stuffed ourselves with fried dough goodness and Meryl even got a deep fried Milky Way on a stick. The deep fried candy bar was a disgustingly delicious treat. It was very rich and decadent, all melty inside a batter crust. It made the funnel cake seem almost healthy.
And speaking of funnel cake, I got a second one to bring back home. The boys were very appreciative of the treat and quickly descended on the plate.
Monday, August 27, 2012
"Argine"
A sweet little film that, judging by the language of the description, is Russian. The quick and dirty Google translate yielded the following description:
"Their dreams come true, you only really want!
The touching story of a little dreamer who wants to be a fairy tale."
"Their dreams come true, you only really want!
The touching story of a little dreamer who wants to be a fairy tale."
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Dr Headclaw
This is Dr. Headclaw and he is the henchman of the Evil Disco Pony.
At least that was what I was told today.
At least that was what I was told today.
Friday, August 24, 2012
Project MCP: Essence of My Count(r)y
I threw the parenthesis around the r because honestly I can't photograph the essence of the US, except maybe in the broadest terms such as the freedom to have your own little corner. My county or state however is doable.
A few months back I saw on YouTube "50 State Stereotypes (in 2 Minutes." The descriptor for Virginia, particularly in the county I live in, was dead on: "Center of civilization to hicksville in 20 minutes flat."
This the view from the deck in our backyard. Believe it or not I'm looking towards our closest neighbor's house. During the summer it is extremely private in our backyard. Yet Larry works up in Richmond a mere 30 minutes away. So yes in Virginia you get your cities and your countryside all within easy driving distance.
A few months back I saw on YouTube "50 State Stereotypes (in 2 Minutes." The descriptor for Virginia, particularly in the county I live in, was dead on: "Center of civilization to hicksville in 20 minutes flat."
This the view from the deck in our backyard. Believe it or not I'm looking towards our closest neighbor's house. During the summer it is extremely private in our backyard. Yet Larry works up in Richmond a mere 30 minutes away. So yes in Virginia you get your cities and your countryside all within easy driving distance.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
One Down, One to Go
For Potluckpalooza.
Today was preview night and potluck dinner for Jacob's marching band. The kids have been working hard on the new show for the past two weeks and tonight was the big preview for friends and family. The theme is Little Red Riding Hood and i think it was the best use of color guard that I have seen for our band. The guard is more fully incorporated and no longer look like an afterthought. As for the music, the band sounded great with a very big sound. Which was pretty impressive since they were playing all of today at band camp.
So we were a very happy crowd when we all filed in for the big potluck. There was a ton of food. I made a double size lasagna and one and a half loaves of white bread. And why the half loaf you ask, well today is the day to drop off entries for the county fair. I decided to kill two birds with one stone. the recipe is for two loaves of bread and I all needed one half for my entry.
Tomorrow I get to do the whole potlucky thing again with out congregation, it's our Friday Food, Fun and Worship. This will be a much smaller crowd so I think I will be making spinach squares, challah, and some sort of dessert.
It's a fair amount of scrambling about to do these potlucks with all the cooking and schlepping of food, but they are well worth the effort.
Today was preview night and potluck dinner for Jacob's marching band. The kids have been working hard on the new show for the past two weeks and tonight was the big preview for friends and family. The theme is Little Red Riding Hood and i think it was the best use of color guard that I have seen for our band. The guard is more fully incorporated and no longer look like an afterthought. As for the music, the band sounded great with a very big sound. Which was pretty impressive since they were playing all of today at band camp.
So we were a very happy crowd when we all filed in for the big potluck. There was a ton of food. I made a double size lasagna and one and a half loaves of white bread. And why the half loaf you ask, well today is the day to drop off entries for the county fair. I decided to kill two birds with one stone. the recipe is for two loaves of bread and I all needed one half for my entry.
Tomorrow I get to do the whole potlucky thing again with out congregation, it's our Friday Food, Fun and Worship. This will be a much smaller crowd so I think I will be making spinach squares, challah, and some sort of dessert.
It's a fair amount of scrambling about to do these potlucks with all the cooking and schlepping of food, but they are well worth the effort.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Artist of the Week: Flag
This week's artist is Jake.
He really doesn't like to be photographed so I have to sneak up on him. I'm only allowed a few pictures of his face, so the rest have to be on the sly. I took this picture while we were up in Vermont last month while we were near my old swimming hole. He never knew I was behind him as he was walking along. Times like that are why I turned off all the extraneous beeps and such that my camera makes. A brief click when I press the shutter release and the low whine of the motor that moves the lens are all that can be heard.
As for what boy did to deserve the honor, well it is a combination of idea and an execution too small (and long since lost) to picture. Both were done for the last day of soccer camp which I already mentioned at the beginning of the month.
A few weeks ago I mentioned in the post featuring Max there were contests concerning the teams' flags. Largest, smallest, and most creative were recognized. Jake didn't win for largest, but he did garner smallest and most creative.
The smallest flag he quickly knocked out on a piece of paper the size of a couple of grains of rice. It was placed in a recloseable plastic bag so that it would not be lost (or course it did disappear once we were done). The most creative, as you can see, was John.
Jake didn't do the actual hair spraying, but it was his idea. So I have to give him credit. Amusingly when the results were announced the camp counselors made Jake go back before calling his name again.
He really doesn't like to be photographed so I have to sneak up on him. I'm only allowed a few pictures of his face, so the rest have to be on the sly. I took this picture while we were up in Vermont last month while we were near my old swimming hole. He never knew I was behind him as he was walking along. Times like that are why I turned off all the extraneous beeps and such that my camera makes. A brief click when I press the shutter release and the low whine of the motor that moves the lens are all that can be heard.
As for what boy did to deserve the honor, well it is a combination of idea and an execution too small (and long since lost) to picture. Both were done for the last day of soccer camp which I already mentioned at the beginning of the month.
A few weeks ago I mentioned in the post featuring Max there were contests concerning the teams' flags. Largest, smallest, and most creative were recognized. Jake didn't win for largest, but he did garner smallest and most creative.
The smallest flag he quickly knocked out on a piece of paper the size of a couple of grains of rice. It was placed in a recloseable plastic bag so that it would not be lost (or course it did disappear once we were done). The most creative, as you can see, was John.
Jake didn't do the actual hair spraying, but it was his idea. So I have to give him credit. Amusingly when the results were announced the camp counselors made Jake go back before calling his name again.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Baking With Julia- Popovers
This week's Baking with Julia / Tuesdays with Dorie assignment was popovers, one of my all time favorite breakfast treats. For the full reciepes you can go to this week's hosts Vintage Kitchen Notes and Bake with Amy.
I have been making popovers for years with varying degrees of success, they always taste good but they don't always pop. This time around I was able to get both batches to seriously "popover" out of the muffin tin. They were scrumptious with a bit of butter (that is what is glistening in the photo) and a sliced strawberry of blackberry with whipped cream sent it over the top.
I think I have found my new go to recipe for popovers.
I have been making popovers for years with varying degrees of success, they always taste good but they don't always pop. This time around I was able to get both batches to seriously "popover" out of the muffin tin. They were scrumptious with a bit of butter (that is what is glistening in the photo) and a sliced strawberry of blackberry with whipped cream sent it over the top.
I think I have found my new go to recipe for popovers.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Crossroads at Moonrise
Today I was purging pictures from my cell phone. A painful, but much needed task to free up memory, a few were uploaded, a few were straight out deleted, a few were left for me to ponder.
There were the requisite "what on earth is that" shots and a few blurry masterpieces I was happy to delete. amongst this chaff I found this very lonely seeming photo.
I took it while driving down to pick up Jacob from soccer camp. The sun was setting and a full moon was rising, you can just see it's silvery disc peeking above the treetops. I remember the moon was huge that night and I was frustrated by my inability to get a good picture of it as I drove along. I was at a stop sign and decided even though I couldn't properly see the moon I was going to take a picture anyway.
I'm glad I did. All I have done to the picture was crop it a bit.
There were the requisite "what on earth is that" shots and a few blurry masterpieces I was happy to delete. amongst this chaff I found this very lonely seeming photo.
I took it while driving down to pick up Jacob from soccer camp. The sun was setting and a full moon was rising, you can just see it's silvery disc peeking above the treetops. I remember the moon was huge that night and I was frustrated by my inability to get a good picture of it as I drove along. I was at a stop sign and decided even though I couldn't properly see the moon I was going to take a picture anyway.
I'm glad I did. All I have done to the picture was crop it a bit.
Friday, August 17, 2012
Queen of the Stuffies
For years I have been calling Rebecca "Queen of the stuffies," she has a huge collection of stuffed animals and is always wanting more. We keep her collection in two large baskets in a corner of her room. It is overflowing, even with a numerous stuffies scattered about the house, and she loves each and every one. She rotates through them each night for the select few that get to join her in bed.
A few days ago I commented that she could easily bury herself in the pile and we would be none the wiser. That is exactly what she did tonight. She asked for me to take a picture and caption it "find the Rebecca."
If you look very carefully you can just see a bright little eye peeking out.
A few days ago I commented that she could easily bury herself in the pile and we would be none the wiser. That is exactly what she did tonight. She asked for me to take a picture and caption it "find the Rebecca."
If you look very carefully you can just see a bright little eye peeking out.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Lazy Days of Summer
School starts all too soon and I want to know where our summer went. Between traveling, various sports camps, and appointments our summer break has flown by.
The closest I've gotten to the so called lazy days of summer was when we were up north. Even then we were busy exploring places such as mt childhood haunts. Pictured here is one of my favorite spots, the Union Village Dam.
The kids at first didn't believe me when I told them I would swim there. They soon learned that I was right as we moseyed upstream to my favorite swimming hole.
That was a good lazy day.
The closest I've gotten to the so called lazy days of summer was when we were up north. Even then we were busy exploring places such as mt childhood haunts. Pictured here is one of my favorite spots, the Union Village Dam.
The kids at first didn't believe me when I told them I would swim there. They soon learned that I was right as we moseyed upstream to my favorite swimming hole.
That was a good lazy day.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Artist of the Week: Zoom
This week's artist is a very grown-up looking Max.
He looks so very serious in this picture and far older than his 10, almost 11 years. But then again, I have been saying for quite some time he is an old soul.
Mind you he is not to old to be creating with Legos and requesting to be photographed with his creations. The penguin pajamas also add a touch of whimsy and keep him from looking too much like an "important artist." He is important, just in a kinder and hug filled way.
Either way I think this picture gives a bit of a glimpse of who he is to become.
For now he is my boy who creates all sorts of vehicles that are cobbled together from various Lego kits. The curved pieces in the back are from a couple of Star Wars' spaceships and I know the shield with the rampant lion is from a Harry Potter themed kit. The rest of the pieces are much more generic and I don't recall their original configuration.
Over the years the completed kits have been pulled apart and the pieces mixed in with all the other loose Legos and I am fine with that. They are meant to be played with and inspire creativity.
Just what my boy is doing.
He looks so very serious in this picture and far older than his 10, almost 11 years. But then again, I have been saying for quite some time he is an old soul.
Mind you he is not to old to be creating with Legos and requesting to be photographed with his creations. The penguin pajamas also add a touch of whimsy and keep him from looking too much like an "important artist." He is important, just in a kinder and hug filled way.
Either way I think this picture gives a bit of a glimpse of who he is to become.
For now he is my boy who creates all sorts of vehicles that are cobbled together from various Lego kits. The curved pieces in the back are from a couple of Star Wars' spaceships and I know the shield with the rampant lion is from a Harry Potter themed kit. The rest of the pieces are much more generic and I don't recall their original configuration.
Over the years the completed kits have been pulled apart and the pieces mixed in with all the other loose Legos and I am fine with that. They are meant to be played with and inspire creativity.
Just what my boy is doing.
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
What You see Is Not Necessarily What You Think
This is a news story that is too good not to share.
A woman thought she saw a dead body floating in the Susquehanna River. A sad story indeed, but what really happened is downright hilarious. Go to here to get the full story.
A woman thought she saw a dead body floating in the Susquehanna River. A sad story indeed, but what really happened is downright hilarious. Go to here to get the full story.
Monday, August 13, 2012
The Thomas Beale Cipher
Quirky little animation with a retro flair by Andrew Allen. The film is based on legandary cipher and features a unique animation style.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Project MCP: Repetition
The first challenge of the month was repetition and I figured what better way to show that than the red boys at their favorite perch. Between the repetition of the dogs, their pose, the steps, and the uprights for the railing I pretty much had it covered.
We pretty much find them on the steps every day. From there they can look out the windows and keep tabs on the yard. Judging by their alert expression they have spotted something. What it was I have no idea. Most likely it was a squirrel.
They do make going up and down the stairs a bit hazardous, but that is life with a couple of dachshunds underfoot. You always have to watch your step.
We pretty much find them on the steps every day. From there they can look out the windows and keep tabs on the yard. Judging by their alert expression they have spotted something. What it was I have no idea. Most likely it was a squirrel.
They do make going up and down the stairs a bit hazardous, but that is life with a couple of dachshunds underfoot. You always have to watch your step.
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Parenting On The Fly
Today was spent in the car, driving around and waiting. Mostly for Rebecca, but also for Jake, Nate, and the pantry.
At one point I had just dropped off Jake and was driving Rebecca to her indoor soccer game, and being indoor is very important here. As I was tooling along the highway it hit me, Rebecca had left her gear in the van from this mornings soccer camp at the field. She knew she had a game later and thought it made sense to leave it all in the car. I agreed after we fished out her water jug.
So yes Rebecca had her socks, shin-guards, and cleats on which would be fine and dandy for a rousing game of soccer. But...
She was to be playing indoors on artificial turf.
At a facility that had written in Four inch high letters on the doors "NO CLEATS."
Oops, we had forgotten her indoor soccer shoes and it was too late to go back and fetch them. The only other pairs of spare footwear in the car wee my Tevas and Max's rather battered sandals. To save the day we pulled into a shoe store that was conveniently on the way and got Rebecca a new pair of sneakers. She wasn't sure if this was a good idea until I told her that Nate wore his sneakers to his indoor lacrosse games. Molified she wore her new shoes and didn't look back.
Good thing I hadn't yet done the back to school shoe shopping.
At one point I had just dropped off Jake and was driving Rebecca to her indoor soccer game, and being indoor is very important here. As I was tooling along the highway it hit me, Rebecca had left her gear in the van from this mornings soccer camp at the field. She knew she had a game later and thought it made sense to leave it all in the car. I agreed after we fished out her water jug.
So yes Rebecca had her socks, shin-guards, and cleats on which would be fine and dandy for a rousing game of soccer. But...
She was to be playing indoors on artificial turf.
At a facility that had written in Four inch high letters on the doors "NO CLEATS."
Oops, we had forgotten her indoor soccer shoes and it was too late to go back and fetch them. The only other pairs of spare footwear in the car wee my Tevas and Max's rather battered sandals. To save the day we pulled into a shoe store that was conveniently on the way and got Rebecca a new pair of sneakers. She wasn't sure if this was a good idea until I told her that Nate wore his sneakers to his indoor lacrosse games. Molified she wore her new shoes and didn't look back.
Good thing I hadn't yet done the back to school shoe shopping.
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
Artist of the Week: Fabulous
Rebecca is this week's artist due to her efforts to make the dogs a bit more fabulous. Which is an understandable goal when the only other female in your family is your mom.
Having three brothers is tough when you want to be a girly girl. She can do a mean sliding tackle in soccer, but she does it on an all girl team. As soon as it was possible she asked to be on a girl's team and left the co-ed teams behind. Now she is on the travel team and is eagerly awaiting her first tournament.
In the meantime she is making her world a bit more fabulous, one dog at a time.
I had trimmed the dogs nails today and jokingly referred to it as a pedicure. This got Rebecca's attention and she decided to go one better and asked if she could put nail polish on the dogs' nails. I could see no harm in this and gave her my blessing.
Dell was her first victim/client. She collected our nail polish and asked which one we should use. Blue ended up being picked for Dell. She hustled him outside and proceeded to paint his rear nails. Once she finished I held Dell in my lap as his front paws were painted. It's not very easy to see the blue, but it is there on all four paws.
Then it was John's turn.
Since Dell got the blue John got dark purple. Like his brother, John was very good-natured about the whole process. Heck Max found the smell far more objectionable than either Dell or John. Neither dog seemed to mind and did not try to lick the polish, an obvious concern with these two particular dogs.
In the end Rebecca was very pleased with her handiwork and declared John and Dell to be fabulous.
Having three brothers is tough when you want to be a girly girl. She can do a mean sliding tackle in soccer, but she does it on an all girl team. As soon as it was possible she asked to be on a girl's team and left the co-ed teams behind. Now she is on the travel team and is eagerly awaiting her first tournament.
In the meantime she is making her world a bit more fabulous, one dog at a time.
I had trimmed the dogs nails today and jokingly referred to it as a pedicure. This got Rebecca's attention and she decided to go one better and asked if she could put nail polish on the dogs' nails. I could see no harm in this and gave her my blessing.
Dell was her first victim/client. She collected our nail polish and asked which one we should use. Blue ended up being picked for Dell. She hustled him outside and proceeded to paint his rear nails. Once she finished I held Dell in my lap as his front paws were painted. It's not very easy to see the blue, but it is there on all four paws.
Then it was John's turn.
Since Dell got the blue John got dark purple. Like his brother, John was very good-natured about the whole process. Heck Max found the smell far more objectionable than either Dell or John. Neither dog seemed to mind and did not try to lick the polish, an obvious concern with these two particular dogs.
In the end Rebecca was very pleased with her handiwork and declared John and Dell to be fabulous.
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Baking With Julia- Berry Galette
No rest for the wicked this week. We had just finished the blueberry-nectarine pie (and I must say YUM) when lo and behold its time to whip up another baked good for Baking With Julia. This week's goody, Berry Galette, is in keeping with last week's with the use of all the delightful bounty of seasonable berries. For a full run down on the recipes check out Tomato Thymes in the Kitchen and The Kitchen Lioness.
The crust, or rather galette dough was a snap to make. I have made enough pie crusts now that as tempting as it is to handle the dough I know better than to do the bare minimum, as a result the crust was tender and flaky. The filling however... well I got all impetuous and squeezed in a bit of lemon juice. Oops, I like tart but this was a bit much. Fortunately it was nothing a bit of caster sugar sprinkled on top couldn't fix.
I think I liked the blueberry-nectarine pie a smidgen more, but this is an excellent and quick way to use up an excess of berries. Next time I just won't add the lemon juice.
The crust, or rather galette dough was a snap to make. I have made enough pie crusts now that as tempting as it is to handle the dough I know better than to do the bare minimum, as a result the crust was tender and flaky. The filling however... well I got all impetuous and squeezed in a bit of lemon juice. Oops, I like tart but this was a bit much. Fortunately it was nothing a bit of caster sugar sprinkled on top couldn't fix.
I think I liked the blueberry-nectarine pie a smidgen more, but this is an excellent and quick way to use up an excess of berries. Next time I just won't add the lemon juice.
Monday, August 06, 2012
A Better Way to Open and Pour Wine
Wholly impractical and completely absurd, but I absolutely love it. A brilliant piece of engineering that works in the most beautiful way.
Technically not steampunk, but close enough to warm my heart.
Technically not steampunk, but close enough to warm my heart.
Friday, August 03, 2012
Soccer Mom
So last weekend I was a lax mom, this week I was a soccer mom.
Max and Jacob were enrolled in a soccer camp, British Challenger to be precise. Of course since they are the oldest and youngest boys in the family they were in separate sections, Max in the morning and Jake in the evening. It's a great program and the site is just 25 minutes away so it really wasn't a hardship. It just meant I was essentially a full time soccer mom this week.
This picture was from today, the last day of camp. The assignment given out on Thursady was to bring in a flag of the county your team is representing (the camp's theme is world cup and the camper are divided up with each tea being a country ).
Clearly Brazil won the biggest flag category, but Max and one of his teammates won for most creative.
Which brings us to the dogs in the photo. Independently two families in team Israel decided to decorate their dogs. Thus the two king Charles Spaniels and Dell are in the picture. The coaches were utterly amazed and could not get over what we had done to our dogs.
So yes, it has all gone to the dogs.
Max and Jacob were enrolled in a soccer camp, British Challenger to be precise. Of course since they are the oldest and youngest boys in the family they were in separate sections, Max in the morning and Jake in the evening. It's a great program and the site is just 25 minutes away so it really wasn't a hardship. It just meant I was essentially a full time soccer mom this week.
This picture was from today, the last day of camp. The assignment given out on Thursady was to bring in a flag of the county your team is representing (the camp's theme is world cup and the camper are divided up with each tea being a country ).
Clearly Brazil won the biggest flag category, but Max and one of his teammates won for most creative.
Which brings us to the dogs in the photo. Independently two families in team Israel decided to decorate their dogs. Thus the two king Charles Spaniels and Dell are in the picture. The coaches were utterly amazed and could not get over what we had done to our dogs.
So yes, it has all gone to the dogs.
Thursday, August 02, 2012
Last Lax
This last weekend was Nate's final lacrosse tournament with his summer travel team. It took place in Hershey Pennsylvania and is dubbed "The Chocolatetown Shootout."
Originally we had planned to make this a family vacation, we would watch the games and then go to Hershey's amusement park.However it was not meant to be. Between the various commitments the kids had amassed and Larry having his own lacrosse tourney over in North Carolina it was turning into a quick trip for just Nate and me.
As you can see Hershey, PA is very proud of being the home to Hershey chocolate. The street lights are all shaped to look like wrapped and unwrapped kisses and even the main thoroughfare's road bed has a decidedly chocolatey coloration.
Now the tournament was spread over three fields in the neighboring towns. One very frustrating aspect of the fields was the complete lack of signage. Just a small curbside sign would have made the situation much clearer.
Boy, meanwhile, had a great time. He got to play petty much every position. Nate would swap lacrosse sticks which caused me to be very confused over which boy is mine. Luckily he had on his bright read socks and I could pick him out.
Originally we had planned to make this a family vacation, we would watch the games and then go to Hershey's amusement park.However it was not meant to be. Between the various commitments the kids had amassed and Larry having his own lacrosse tourney over in North Carolina it was turning into a quick trip for just Nate and me.
As you can see Hershey, PA is very proud of being the home to Hershey chocolate. The street lights are all shaped to look like wrapped and unwrapped kisses and even the main thoroughfare's road bed has a decidedly chocolatey coloration.
Now the tournament was spread over three fields in the neighboring towns. One very frustrating aspect of the fields was the complete lack of signage. Just a small curbside sign would have made the situation much clearer.
Boy, meanwhile, had a great time. He got to play petty much every position. Nate would swap lacrosse sticks which caused me to be very confused over which boy is mine. Luckily he had on his bright read socks and I could pick him out.
Wednesday, August 01, 2012
Artist of the Week: Soccer Camp
This week's artist is Jacob for his performance at soccer camp.
The one thing Jacob truly misses is soccer. His schedule is full, dare I say overflowing, with all his commitments in marking band, pep band, show choir band, robotics, and chess. He would love to play for his school, but there is no way he can shoehorn it in to his packed days.
And so we enroll him in a week long soccer camp every summer.
The organization we use is Challenger Sport's British Soccer Camps. The style of play taught by the coaches meshes well with how Jacob plays soccer and it is just plain fun. Jake has show some very clear leadership skills during this session. Admittedly his biggest goal was to convince his team to select a country that would have a white jersey, the campers are divvy up into teams that are named after different countries. The kids are then to wear the color associated with the country's world cup uniform. Jacob got his team to agree to be South Korea and garnered the color white.
His soccer skills are also worth noting. Even though he only gets to play once a year, he can still give good game. Heck he even bowled over one of the coaches today. Coach Dave was equal parts stunned at being knocked down (I'm so out of shape, I'm getting knocked over!) and being highly amused.
I'm hoping I can find a young adult league for Jacob to play in next year. It'll do him good.
The one thing Jacob truly misses is soccer. His schedule is full, dare I say overflowing, with all his commitments in marking band, pep band, show choir band, robotics, and chess. He would love to play for his school, but there is no way he can shoehorn it in to his packed days.
And so we enroll him in a week long soccer camp every summer.
The organization we use is Challenger Sport's British Soccer Camps. The style of play taught by the coaches meshes well with how Jacob plays soccer and it is just plain fun. Jake has show some very clear leadership skills during this session. Admittedly his biggest goal was to convince his team to select a country that would have a white jersey, the campers are divvy up into teams that are named after different countries. The kids are then to wear the color associated with the country's world cup uniform. Jacob got his team to agree to be South Korea and garnered the color white.
His soccer skills are also worth noting. Even though he only gets to play once a year, he can still give good game. Heck he even bowled over one of the coaches today. Coach Dave was equal parts stunned at being knocked down (I'm so out of shape, I'm getting knocked over!) and being highly amused.
I'm hoping I can find a young adult league for Jacob to play in next year. It'll do him good.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Baking With Julia- Blueberry-Nectarine Pie
I was really on the fence about this pie. I'm not a fan of blueberry pie and nectarines don't exactly thrill me, but my husband thought it sounded good and I had already blown off the biscotti so here I am with a freshly baked blueberry-nectarine pie.
For the full recipe go to either That Skinny Chick can Bake! for a close read on the recipe or Manchego's Kitchen for a crumble variation. And as always check out Tuesdays With Dorie for the scoop on the whole Baking With Julia.
Anyhoo back to my pie.
The crust was pretty easy and came together without a hitch. I think I still prefer my all butter standby, but this one is good variation on the shortening and butter crust. In fact the only problem I had in making the pie was the mistaken belief that I had a lemon in the fridge. It brought the whole process to a halt until I could get my hands on one, thus the pie wasn't finished until 11:45 pm. However that didn't stop Jacob and I from having a late night slice.
Oh my is it tasty. The crust is very delicate and works well with the fruit filling. As for the filling, I ended up using an entire lemon's juice. I like my pies on the tart end of the scale and the lemon really brought out the flavors. I'm looking forward to having this for breakfast. As Jake said "It's pie, therefore it's good."
For the full recipe go to either That Skinny Chick can Bake! for a close read on the recipe or Manchego's Kitchen for a crumble variation. And as always check out Tuesdays With Dorie for the scoop on the whole Baking With Julia.
Anyhoo back to my pie.
The crust was pretty easy and came together without a hitch. I think I still prefer my all butter standby, but this one is good variation on the shortening and butter crust. In fact the only problem I had in making the pie was the mistaken belief that I had a lemon in the fridge. It brought the whole process to a halt until I could get my hands on one, thus the pie wasn't finished until 11:45 pm. However that didn't stop Jacob and I from having a late night slice.
Oh my is it tasty. The crust is very delicate and works well with the fruit filling. As for the filling, I ended up using an entire lemon's juice. I like my pies on the tart end of the scale and the lemon really brought out the flavors. I'm looking forward to having this for breakfast. As Jake said "It's pie, therefore it's good."
Monday, July 30, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Project MCP: Favorite Summer Activity
The fourth and final challenge from Project MCP for July is "Favorite Summer Activity."
This challenge was a no brainer for me. I love going to the beach and playing in the surf. I could spend hours playing in the waves. This picture of Max with his father I think shows this activity very well.
Even with his eyes tightly closed, Max is smiling away. I am so pleased that I got this shot. The froth of the surf, his head just barely above it all, and a strong arm from daddy makes a wonderful moment in time.
This to me is summer.
This challenge was a no brainer for me. I love going to the beach and playing in the surf. I could spend hours playing in the waves. This picture of Max with his father I think shows this activity very well.
Even with his eyes tightly closed, Max is smiling away. I am so pleased that I got this shot. The froth of the surf, his head just barely above it all, and a strong arm from daddy makes a wonderful moment in time.
This to me is summer.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Project MCP: Bokeh
Sort of.
The full title of the third challenge this month is "Try a new technique – Take a bokeh photo." Since I have already done bokeh I figured I would focus on the try a new technique.
And the technique is shooting through a tube.
It all came about by accident. Larry had shortened one of his lacrosse sticks and had cut off a good six inches. For whatever reason I picked up the tube and and looked through it. As I marveled at the effect a light went on I realized this would be a great tool to use with a camera.
I found the effect to be stunning. The object being photographed is a flower and I love the vibrant color and kaleidoscopic effect. I used the tube with my cell phone because the tube can completely encompass the lens.
I'm so glad I decided to look through the tube.
The full title of the third challenge this month is "Try a new technique – Take a bokeh photo." Since I have already done bokeh I figured I would focus on the try a new technique.
And the technique is shooting through a tube.
It all came about by accident. Larry had shortened one of his lacrosse sticks and had cut off a good six inches. For whatever reason I picked up the tube and and looked through it. As I marveled at the effect a light went on I realized this would be a great tool to use with a camera.
I found the effect to be stunning. The object being photographed is a flower and I love the vibrant color and kaleidoscopic effect. I used the tube with my cell phone because the tube can completely encompass the lens.
I'm so glad I decided to look through the tube.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
White Mountains
It has been rather beachy here lately so I thought I would share some nice cool greens and blues from our trip up north.
It is the view from my cousin's house of New Hampshire's White Mountains. It really was an idyllic spot to spend our vacation time. I look forward to going there again.
It is the view from my cousin's house of New Hampshire's White Mountains. It really was an idyllic spot to spend our vacation time. I look forward to going there again.
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Artist of the Week: Sand Castle
The artist, or rather artists, of the week are Jake, Nate, Max, and Rebecca. It was a real pleasure watching all four of them working so well together during our entire time on the beach. They were very happy to help each other build various structures in the resulting sprawling complexes they created.
In the top picture you can see all four working away with the Lost Pearl in the background. I couldn't resist taking this picture of the pirate party boat in the background. It gives the fortification a little more meaning.
In the next picture, featuring Miss Rebecca, there is a close up picture of one of the many bridges. The kids found the sand to be ideal for building all sorts of ambitious structures. No internal drift wood supports were needed. The sand was just wet enough to hold together and form almost any shape. They didn't need buckets of water to keep the structure from crumbling away. The biggest threat was stray toddlers (of which there were mercifully few with the notable except of two cuties that were well corralled by their doting father) and the advancing surf.
The kids were careful to erect the main body of their fort high enough on the wash to lessened the danger of advancing waves, but not where the sand was too dry to stick together.
In the third picture you can see Nate and Rebecca working on the details of the fort. They discovered that the sand could hold a squared edge and as a result they made small houses throughout the structure. Near Nate you can also see a few more of the bridges. Nate was the main bridge builder and was in fact the one to request documentation of their efforts.
Anyhoodle as you can see the whole thing did sprawl out over a large area. The beach wasn't terribly crowded, which may have been been due to the fact it was early in the day and rain clouds were sweeping in. Either way the kids could build to their hearts content until it was time to go.
Now at the water's edge Jake made a sturdy structure with dribble castles on top. He had help from his siblings to create what was initially a thick wall to repel the waves. Then it evolved into a squat tower. It got washed over a few times,but that didn't deter Jake. He would repair and replace as needed. Max was more than happy to help out with the connecting wall.
Max, in fact, was happy to help out wherever he was needed. His siblings would remain working in one area, while he bounced about.
Here is one final view. Again it is looking out towards the ocean, but as opposed to the top picture it is down by the tower. I like how the breaking wave gives a note of impending mayhem.
It was a good weekend at the beach.
I am particularly proud of how well the kids got along and even went so far as to invite others to join in on the fun. On Saturday (these pictures were all taken on Sunday) two boys roughly the age of Jake and Nate helped work on the day's sand castle. For a brief moment I had six children and all was good in the world.
In the top picture you can see all four working away with the Lost Pearl in the background. I couldn't resist taking this picture of the pirate party boat in the background. It gives the fortification a little more meaning.
In the next picture, featuring Miss Rebecca, there is a close up picture of one of the many bridges. The kids found the sand to be ideal for building all sorts of ambitious structures. No internal drift wood supports were needed. The sand was just wet enough to hold together and form almost any shape. They didn't need buckets of water to keep the structure from crumbling away. The biggest threat was stray toddlers (of which there were mercifully few with the notable except of two cuties that were well corralled by their doting father) and the advancing surf.
The kids were careful to erect the main body of their fort high enough on the wash to lessened the danger of advancing waves, but not where the sand was too dry to stick together.
In the third picture you can see Nate and Rebecca working on the details of the fort. They discovered that the sand could hold a squared edge and as a result they made small houses throughout the structure. Near Nate you can also see a few more of the bridges. Nate was the main bridge builder and was in fact the one to request documentation of their efforts.
Anyhoodle as you can see the whole thing did sprawl out over a large area. The beach wasn't terribly crowded, which may have been been due to the fact it was early in the day and rain clouds were sweeping in. Either way the kids could build to their hearts content until it was time to go.
Now at the water's edge Jake made a sturdy structure with dribble castles on top. He had help from his siblings to create what was initially a thick wall to repel the waves. Then it evolved into a squat tower. It got washed over a few times,but that didn't deter Jake. He would repair and replace as needed. Max was more than happy to help out with the connecting wall.
Max, in fact, was happy to help out wherever he was needed. His siblings would remain working in one area, while he bounced about.
Here is one final view. Again it is looking out towards the ocean, but as opposed to the top picture it is down by the tower. I like how the breaking wave gives a note of impending mayhem.
It was a good weekend at the beach.
I am particularly proud of how well the kids got along and even went so far as to invite others to join in on the fun. On Saturday (these pictures were all taken on Sunday) two boys roughly the age of Jake and Nate helped work on the day's sand castle. For a brief moment I had six children and all was good in the world.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Beach!
On the heels of our trip up north we had a quick weekend on the beach at Virginia Beach. The beaches aren't as pristine nor as empty as those found on on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, but Virginia Beach is a darn site closer and better suited for weekend getaways.
That said we had a very nice time.
The sand there is great for building castles and the kids did all three days we were there. They would make large fortifications with bridges, towers, and moats. Max would often do his own thing, but ultimately it would link up with the other structures. Nate and Rebecca would flit about adding touches here in there while Jake directed his siblings at one point to make a huge wall to protect his city from the pounding surf.
Speaking of pounding surf, on Friday it wasn't too bad. We broke out some of our boogie boards and had fun with the waves. That evening a storm rolled in and the surf was quite violent Saturday morning. The flags were flying at the lifeguard stations and as a result there was no body boarding and we had to keep close in. But that didn't stop us from playing in the water. As you can see Max was having a good old time flopping about in the waves.
Sunday morning the surf was just as strong, though the lifeguards were being a bit more lenient. We could us the boogie boards, but again we couldn't go very far out. Here you can see how impressive the waves could be. That is Larry's head peeking out of the wave.
We were sad to go on Sunday, but the rain did help chase us off the beach. It was a fun trip and even though hotel rooms were small (literally bedrooms) they were just fine since our main interest was being at the beach.
Oh and if you ever go to Virginia Beach I highly recommend Big Sam's Inlet Cafe and Raw Bar. Great food and service at a very good price. The place is tiny and you often have to wait, but we ere glad we dined there.
That said we had a very nice time.
The sand there is great for building castles and the kids did all three days we were there. They would make large fortifications with bridges, towers, and moats. Max would often do his own thing, but ultimately it would link up with the other structures. Nate and Rebecca would flit about adding touches here in there while Jake directed his siblings at one point to make a huge wall to protect his city from the pounding surf.
Speaking of pounding surf, on Friday it wasn't too bad. We broke out some of our boogie boards and had fun with the waves. That evening a storm rolled in and the surf was quite violent Saturday morning. The flags were flying at the lifeguard stations and as a result there was no body boarding and we had to keep close in. But that didn't stop us from playing in the water. As you can see Max was having a good old time flopping about in the waves.
Sunday morning the surf was just as strong, though the lifeguards were being a bit more lenient. We could us the boogie boards, but again we couldn't go very far out. Here you can see how impressive the waves could be. That is Larry's head peeking out of the wave.
We were sad to go on Sunday, but the rain did help chase us off the beach. It was a fun trip and even though hotel rooms were small (literally bedrooms) they were just fine since our main interest was being at the beach.
Oh and if you ever go to Virginia Beach I highly recommend Big Sam's Inlet Cafe and Raw Bar. Great food and service at a very good price. The place is tiny and you often have to wait, but we ere glad we dined there.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Saturday, July 21, 2012
My Little Mermaid
While her brothers were busy building forts, Rebecca and I decided to make a mermaid instead.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
White Mountains Sunrise
I think this picture of the sun rising over the White Mountains is my favorite one of our trip up north. Our bedroom faced east and we soon discovered exactly what it means to travel hundreds of miles north.
The sky would begin to lighten at 4:30 am, a rather unwelcome prospect at first. However, we soon adapted since it was so utterly quiet. After the second morning I realized I should bring my camera upstairs and try to take pictures. The eve of our last day I finally did and was rewarded with this spectacular picture of the White Mountains.
As I recall this was at about 5:30 when the sun peeked above the horizon. I was able to angle the camera just right to get the flare of its appearance. I think the big mountain with the two humps is either Moosilauke or Washington, my money is on Mooselauke.
The sky would begin to lighten at 4:30 am, a rather unwelcome prospect at first. However, we soon adapted since it was so utterly quiet. After the second morning I realized I should bring my camera upstairs and try to take pictures. The eve of our last day I finally did and was rewarded with this spectacular picture of the White Mountains.
As I recall this was at about 5:30 when the sun peeked above the horizon. I was able to angle the camera just right to get the flare of its appearance. I think the big mountain with the two humps is either Moosilauke or Washington, my money is on Mooselauke.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Artist of the Week: Edward Hopper
This week's artist is Nate, captured here swimming in my favorite childhood swimming hole. We got to visit it while seeing my mom this summer. The spot had changed a bit, most likely from the unbelievable flooding Vermont experienced from hurricane Irene last year, but it was still recognizable and very much swimmable.
Nate was dubious at first as we visited each of the areas along the river, for the most part it is fairly shallow. However, at the spot we did settle on the river does a few sharp turns and had scoured out a much deeper riverbed. Coupled with a sandy beach it was a perfect place to while away a few hours.
Which brings me to this week's art.
This past year Nate took a semester long course in art and one of the many projects he did was to select an artist, write a short paragraph, and then recreate one of the artist's works. Nate picked Edward Hopper (who is most famous for Nighthawks) and the oil painting "The Long Leg."
Nate considered painting his version, but I urged him to try pastels instead. It would be a more forgiving medium to use and would work well with the subject matter. That was the sum total of my input on the project. Nate id a nice job capturing the image and I rather like how it came out as did his teacher.
Nate was dubious at first as we visited each of the areas along the river, for the most part it is fairly shallow. However, at the spot we did settle on the river does a few sharp turns and had scoured out a much deeper riverbed. Coupled with a sandy beach it was a perfect place to while away a few hours.
Which brings me to this week's art.
This past year Nate took a semester long course in art and one of the many projects he did was to select an artist, write a short paragraph, and then recreate one of the artist's works. Nate picked Edward Hopper (who is most famous for Nighthawks) and the oil painting "The Long Leg."
Nate considered painting his version, but I urged him to try pastels instead. It would be a more forgiving medium to use and would work well with the subject matter. That was the sum total of my input on the project. Nate id a nice job capturing the image and I rather like how it came out as did his teacher.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Baking With Julia- Semolina Bread
Between being out of town and not being a fan of biscotti, it was easy giving the hazelnut biscotti a miss; bread, however, is never to be missed. This week's challenge was Semolina Bread and you can find the recipe at this week's two hosts: Keep it Luce and The Way to My Family's Heart.
I picked up the semolina flour this weekend in preparation for today's baking, so it was pretty much a done deal in my mind that I would be making bread when Jake asked when I was next going to bake bread. He loved the Irish Soda Bread and the White Loaves and was hoping to get me to bake either of them. I reminded him that I make challah on Fridays, but... as he pointed out, we pretty much inhale it during dinner. He wanted something to snack on.
Therefore I have a very happy boy in the house when I told him about the loaf I just made. Jake practically sprinted over to the counter to cut himself a slice or two. Judging by the contented sounds he was making the bread hit the spot. I liked it as well. It has a nice crust with a bit of chew to the bread. The loaf is actually far flatter in real life, next time I'll do a better job in shaping the loaf.
I picked up the semolina flour this weekend in preparation for today's baking, so it was pretty much a done deal in my mind that I would be making bread when Jake asked when I was next going to bake bread. He loved the Irish Soda Bread and the White Loaves and was hoping to get me to bake either of them. I reminded him that I make challah on Fridays, but... as he pointed out, we pretty much inhale it during dinner. He wanted something to snack on.
Therefore I have a very happy boy in the house when I told him about the loaf I just made. Jake practically sprinted over to the counter to cut himself a slice or two. Judging by the contented sounds he was making the bread hit the spot. I liked it as well. It has a nice crust with a bit of chew to the bread. The loaf is actually far flatter in real life, next time I'll do a better job in shaping the loaf.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Fun - We're Not Young (Yahoo!'s SketchY Parody)
I like the original song, We are Young, by the group Fun. But this Parody is wonderful. The original was written from the viewpoint of twenty somethings and the parody is from the thirty something perspective, meanwhile I sit here in my mid-forties and find all the angst hilarious.
Happily I have been declared not old by Max. He feels that you have to be in your seventies to be considered old. That gives me quite a bit more time to be young and foolish.
Happily I have been declared not old by Max. He feels that you have to be in your seventies to be considered old. That gives me quite a bit more time to be young and foolish.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
The Clog Pontiff
While up North my mom had me go to her storage locker and figure what I could take back home to Virginia. I had, mistakenly, thought that I had long since emptied her home of all my keepsakes. However during the big clean out of her old place a collection of boxes labeled with my name were found up in the loft in the garage. I had been oblivious to their existance and I was curious as to what they held.
The first box I pulled was heavy and a cursory inspection reveled two pairs of wooden clogs, a toy horse pulling cart, and miscellaneous rocks and/or fossils. This was clearly my junk so I pulled it out the box to load into the van.
The next box in the stack, clearly labeled "Sarah's odds and ends" contained... sheets. It looked like a box has been reused from a previous moved and the label had never been updated. At that point I declared one box was enough to stuff in the van and called it a day.
So now we have two pairs of clogs in the house, much to the children's delight. Max and Rebecca periodically clomp about the house and a rediscover how loud wooden shoes on hardwood floors. Fortunately the clogs are not particularly comfortable and fairly quickly the noise stops with an end result of the clogs being scattered about the house.
Which brings me to the rather odd pictures in this post.
While sitting on the couch the other day with John at my feet I picked up one the errant clogs and thought it would make a pretty good hat for a dachshund. John patiently endured having a wooden shoe balanced on this head with a red silk cord tying it on. I thought it was hilarious and got somebody to fetch me my camera.
The top picture clear shows what was going on, but the bottom one is the best. The angle of the picture is such that the shoe looks like one of the pope's hats. Combined with John's expression and you get the Clog Pontiff.
The first box I pulled was heavy and a cursory inspection reveled two pairs of wooden clogs, a toy horse pulling cart, and miscellaneous rocks and/or fossils. This was clearly my junk so I pulled it out the box to load into the van.
The next box in the stack, clearly labeled "Sarah's odds and ends" contained... sheets. It looked like a box has been reused from a previous moved and the label had never been updated. At that point I declared one box was enough to stuff in the van and called it a day.
So now we have two pairs of clogs in the house, much to the children's delight. Max and Rebecca periodically clomp about the house and a rediscover how loud wooden shoes on hardwood floors. Fortunately the clogs are not particularly comfortable and fairly quickly the noise stops with an end result of the clogs being scattered about the house.
Which brings me to the rather odd pictures in this post.
While sitting on the couch the other day with John at my feet I picked up one the errant clogs and thought it would make a pretty good hat for a dachshund. John patiently endured having a wooden shoe balanced on this head with a red silk cord tying it on. I thought it was hilarious and got somebody to fetch me my camera.
The top picture clear shows what was going on, but the bottom one is the best. The angle of the picture is such that the shoe looks like one of the pope's hats. Combined with John's expression and you get the Clog Pontiff.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Project MCP: Red, White, and Blue
And a big happy 75th birthday to Krispy Kreme.
July's second challenge for Proct MCP was "Red, White, and Blue." I wasn't sure how I was goingto do it since I missed both fireworks and my subdivisions little parade held every Fourth of July. I could just stage something, but I was hoping to do better than that.
Meanwhile today was Krispy Kreme's 75th birthday. It celebrate the dough nut shops were offering for every dozen dounghnuts purchased a second dozen of original glazed could be had for 75¢. When I pulled up at 9ish the drive through line was wrapped all the way around the building and even extended out on the street. Doughnut loving Richmond was out in full force.
As I slowly edged into the parking lot a space freed up and I was able to park. The line was no better inside, but at least I was no longer wasting gas while the car's engine endlessly idled. As I waited and waited I called home (with no luck) to see if there were any requests, took a picture of the doughnut production line, and posted said picture on Facebook. Eventually it was my turn and I picked out and assortment of chocolate iced doughnuts, plain, with sprinkles and custard filled. That pretty much covers what ever special request that the kids would have made if they had ever answered the phone.
Anyhoo, as I stared at the case awaiting my turn I noticed the chocolate iced with sprinkles had red, white, and blue sprinkles.
Woot! I had my red, white, and blue picture.
And so it came to be that Krispy Kreme saved my bacon with Project MCP.
July's second challenge for Proct MCP was "Red, White, and Blue." I wasn't sure how I was goingto do it since I missed both fireworks and my subdivisions little parade held every Fourth of July. I could just stage something, but I was hoping to do better than that.
Meanwhile today was Krispy Kreme's 75th birthday. It celebrate the dough nut shops were offering for every dozen dounghnuts purchased a second dozen of original glazed could be had for 75¢. When I pulled up at 9ish the drive through line was wrapped all the way around the building and even extended out on the street. Doughnut loving Richmond was out in full force.
As I slowly edged into the parking lot a space freed up and I was able to park. The line was no better inside, but at least I was no longer wasting gas while the car's engine endlessly idled. As I waited and waited I called home (with no luck) to see if there were any requests, took a picture of the doughnut production line, and posted said picture on Facebook. Eventually it was my turn and I picked out and assortment of chocolate iced doughnuts, plain, with sprinkles and custard filled. That pretty much covers what ever special request that the kids would have made if they had ever answered the phone.
Anyhoo, as I stared at the case awaiting my turn I noticed the chocolate iced with sprinkles had red, white, and blue sprinkles.
Woot! I had my red, white, and blue picture.
And so it came to be that Krispy Kreme saved my bacon with Project MCP.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Chippy
My cousin's house is partially built into the hill. I say partially because instead of the house being set in the hill there is actually a very narrow yard, maybe five feet and a retaining wall made of field stone outside the back door.
I remember looking out the door one morning when I espied this fellow in the midst of it's morning ablutions. It sat there for a bit, cleaning its fur while perched on the wall until I got a little too close. It then darted along the wall, with me slowly in pursuit, occasionally pausing to see what I was doing. I got this picture just before it disappeared into the wall.
I know my mother in law does not like chipmunks, or at least the one plaguing for flower beds, but I always liked them.
I remember looking out the door one morning when I espied this fellow in the midst of it's morning ablutions. It sat there for a bit, cleaning its fur while perched on the wall until I got a little too close. It then darted along the wall, with me slowly in pursuit, occasionally pausing to see what I was doing. I got this picture just before it disappeared into the wall.
I know my mother in law does not like chipmunks, or at least the one plaguing for flower beds, but I always liked them.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Artist of the Week: Cartoon, Cartoon
This week's artist is Rebecca. I took this picture of her when we went up North to visit family.
My mom has moved to an independent /assisted living facility and no longer has a house that can hold us all, but my cousin has a house nearby. He has graciously allowed us to use his second home in Vermont when we visit my mom. It's an old farmhouse situated on a hill north of where my my lives (it is where we went sledding last winter). It's in a gorgeous area and the kids explored the field surrounding the house. I miss her old house, but it looks like my cousin's place will work out very nicely.
Anyhoodle, enough about where we were last week.
I was tossing out various bits of detritus about the house when Rebecca espied a small white board. She asked if she could have it. She had a dry erase set of markers from school, but no way to use them. I let her take the board and promptly put the whole thing out of my mind.
A few days later she showed me the red image on the left. It is a rather accurate picture of the character Mark Chang from the cartoon "Fairly Odd Parents" on Nickelodeon. Rebecca asked for me to take picture and once it was taken she happily wiped clean the white board. A few days later she followed up with another cartoon character, Jake the dog from the Cartoon Network's "Adventure Time." And once again she did a bang up job. She certainly did not need to write down Jake's name.
Rebecca has developed quite an eye for copying cartoon characters.
My mom has moved to an independent /assisted living facility and no longer has a house that can hold us all, but my cousin has a house nearby. He has graciously allowed us to use his second home in Vermont when we visit my mom. It's an old farmhouse situated on a hill north of where my my lives (it is where we went sledding last winter). It's in a gorgeous area and the kids explored the field surrounding the house. I miss her old house, but it looks like my cousin's place will work out very nicely.
Anyhoodle, enough about where we were last week.
I was tossing out various bits of detritus about the house when Rebecca espied a small white board. She asked if she could have it. She had a dry erase set of markers from school, but no way to use them. I let her take the board and promptly put the whole thing out of my mind.
A few days later she showed me the red image on the left. It is a rather accurate picture of the character Mark Chang from the cartoon "Fairly Odd Parents" on Nickelodeon. Rebecca asked for me to take picture and once it was taken she happily wiped clean the white board. A few days later she followed up with another cartoon character, Jake the dog from the Cartoon Network's "Adventure Time." And once again she did a bang up job. She certainly did not need to write down Jake's name.
Rebecca has developed quite an eye for copying cartoon characters.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Watermelon Warrior
Almost exactly a year ago Max snagged a quarter of a watermelon rind and declared it as a good hat. It could only be improved if it was a half a rind instead of a measly quarter.
Yesterday Max finally got his wish, a full half rind helmet.
It wasn't easy scooping out the watermelon, but I kept at it. It was the first watermelon I wasn't bringing to a pot luck or picnic that I could dedicate to the cause. I closely scraped the rind and we left it out in the sun to dry it out a bit. So of course it was been cloudy the past day and a half. But it is wearable and I might try drying it in the oven for a bit.
Max is very pleased with his new helmet and has worn it a few times already. The rest of us are enjoying the mangled chunks of watermelon that are in the fridge. A big win all around.
Yesterday Max finally got his wish, a full half rind helmet.
It wasn't easy scooping out the watermelon, but I kept at it. It was the first watermelon I wasn't bringing to a pot luck or picnic that I could dedicate to the cause. I closely scraped the rind and we left it out in the sun to dry it out a bit. So of course it was been cloudy the past day and a half. But it is wearable and I might try drying it in the oven for a bit.
Max is very pleased with his new helmet and has worn it a few times already. The rest of us are enjoying the mangled chunks of watermelon that are in the fridge. A big win all around.
Monday, July 09, 2012
Nature's Fireworks
We fully intended to go watch fireworks this year. The plan was to see the show over Lake Morey in Vermont. We would spent the afternoon swimming and head to the house we were staying in for a quick dinner. The fireworks would be a nice capper to a lovely day.
Mother nature, however, had her own plan. As the afternoon wore on thunderheads piled up in the western sky. A few heavy rumbles of thunder chased us out of the water and to the car. I was hopeful that the storm would quickly roll through, but that was not the case. We watched the clouds roil and mas as we ate dinner. The storm hit at about 7:30 and kept on rumbling. By 9 it was clear that we would not be going out.
I was a bit disappointed, but not overly so. Driving back on unfamiliar dirt roads late at night is not exactly fun. Particularly when a third of the passengers are a bit storm phobic. So I settled of filming some the storm after it had moved east of us (pretty much over Lake Morey).
There is no audio as the storm was a fair distance off and my camera can be obnoxiously noisy during quite scenes.
Mother nature, however, had her own plan. As the afternoon wore on thunderheads piled up in the western sky. A few heavy rumbles of thunder chased us out of the water and to the car. I was hopeful that the storm would quickly roll through, but that was not the case. We watched the clouds roil and mas as we ate dinner. The storm hit at about 7:30 and kept on rumbling. By 9 it was clear that we would not be going out.
I was a bit disappointed, but not overly so. Driving back on unfamiliar dirt roads late at night is not exactly fun. Particularly when a third of the passengers are a bit storm phobic. So I settled of filming some the storm after it had moved east of us (pretty much over Lake Morey).
There is no audio as the storm was a fair distance off and my camera can be obnoxiously noisy during quite scenes.
Sunday, July 08, 2012
Nana and the Kids
Or what I was doing last week.
We did our annual summer trek up North last week to visit family and get away from the special joy of Virgina in the summer. I'm happy to say that we were successful on both fronts.
Vermont was wonderful, low 80s during the day and mid-50s at night. We even missed the massive thunderstorms since we left Friday morning. Saturday I called a neighbor and she checked the house and said it was fine. Sadly our vacation had to come to an end and we had to return to the blast furnace that is Virginia .
We did our annual summer trek up North last week to visit family and get away from the special joy of Virgina in the summer. I'm happy to say that we were successful on both fronts.
Vermont was wonderful, low 80s during the day and mid-50s at night. We even missed the massive thunderstorms since we left Friday morning. Saturday I called a neighbor and she checked the house and said it was fine. Sadly our vacation had to come to an end and we had to return to the blast furnace that is Virginia .
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