If you know Greek, you should be able to figure out what this flower is without even looking at it. If you don't know Greek...learn. ;)
Jazz Guitar 2
This is one of my favorite photos from the time we spent in Iowa City. Apparently, the organist was the lead in this band, but the guitarist was easier to photograph.
It's 7:40 a.m.
Do you know where your driver's license is?
Well, I don't. In fact, the last time I definitely remember having it was in the St. Louis airport. After the ordeal with Jordan's wallet, this situation seems tame by comparison, since I don't have anywhere to drive and I don't buy much alcohol, but it's still irritating because I don't want to pay for a new one.
Oh well, it certainly could be a lot worse.
Well, I don't. In fact, the last time I definitely remember having it was in the St. Louis airport. After the ordeal with Jordan's wallet, this situation seems tame by comparison, since I don't have anywhere to drive and I don't buy much alcohol, but it's still irritating because I don't want to pay for a new one.
Oh well, it certainly could be a lot worse.
One Down
One week of Greek done, seven more to go. I'm not going to say Greek is easy but I do find it rather simple. Simple meaning I don't feel like beating myself over the head with a heavy, metal object whenever we learn a new grammar rule, as I sometimes did while learning Hebrew. There are rules. The rules are consistent. It gets boring at times, but I didn't really expect Greek to be exciting.
For the first few days of class, I was waiting for Dr. Parsenios to throw a curve ball, something unexpected and strange. Around Wednesday, I finally realized that even if he throws something more difficult at us, it's still going to follow the rules because the Greeks loved logic.
Anyway, campus is quiet during the summer, not much to report.
For the first few days of class, I was waiting for Dr. Parsenios to throw a curve ball, something unexpected and strange. Around Wednesday, I finally realized that even if he throws something more difficult at us, it's still going to follow the rules because the Greeks loved logic.
Anyway, campus is quiet during the summer, not much to report.
WARNING!!!
As has been requested by my roommate (a.k.a. RGR), I am giving you all fair warning that there are cute puppy faces in my picture of the day and you may want to skip this post if you don't want to be tempted to go rescue a mutt from the local ASPCA in the next ten minutes.
Look at Us, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
Look at Us, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
Black and White Visitor
Monarch butterflies always lay their eggs on milkweed leaves. I suppose that's why it's also sometimes called butterflyweed.
Going Under
I spent nearly half an hour on Jordan's back patio getting dozens of shots of this insect. Look at it. It's just creepy. It has a proboscis like a butterfly or moth, but no wings. We couldn't figure out what it was, so if anyone reading this has any insights, let me know.
Back to School Edition
Butterflyweed, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
It's my first day back at Princeton for the summer. Seems like Greek is going to be pretty easy compared to Hebrew, so I'm not too worried. I think the people taking Hebrew over the summer are completely insane, but I guess it's the way to do it if you're just fulfilling a requirement to be ordained.
My room is a huge mess. I don't want to finish unpacking, but if I don't, I will have to sleep on my couch tonight...not a terrible option. Getting my stuff out of storage was interesting. It was like one of those sliding puzzles we all played with when we were kids. You know the ones; sixteen spaces, fifteen pieces, only one piece can be moved at a time. If you still don't remember, check out Wikipedia on the subject. The point is that I could only move my things a few feet at a time because I left early and it was all behind everybody else's stuff. Needless to say, it was a hot, sweaty endeavor.
The housing office put me in the wrong room at first. They gave me the room next to my room... Fortunately, it didn't take long to get that straightened out.
And, for a final bit of trivia, one of the guys in my precept played professional football for four years, has two master's degrees, one of which is from Oxford, and studied classical Greek in undergrad. Sometimes I wonder what I've been doing with my life. ;)
Time to learn the Greek alphabet...
I promised you, my faithful readers, that I would post about our adventures in Iowa City and St. Louis and here I am, doing just that.
Those of you who think Iowa City sounds lame as a vacation destination, think again. I guess it could be under most circumstances, but when you are staying in the Sheraton downtown, which has the most comfortable beds you've ever slept in, and there is a free Jazz Festival going on a few blocks away and someone else is paying for everything and the weather is perfect, it's worth spending a few days. We spent our days wandering around town, listening to music and dining at local restaurants and our evenings hanging out with Jordan's cousins, all of whom he'd never met before. No crazy stories, but plenty of fun.
St. Louis was fun in its own way, but included a hefty dose of stress. (As an aside, if you're ever thinking about going to St. Louis for the Fourth of July, it's not worth it...really.) We arrived on the third around 2. Jordan noticed that his wallet was missing around 5, when we were headed out the door for dinner. The car was checked and rechecked. Jordan was convinced that it must be at his sister's house, but Rachel, her husband, Nate, and Jordan's brother, Jesse, were already on their way to meet us for dinner and a ballgame, so there was no way to find out.
We talked about it over dinner, but it didn't seem dire, so we went ahead with our plans and Rachel promised to check around her house upon her return. Jesse called around midnight to tell us that the wallet wasn't found. *sinking feelings all around*
The next morning, I used the hotel's computers to look up the number for the Quiznos where we'd had lunch the day before. I recognized the voice of the woman who'd made our sandwiches right away. Had they found a wallet? Why, yes, they had. Was it Jordan Burdge's? Yes, it was!
BUT! His wife had already come in to pick up the wallet... HIS WIFE!?! I quickly informed Patty, our helpful Quiznos employee, that Jordan had no wife.
So, Patty called Jessica, the woman who'd left the note about Jordan's wife coming to get the wallet, and then called me back. Jessica denied it, but Patty was sure that she had taken the wallet. While Patty was dealing with Jessica, Jordan and I were trying to figure out how we would get him home. Turns out you need government-issued picture i.d. to get on a Greyhound bus these days. If we didn't get his license back, he was going to be in St. Louis until his brother drove home in two weeks or more. Lori and Ernie found out from the airline that it might be possible to get on the plane with Jordan's boarding pass from the flight in and a police report stating his identification had been lost or stolen...
Before taking that step, though, Jordan made one last ditch effort to find out if he could get the wallet back without involving the police. We found out from Patty that Jessica was at the Quiznos and Jordan called to confront her. He told her that he wouldn't rat her out to the police or Quiznos, but he needed the wallet to get on our plane. She admitted that she took the wallet because she needed the money for a "friend's" pregnancy test and agreed to meet us at noon near the Quiznos.
So, we all hopped in the car and headed to Troy, Missouri, about an hour away from St. Louis. It was a stressful trip, all of us thinking that Jessica may or may not show up, but in the end she was there waiting for us. After retrieving the license, I suddenly realized I hadn't eaten all day and we went to Quiznos for lunch. :)
Through a tricky turn of events, I let the cat out of the bag about Jessica having the wallet. Even if I hadn't, though, she was going to lose her job for not getting ID from Jordan's wife when she claimed the wallet.
It's difficult to know how to feel about Jessica. She certainly wasn't an experienced pilferer, otherwise she wouldn't have kept the wallet. She wasn't thinking rationally and she got herself into a situation much bigger than she expected. We feel compassion because there was obviously some reason she needed the money, but it's hard to feel badly about her losing her job since what she did was wrong and could have caused serious problems for Jordan and his dad and stepmom. Of course, after all of this happened, we all stopped to wonder whether we would have given her the money had she just asked for it...
Those of you who think Iowa City sounds lame as a vacation destination, think again. I guess it could be under most circumstances, but when you are staying in the Sheraton downtown, which has the most comfortable beds you've ever slept in, and there is a free Jazz Festival going on a few blocks away and someone else is paying for everything and the weather is perfect, it's worth spending a few days. We spent our days wandering around town, listening to music and dining at local restaurants and our evenings hanging out with Jordan's cousins, all of whom he'd never met before. No crazy stories, but plenty of fun.
St. Louis was fun in its own way, but included a hefty dose of stress. (As an aside, if you're ever thinking about going to St. Louis for the Fourth of July, it's not worth it...really.) We arrived on the third around 2. Jordan noticed that his wallet was missing around 5, when we were headed out the door for dinner. The car was checked and rechecked. Jordan was convinced that it must be at his sister's house, but Rachel, her husband, Nate, and Jordan's brother, Jesse, were already on their way to meet us for dinner and a ballgame, so there was no way to find out.
We talked about it over dinner, but it didn't seem dire, so we went ahead with our plans and Rachel promised to check around her house upon her return. Jesse called around midnight to tell us that the wallet wasn't found. *sinking feelings all around*
The next morning, I used the hotel's computers to look up the number for the Quiznos where we'd had lunch the day before. I recognized the voice of the woman who'd made our sandwiches right away. Had they found a wallet? Why, yes, they had. Was it Jordan Burdge's? Yes, it was!
BUT! His wife had already come in to pick up the wallet... HIS WIFE!?! I quickly informed Patty, our helpful Quiznos employee, that Jordan had no wife.
So, Patty called Jessica, the woman who'd left the note about Jordan's wife coming to get the wallet, and then called me back. Jessica denied it, but Patty was sure that she had taken the wallet. While Patty was dealing with Jessica, Jordan and I were trying to figure out how we would get him home. Turns out you need government-issued picture i.d. to get on a Greyhound bus these days. If we didn't get his license back, he was going to be in St. Louis until his brother drove home in two weeks or more. Lori and Ernie found out from the airline that it might be possible to get on the plane with Jordan's boarding pass from the flight in and a police report stating his identification had been lost or stolen...
Before taking that step, though, Jordan made one last ditch effort to find out if he could get the wallet back without involving the police. We found out from Patty that Jessica was at the Quiznos and Jordan called to confront her. He told her that he wouldn't rat her out to the police or Quiznos, but he needed the wallet to get on our plane. She admitted that she took the wallet because she needed the money for a "friend's" pregnancy test and agreed to meet us at noon near the Quiznos.
So, we all hopped in the car and headed to Troy, Missouri, about an hour away from St. Louis. It was a stressful trip, all of us thinking that Jessica may or may not show up, but in the end she was there waiting for us. After retrieving the license, I suddenly realized I hadn't eaten all day and we went to Quiznos for lunch. :)
Through a tricky turn of events, I let the cat out of the bag about Jessica having the wallet. Even if I hadn't, though, she was going to lose her job for not getting ID from Jordan's wife when she claimed the wallet.
It's difficult to know how to feel about Jessica. She certainly wasn't an experienced pilferer, otherwise she wouldn't have kept the wallet. She wasn't thinking rationally and she got herself into a situation much bigger than she expected. We feel compassion because there was obviously some reason she needed the money, but it's hard to feel badly about her losing her job since what she did was wrong and could have caused serious problems for Jordan and his dad and stepmom. Of course, after all of this happened, we all stopped to wonder whether we would have given her the money had she just asked for it...
Wait for it...
There will definitely be a blog post about our adventures west of the Mississippi posted tomorrow. Have patience, my child.
River of Rocks
Here is a shot from the trek to Hawk Mountain that Jordan and I took with Laura. The trail was really difficult, but we made it safe and sound and got to see some amazing views.
This particular photo was taken in a section called the River of Rocks. I'm sure you can see how it got that name.
So Long For Now
Jordan and I are going to Iowa City and St. Louis with his father and stepmother, so I won't be looking at my computer screen for a week... I might start suffering from withdrawal symptoms, but other than that, it should be a great time.
Have a good week, loyal readers!
Which One?
I posted these two photos in a group on flickr. They are a couple of my favorites from blueberry picking earlier this week. A lot of people seem to prefer the one on the left, but I really like the one on the right. What do you think? You can click on the photos to see a bigger copy.
Public Makeout!
Sarah and I took a trip to Michael's today to buy some picture frames for a set of photos she's been meaning to re-accessorize. On the way, we were discussing relationships, as we are wont to do, and she told me that the-guy-who-lives-in-the-basement thinks it's worrisome that Jordan and I aren't crawling all over each other continually. Our lack of public displays of affection bodes ill for our future. Hmmm... Makes me wonder what he would say if we were being gooey and affectionate all the time.
We just aren't those people. I would be comfortable with more affection when other people are around, but I know that Jordan wouldn't and it doesn't bother me.
Any thoughts, friends? Should Jordan and I be shnogging in public?
We just aren't those people. I would be comfortable with more affection when other people are around, but I know that Jordan wouldn't and it doesn't bother me.
Any thoughts, friends? Should Jordan and I be shnogging in public?
A Few Favorites
It's sort of hokey to make mosaics, but I thought this one turned out nicely. These are a few of my favorite photos from the past two months or so. To see the full photos, you can click these links:
1. One Orange Milkweed, 2. Blown, 3. Lady's Thumb, 4. I Don't Think It's a Daisy
One Orange Milkweed
One Orange Milkweed, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
I am very proud of this picture. This is exactly the way it came out of the camera; thoughtful composition, nice depth-of-field, vibrant colors, and several non-distracting points of interest. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I think it's a lovely shot. It's hard to believe that this beautiful flower is considered a weed by some.
Wikipedia tells me that Carolus Linnaeus named this flower after the Greek god of healing because of all the folk remedies for which milkweed was used.
New to Monday
So, I took the weekend off because I had a visitor and wasn't spending that much time with my computer. Little Miss Laura, my college roommate, made the drive up from Lancaster County to enjoy the Pennsburg hospitality.
On Friday, the most exciting thing we did was go to Wegman's. THAT'S EXCITING!!! Have you seen the international foods section of that store? We actually had a fun time walking around the store discovering lots of interesting foods and, of course, getting the items on my shopping list. We also got lost on the way to lunch, but that's not a very interesting story.
Saturday, we drove up to Hawk Mountain to go for a hike. Our trail began going down down down to a rock field. It was lovely, but all that down meant a whole lot of up. When you look at a map and see a 175 foot increase in altitude over a mile, that's a lot. The beginning of the trail wasn't that bad, but as we continued, it continued...to get steeper and steeper. Since Laura and Jordan are both in better shape than I, they were up the hill 5 or 10 minutes before I made it, but I made it (and identified a couple flowers along the way).
Getting to the top was a relief. We rested for about 10 minutes and then headed out along the Skyline Trail. Lovely views and lots of rocks. Near the end, we were having difficulty finding the blue blazes (haha!). That's when we realized they were going straight over the top of 15 foot rock faces. "Rock face" may be an exaggeration, but there was definitely climbing involved.
As we were clambering over various rock formations, I was still carrying my flower ID book. I tossed it to a rock further on once and it came to a rest, waiting patiently for me to retrieve it. The second time I tossed it, the book tried to make an escape down a hole between two boulders. Immediately ready to give it up for lost, I shouted to Laura and Jordan that I lost my book. They were not so easily daunted. Jordan spotted the bright green cover and Laura wriggled her tiny body into the crack to get it. The book was rescued and we moved on.
Shortly after that, we arrived at the North Lookout, also known as the end of the Skyline Trail. There we found a sign that read: "Skyline Trail: Most Difficult. Rocky and rugged throughout, need to climb up or down rocks, MUST HAVE HANDS FREE. Stay on trail." Not only did we finish the most difficult trail, but I did most of it carrying a book!
We were all famished after our three-hour tour, so we took the nice, easy touristy trail back to our car to get our lunch, which we ate at the South Lookout, where our hike had begun. It was the perfect day for a hike. I saw new flowers, Jordan saw new birds, Laura rescued my book. We had a great time.
Next time, though, I'm taking my backpack...and maybe an easier trail.
On Friday, the most exciting thing we did was go to Wegman's. THAT'S EXCITING!!! Have you seen the international foods section of that store? We actually had a fun time walking around the store discovering lots of interesting foods and, of course, getting the items on my shopping list. We also got lost on the way to lunch, but that's not a very interesting story.
Saturday, we drove up to Hawk Mountain to go for a hike. Our trail began going down down down to a rock field. It was lovely, but all that down meant a whole lot of up. When you look at a map and see a 175 foot increase in altitude over a mile, that's a lot. The beginning of the trail wasn't that bad, but as we continued, it continued...to get steeper and steeper. Since Laura and Jordan are both in better shape than I, they were up the hill 5 or 10 minutes before I made it, but I made it (and identified a couple flowers along the way).
Getting to the top was a relief. We rested for about 10 minutes and then headed out along the Skyline Trail. Lovely views and lots of rocks. Near the end, we were having difficulty finding the blue blazes (haha!). That's when we realized they were going straight over the top of 15 foot rock faces. "Rock face" may be an exaggeration, but there was definitely climbing involved.
As we were clambering over various rock formations, I was still carrying my flower ID book. I tossed it to a rock further on once and it came to a rest, waiting patiently for me to retrieve it. The second time I tossed it, the book tried to make an escape down a hole between two boulders. Immediately ready to give it up for lost, I shouted to Laura and Jordan that I lost my book. They were not so easily daunted. Jordan spotted the bright green cover and Laura wriggled her tiny body into the crack to get it. The book was rescued and we moved on.
Shortly after that, we arrived at the North Lookout, also known as the end of the Skyline Trail. There we found a sign that read: "Skyline Trail: Most Difficult. Rocky and rugged throughout, need to climb up or down rocks, MUST HAVE HANDS FREE. Stay on trail." Not only did we finish the most difficult trail, but I did most of it carrying a book!
We were all famished after our three-hour tour, so we took the nice, easy touristy trail back to our car to get our lunch, which we ate at the South Lookout, where our hike had begun. It was the perfect day for a hike. I saw new flowers, Jordan saw new birds, Laura rescued my book. We had a great time.
Next time, though, I'm taking my backpack...and maybe an easier trail.
Flax Flower
There are many varieties of flax flowers (the plant from which linen is made), but I would have to say this is the prettiest. Blue is my favorite color, so I'm always glad to stumble across blue petals.
Flax Flower, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
Flax Flower, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
They Do Look Like Little Monsters or Something...
My mother worked the very early opening shift at a convenience store for much of my childhood. She was usually home from work well before I got home from school. Oftentimes, dinner would already be on the table when I walked through the door at three o'clock. We had the same eating schedule as old people who go to sleep before it's dark outside because my mother took to bed fairly early.
Jordan's house is just the opposite, especially when the whole crew is home. Usually we eat around 7, which is my preferred time; not too late and not too early. There have been times, however, when our meals weren't ready until 8 or 9 o'clock. Sometimes it's because the guys will suddenly decide to leave at 7 and we try to keep dinner for their return. Sometimes it's because we (read "I") don't read the recipe through all the way and miss the fact that whatever meal I'm putting in the oven needs to bake for two hours. But, one time, we didn't eat until nearly 10 p.m. just because our food hadn't arrived.
A family friend went to the Jersey shore for the day and promised to bring back crabs for our supper. So we had a late lunch and went about the rest of our day anticipating the arrival of our clawed meal. Josh is notorious around here for being late, so his promised arrival at 8 happened around 9. Pots of water were already boiling on the stove, full of Old Bay seasoning. Within minutes of their arrival, at least a dozen of our crustacean friends had met their fate, but only after giving our chefs a few love bites with their powerful pincers.
To eat, we dumped the cooked crabs on a newspaper covered patio table. The porch light was dim, but everybody (except) me could have torn apart and eaten their crabs without any help from the sun. They dove in. I was slightly more reluctant. In the low light, the crabs looked as if they were still alive. Their beady eyes stared at me, their claws appeared at the ready. With a little help from Jordan, I managed to eat one whole crab, but after the first one, I couldn't bring myself to touch another, so I stuck with the legs that had fallen off and were scattered about the table. I promised I'd try again...in daylight.
For now, I'll content myself with the pictures I got of these little monsters before they went into the pot. Just look at that blue. And, I'll give you a gold star if you know what movie I'm quoting in my title.
Before the Water, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
Jordan's house is just the opposite, especially when the whole crew is home. Usually we eat around 7, which is my preferred time; not too late and not too early. There have been times, however, when our meals weren't ready until 8 or 9 o'clock. Sometimes it's because the guys will suddenly decide to leave at 7 and we try to keep dinner for their return. Sometimes it's because we (read "I") don't read the recipe through all the way and miss the fact that whatever meal I'm putting in the oven needs to bake for two hours. But, one time, we didn't eat until nearly 10 p.m. just because our food hadn't arrived.
A family friend went to the Jersey shore for the day and promised to bring back crabs for our supper. So we had a late lunch and went about the rest of our day anticipating the arrival of our clawed meal. Josh is notorious around here for being late, so his promised arrival at 8 happened around 9. Pots of water were already boiling on the stove, full of Old Bay seasoning. Within minutes of their arrival, at least a dozen of our crustacean friends had met their fate, but only after giving our chefs a few love bites with their powerful pincers.
To eat, we dumped the cooked crabs on a newspaper covered patio table. The porch light was dim, but everybody (except) me could have torn apart and eaten their crabs without any help from the sun. They dove in. I was slightly more reluctant. In the low light, the crabs looked as if they were still alive. Their beady eyes stared at me, their claws appeared at the ready. With a little help from Jordan, I managed to eat one whole crab, but after the first one, I couldn't bring myself to touch another, so I stuck with the legs that had fallen off and were scattered about the table. I promised I'd try again...in daylight.
For now, I'll content myself with the pictures I got of these little monsters before they went into the pot. Just look at that blue. And, I'll give you a gold star if you know what movie I'm quoting in my title.
Before the Water, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
Pink Spike
I'm trying to avoid the puppy pictures because I don't want to hurt rgr's heart anymore than I already have. So, here is an unidentified flower. Enjoy!
Redeye Daisy
I like the naturally yellow center of oxeye daisies, but I've been taking so many pictures of yellow flowers lately that I've been getting a bit bored. So, I used my free trial of Photoshop CS3 to change the hue of this little flower. I also did a little cropping, but mostly so that the flowers looked bigger.
Resolution
I detest how anti-climactic conflict is. So much loudness, so much tension, so much emotional energy for nothing much. Not that I'm saying I want more blood, I'm saying I don't want the build up in the first place.
Conflict has puzzled me since childhood. My mom and brother would get into these knock-down-drag-out fights over nothing. Then there would be a time of tense silence. This was generally followed by a time of stilted conversation during which we carefully avoided talking about the elephant in the room and nervously laughed about only moderately funny things. Finally, everyone would realize that it was alright to breathe and things would go back to normal. My family's process normally skipped the step wherein we dealt with whatever freaking HUGE elephant we were housing.
Even if the issue is addressed, most of the time, life just goes back to the way it was before, maybe with some minor change. Deep inside me, I always wish for something bigger, something more noticeable. Imperceptible change infuriates me. Basically, I want a bigger payoff for the emotional energy invested in living.
Perhaps this is why I furiously cling to the idea of an afterlife. I want the not joyful times in life to mean more, be more important, have some kind of impact that lasts. Of course, saying such a thing makes me wonder if there is something in my life that should be changed to make what's happening here and now mean more.
Angst angst angst!
Conflict has puzzled me since childhood. My mom and brother would get into these knock-down-drag-out fights over nothing. Then there would be a time of tense silence. This was generally followed by a time of stilted conversation during which we carefully avoided talking about the elephant in the room and nervously laughed about only moderately funny things. Finally, everyone would realize that it was alright to breathe and things would go back to normal. My family's process normally skipped the step wherein we dealt with whatever freaking HUGE elephant we were housing.
Even if the issue is addressed, most of the time, life just goes back to the way it was before, maybe with some minor change. Deep inside me, I always wish for something bigger, something more noticeable. Imperceptible change infuriates me. Basically, I want a bigger payoff for the emotional energy invested in living.
Perhaps this is why I furiously cling to the idea of an afterlife. I want the not joyful times in life to mean more, be more important, have some kind of impact that lasts. Of course, saying such a thing makes me wonder if there is something in my life that should be changed to make what's happening here and now mean more.
Angst angst angst!
Molten Thistle
This thistle gone to seed made me think of a dreadlock wig that I once saw in Disney World.
My New Hobby
Laurel Blooming, originally uploaded by kate e. did.
This is one of my favorites from the past few weeks. Mountain laurel is so beautiful.
With the amount of flower pictures I've been taking in the past few months, I've recently taken up a new hobby: flower identification. I have a species list that I began in early May, which already has almost forty flowers on it.
The difficult thing about the list is that you can't cheat and put flowers on it that you have seen before, you are supposed to document them as you find them. Fortunately, Sarah has a beautiful garden with new flowers blooming every couple of weeks. Hopefully, when I get back to Princeton, I will be able to add even more flowers to the list.
I'm working on trees a little bit, too, but the flowers are so plentiful and vibrant now that it's difficult to concentrate on leaves and twigs and green and brown. I'll save that for fall and winter.
What's the Buzz?
So, my former roomie told me that I need to blog something other than pictures, so here I am blogging something other than pictures. There's been a lot going on lately, but nothing momentous since the wedding in Ohio.
I've mostly been playing house since I don't have a job here in Pennsburg. I've made about 20 delicious dinners, for which I should post the recipes, but probably won't. My favorite is definitely the felafel (from the Moosewood cookbook), homemade olive and cilantro pita, and from scratch tzatziki sauce. I made it last night for the fourth time this year. It's time consuming, but so delicious I don't care.
Sarah just got done with school for the year, but for the few weeks that she's been working while I was home alone, I've been doing the cooking and shopping and such. I don't think I ever realized before now how much planning it takes to run a home. The thought of doing all of this with an infant around the house is frightening.
Other than cooking, I've also been taking care of the puppies. Sadie does most of the work, but I give them love and clean their blankets. Their eyes have been open for about a week and they've begun toddling around the baby pool. I took them to Sarah's school on Monday. The kids were crazy about them. It was a good time. Everybody loves puppies. Today, we bought some wire to make an outdoor enclosure for the pups. It should be fun to watch them romp and bite each others' faces in the grass.
School begins again soon for me. I'm a little reticent to go back. I like my days spent playing with puppies, baking bread, identifying wildflowers, and spending inordinate amounts of time playing on flickr. It will be good to get back into the swing of things, but hard to have obligations again.
I'll try to write more...promise.
I've mostly been playing house since I don't have a job here in Pennsburg. I've made about 20 delicious dinners, for which I should post the recipes, but probably won't. My favorite is definitely the felafel (from the Moosewood cookbook), homemade olive and cilantro pita, and from scratch tzatziki sauce. I made it last night for the fourth time this year. It's time consuming, but so delicious I don't care.
Sarah just got done with school for the year, but for the few weeks that she's been working while I was home alone, I've been doing the cooking and shopping and such. I don't think I ever realized before now how much planning it takes to run a home. The thought of doing all of this with an infant around the house is frightening.
Other than cooking, I've also been taking care of the puppies. Sadie does most of the work, but I give them love and clean their blankets. Their eyes have been open for about a week and they've begun toddling around the baby pool. I took them to Sarah's school on Monday. The kids were crazy about them. It was a good time. Everybody loves puppies. Today, we bought some wire to make an outdoor enclosure for the pups. It should be fun to watch them romp and bite each others' faces in the grass.
School begins again soon for me. I'm a little reticent to go back. I like my days spent playing with puppies, baking bread, identifying wildflowers, and spending inordinate amounts of time playing on flickr. It will be good to get back into the swing of things, but hard to have obligations again.
I'll try to write more...promise.
Over the Edge
This is one of my favorite photos from our time at Bushkill. I made it black and white because the colors distracted from the form of the drops. I also bumped the contrast a little to help the spray stand out a bit more.
Jordan at the Falls
On Memorial Day, Jordan and I took a jaunt to Bushkill Falls. When I get all of my photos from that trip uploaded, I will post a slideshow. For now, here's a profile shot of Jordan at the main falls.
They Always Like the Weird Ones
When I post pictures on flickr, I am almost always surprised by the ones most people like.
Not Edited...Not One Bit
It's not often that I take a photo that turns out exactly how I want it without a little touch-up at the end, but this one came right out of my camera looking just how you see it here. For a larger view, you can click on the photo to go through to my Flickr page, which has lovely viewing choices.
Puppies for Sale
These are the puppies still for sale: a female in the middle and a male on either end.State Flower
Last Thursday evening, Jordan and I went for a hike at a local park. It was a beautiful evening and the woods were cool and shady, a nice place to get some exercise. We saw lots of fish in the reservoir and a family of ducks with nearly fifteen ducklings. I was able to indulge my new hobby of wildflower identification (finding nearly ten species to add to my list of flowers seen) and Jordan spotted one or two birds.Little did Jordan know that our fun hike was going to put him out of commission for several days. Around midnight he awoke to discover that poison ivy had taken over his entire face. It was all around the trail, but he thought he'd avoided touching any of it. Unfortunately, he didn't only come into contact with the oils from this irritating plant, he rubbed it into the skin surrounding his eyes and mouth. I may have come into contact with it, as well, since I'm not careful about where I step or what I touch, but somehow, I didn't have any reaction.
Even with the prescription steroids, the rash is bad. Jordan's face is red and puffy, his eyes are constantly at half mast, and, for the past few days, he's done little more than lie on the couch holding ice packs to his burning, itchy eyes and mouth. It's difficult to see him so miserable and be helpless to do anything to make him better. And all from the oil found on some shiny, reddish leaves that are actually kind of pretty.
Here's hoping that Jordan never runs into the unofficial state flower of Pennsylvania again.
Another Something Dead
Actually, it's not dead. It hasn't even bloomed yet. When it does, there will be tiny purple or white flowers covering the spiny head. The whole field of these was beautiful.
Pink and Black
I would love to create a new theme for my blog using this picture. Too bad I don't know more html and that the new Blogger is annoyingly complicated.
Not a Flower
Sadie's puppies are healthy and growing fast. The one I'm holding in this photo is my favorite because he's the one who most quickly falls asleep when I hold him, but they're all cute.
Anybody want a border collie puppy? Only $700...
Weekend in Ohio
While in college, several of my friends and I made a list of places we never wanted to go again. Ever. One of the places that made it onto the list was Ohio. It seems almost inevitable that the places we most desire to avoid are the places to which we return. Jordan and I arrived in Ohio on Thursday and escaped Saturday afternoon.
The reason we went to Ohio was that one of Jordan's college roommates was getting married. Unfortunately for the groom, his bride calls Ohio home. To be more specific, she calls Cuyahoga Falls home. So, we spent a little over two days navigating the badly marked, weirdly busy roads of northeastern Ohio.
Jordan was an usher in the wedding, so I was invited to the rehearsal dinner and all. It was fun except for the fact that I take a while to warm up to people and I didn't know anyone other than Jordan. His friends were welcoming and friendly, but it's rather difficult to push your way into a group of friends who have four years of shared memories. Fortunately for me, Jordan tells stories and most of the characters in those stories happened to be people at the wedding, so I had a bit to go on. Jordan has had it pretty easy with meeting my friends, one at a time, and generally in familiar surroundings. In some ways, my introduction to his friends was more like being thrown into the deep end and told to swim. In social situations, I can sometimes barely manage a doggie paddle.
The weekend went pretty smoothly, except for the excessive time spent getting around and giving directions and caravaning (something that frustrated both of us). The highlight for me was sitting in Applebee's the day after the wedding, eating lunch with some of JZ's friends, just relaxing and getting to observe them in a different setting. We had hoped to go hiking in Cuyahoga National Forest, but the a morning lightning storm put the kibosh on that plan.
On the way home, we stopped by Grove City and I got to see Jordan's college campus. We also stopped by his friend's house for a couple hours. She had been a bridesmaid in the wedding. Grove City is a nice little town, but after Houghton it's weird for me to think of going to college in the middle of somewhere...
Anyway, I always think one of the best parts of any trip is getting home. This trip was no exception. We were greeted at the door by Sadie who has regained her girlish figure and now has six puppies. I'll be posting some more pictures of them soon, but for now, I'll leave you with a picture of the proud mama and her pups. They are only a few days old (born Friday morning), but my favorite is the little guy fourth from the left.
The reason we went to Ohio was that one of Jordan's college roommates was getting married. Unfortunately for the groom, his bride calls Ohio home. To be more specific, she calls Cuyahoga Falls home. So, we spent a little over two days navigating the badly marked, weirdly busy roads of northeastern Ohio.
Jordan was an usher in the wedding, so I was invited to the rehearsal dinner and all. It was fun except for the fact that I take a while to warm up to people and I didn't know anyone other than Jordan. His friends were welcoming and friendly, but it's rather difficult to push your way into a group of friends who have four years of shared memories. Fortunately for me, Jordan tells stories and most of the characters in those stories happened to be people at the wedding, so I had a bit to go on. Jordan has had it pretty easy with meeting my friends, one at a time, and generally in familiar surroundings. In some ways, my introduction to his friends was more like being thrown into the deep end and told to swim. In social situations, I can sometimes barely manage a doggie paddle.
The weekend went pretty smoothly, except for the excessive time spent getting around and giving directions and caravaning (something that frustrated both of us). The highlight for me was sitting in Applebee's the day after the wedding, eating lunch with some of JZ's friends, just relaxing and getting to observe them in a different setting. We had hoped to go hiking in Cuyahoga National Forest, but the a morning lightning storm put the kibosh on that plan.
On the way home, we stopped by Grove City and I got to see Jordan's college campus. We also stopped by his friend's house for a couple hours. She had been a bridesmaid in the wedding. Grove City is a nice little town, but after Houghton it's weird for me to think of going to college in the middle of somewhere...
Anyway, I always think one of the best parts of any trip is getting home. This trip was no exception. We were greeted at the door by Sadie who has regained her girlish figure and now has six puppies. I'll be posting some more pictures of them soon, but for now, I'll leave you with a picture of the proud mama and her pups. They are only a few days old (born Friday morning), but my favorite is the little guy fourth from the left.
Triumphant Return
Jordan and I returned from a wedding in Ohio late last night. A good time was had by all, even though I didn't know any of them before we got there. That's all for another post, though. For now, here's the photo of the day.
Sadie...COME!
Sadie is just about ready to pop with all the puppiness in her belly, but she still enjoys a walk along the railroad tracks. I think she would make an excellent travel dog.
Explore!
For any of you familiar with Flickr, I have some really silly news that shouldn't make me nearly as happy as it has.
I don't know exactly how you get on Explore. In fact, nobody really knows except the people who invented it, but it's fantastic to have my photography acknowledged since I love doing it so much.
Anyway, I'm really excited, probably more than I should be, but that's okay with me.
My Photo of the Day made it to page 11 of Explore!!
(Okay, so I got kicked back to page 13, but that's permanent and it was on 11 for a bit.)
(Okay, so I got kicked back to page 13, but that's permanent and it was on 11 for a bit.)
I don't know exactly how you get on Explore. In fact, nobody really knows except the people who invented it, but it's fantastic to have my photography acknowledged since I love doing it so much.
Anyway, I'm really excited, probably more than I should be, but that's okay with me.
I Am a U.S. Citizen
You Passed the US Citizenship Test |
 Congratulations - you got 10 out of 10 correct! |
Yeah... I'm awesome! And I didn't look up a single answer.
African Daisy...5
Sometimes it's difficult to come up with names for all of my photos. Today, I resorted to just using the flowers' real names. I took this shot on Sunday when Sarah, Jordan and I went to Meadow View Farm to get some tomatoes and peppers for the garden.
A Little Late
This one is from yesterday. We went to pick up some plants for the vegetable garden and I wandered around taking pictures of the flowers. These alyssum were light purple in real life, but then I got my hands on a free trial of Photoshop...
Purple Sheen
Sarah has several different varieties of columbine in her garden. I think this one is my favorite.
On a related note, Flickr is my new favorite place on the internet. I'm willing to say it is the best photo sharing site on the web.
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