Manna's World

Did Newton Have a Pilot Light?

2011-12-14T09:48:00.000-08:00

Despite what appears to be a complete lack of interest in maintaining this here web space, I blog in my head all the live long day. I think about it... all kinds of wonderful updates... What? You can't read my mind? Oh.

I think I'm a thinker, not a doer. And Matt totally called me out once with a personality comparison inspired by part of Newton's First Law of Motion: an object at rest stays at rest. If the pilot light under my tooshie goes out things don't happen and the blog does not get updated. And that's that. An excuse ode to the wiring of my brain.

But I know forgettable memories worth remembering are happening all the time. To everyone. Everywhere. I want to remember ours and share them with you. So while my butter softens on the counter for a cookie swap baking session I'll search for matches to re-light the ole pilot. A huge thank you for hanging around.

UPDATE: It takes a long time for butter to soften on the counter in December. But I used my time wisely peeps. Here are links to three new posts going as far back as June:

Halloween Housewarming

2011-10-31T12:13:00.000-07:00

Halloween night marked exactly three months in the house. (Though Matt was only around for five of those weeks.) At that point our transforming home had taken enough shape to coral friends, their kids and some costumes for a fun evening together under our very own roof. Mom was also in town visiting and had fun putting names with faces. She was a great help with food prep too! We feasted on our traditional pot of Halloween chili as well as white chicken chili, potato soup, homemade pumpkin bread, other little finger foods and 87 tons of candy. Really. I think Matt ate Laffy Taffy for breakfast the entire following week. But anywho... we were both so happy to give our home a good first dose of people and messes and memories!

Symmetry and the Standard Model

2011-10-20T18:17:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a good book, I don't recommend this one. But it's still one of my favorites :)

What started in graduate school as a small personal project, over time grew into a book publishing contract in New York City. With lots of patience and help from various qualified folks, there is now a hardback textbook floating around in academia with my husband's name one it! And I'm so very proud. It's the first in a series, so this will be a project on Matt's radar for quite some time. A hobby with commitment.

Again, it's a physics textbook, BUT if you're curious and want to take a peek past the cover you can do so on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the publisher's website, Springer.

"Symmetry and the Standard Model: Mathematics and Particle Physics, by Matthew Robinson, is the first volume of a series intended to teach math in a way that is catered to physicists. Following a brief review of classical physics at the undergraduate level and a preview of particle physics from an experimentalist's perspective, the text systematically lays the mathematical groundwork for an algebraic understanding of the Standard Model of Particle Physics. It then concludes with an overview of the extensions of the previous ideas to physics beyond the Standard Model. The text is geared toward advanced undergraduate students and first-year graduate students."

A Tale of Two Doors

2011-09-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

I'm sure we will happily be painting our stamp on this house for as long as we live in it. Latest focal point to receive a face lift: the back of our front door. The foyer was a creamy/yellowy/tan, the trim was varnished wood and the door was doo doo maroon. With no opportunity for natural light to come through the door into the foyer, it was very dark in there.

We painted the walls and trim before moving in, but kept the door as-is just in case. In case what? I don't know. But I didn't want to regret painting too many surfaces before living in the space first hand. Caution be danged, the doo doo maroon had to go.

Yesterday I turned the (sad) Auburn game up loud and went to town with two coats of primer. Today I turned on a baseball game (what?) and lathered on one coat of glossy white. Needs one more coat tomorrow, then voila! The front of the door looked okay, but was very dirty and almost creamy. Now it too looks as bright and crisp as it's rear. No more doo doo maroon.

In other door news... Friday morning I set my alarm for 6:15am to take the recycling out. I was soo pleased with myself as I opened the back door at 6:30 and walked up and down the driveway in my jammies thanking God for this rare moment of early morning consciousness, as it was allowing me to see the sunrise and breathe the very crisp and refreshing 50 something degree air. When I discovered the back door was locked I went numb. Matt was at work, I had no phone, no spare key, no bra, nothing! The basement was locked and there were no tools of help in the garage. I think I stood there in shock for a long time wondering how in the blue blazes I was getting out of this pickle. I was standing on the stoop with a brick in my hand (that I already hurled at the window once, but too tenderly to leave a scratch) when I heard an already trusted neighbor taking his trash out. Thank. The. Lord. By 7:30 I was back inside and no glass had been shattered. But we did pry it out of place and make a small mess. Nothing that duct tape couldn't fix.

But I didn't have any duct tape. So I used Scotch tape and bubble wrap.

Until I bought duct tape.

Moi Boudoir

2011-09-13T19:52:00.000-07:00

Current Me Status: Sitting on the couch watching Parenthood and What Not To Wear while cruising the internet for images to inspire decorating progress in our bedroom.

Current Bedroom Status: wood floor, varnished closet doors, white trim, gray walls, baby blue side tables, hand-me-down dressers and brass lamps, black bed frame, white bedding, gold curtains from college.

Possible Plan of Attack: matching larger side tables, taller prettier lamps, better lighting, white curtains, comfy chair/floor lamp/table nook, area rug, photos, personal items and general effects of coziness with possible pops of color.

Really searching for the motivation to make something beautimous happen in there!

The Storm Came & Went

2011-09-01T11:04:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, for our area, Irene was more hype than muscle and after she stuck to a chosen path, all we got was rain, rain, rain and a little wind. This did result in significant power outages, but no real damage. Our power was out for a couple days, during which we hung out with friends in DC who had power. That's about it. No basement catastrophes, though we do want to get a plumber out to check on something we noticed during the monsoon. And what we were told was a fixed and "dead" water spot on our bedroom ceiling came back to life. I don't even want to think about what that may mean until after the inspector investigates next week. With that one exception, all fared well. And our insurance company is reimbursing us for the fridge/freezer food we lost!

The Storms A-Comin!

2011-08-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! How was that for an [unintentional] blog hiatus? Hope your past month has been a good one. Around here we're taking it day by day getting acquainted with the house. And apparently the best way to get to know the ole structure (three weeks after moving in) is to endure a major storm with it.

Come on Irene. Help us know how waterproof that basement really is. And thrust us into what life is like with[out] well-water when the power goes out. And while you're at it, knock a few trees down over the road so we're stranded out here in the country for a few days.

We are as ready as we know how to be. Working radio and flashlights, gallons and gallons of drinking water, eventually a bathtub full of "flushing" water, cars full of gas, cash and more snacks and pantry items than I should have ever bought. When I added Hershey's boxed chocolate milk to the cart, I knew I crossed the excessive line. Reminded me of the times Mom took Cameron and me to the grocery store as kids and let us pick out whatever we wanted on the snack isle. It took a few years before we caught on to her method. As we sat in the backseat of her car dreaming of being elbow deep in cookies once home, she was driving us to the doctor for shots! Sneaky sneaky. Thank goodness we had those cookies to focus on once the needle torture was over!

So in light of the possible ~~torture~~ aggravation of not having power this weekend, I stocked our pantry with special items like Granny Smith applesauce, chocolate pudding, chips and grape juice. It only occurred to me just now and is very, very, very ironic that Matt actually got a shot today.

Moving Weekend

2011-07-31T14:23:00.000-07:00

Past moving experiences: Home to Auburn (everything fit in a car) ---> Auburn to TX (everything fit in a car & minivan) ---> TX to MD (moving company did everything) ---> Five year love nest to long term home (HOLY COW CALLED IN FOR BACKUP THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD HAVE DONE THIS ON OUR OWN!)

By Friday afternoon before the big move I was spent, overwhelmed and unsure of how things over the next 48 hours were going to go down. Matt had been working hard all week (rightly so) which left me solely in charge of scenes like this:

But friends came to the rescue (as hoped) Saturday morning with fresh outlook and energy! When help arrived around noon Matt and I already had a full day. We picked up our U-Haul (With a little disappointment... our reserved big truck was given to someone else on accident and all they had was a cargo van. We knew it would be doable, only take a LOT longer, which it did.) Then drove to our storage unit (aka a family member's basement) to pick up a huge furniture load and take it to the house. Upon arrival we found the... get ready... brand new AC not working. At all. On July 30th. No air conditioner. But thankfully those two events were the most of our worries that day. Everything else went smooth as butter mostly due to our patient friends, some of which stayed with us until the very end... when the U-Haul was returned around midnight. Though they deserved more, all we had the energy to do was feed them pizza and Oreos in our nearly empty apartment.

Sunday morning... Pictures speak louder than words...

Somehow we made it to church that morning (I think we were desperate for air conditioner) then packed the last of our things, spackled and cleaned until sundown.

Our day (and apartment phase of life) was complete when the love of my life suggested we eat leftover pizza upstairs for one last dinner on the rooftop...

Air Conditoner

2011-07-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

The people we bought our house from were so very kind. Their kindne$$ came out in $uper beneficial way$ for u$. Knowing the 23 year old air conditioner unit was nearing the end of it's life they left us with a good chunk of cash to aid in it's replacement. I'm so glad they did! Because the unit did not survive our latest heat wave. D-e-d. Dead. (The thermostat got up to 90 inside.) Thankfully we were already lined up with a company to do the work. They were simply waiting for our phone call. This past Tuesday a four man team made magic happen when a new handler was installed in the attic, a 15 seer thing installed outside, and in place of the old dial thermostat in the hallway, a beautiful new glowing digital one. And, while they were at it we had them and install central heat as well. You know, just to make sure we spend all our savings before we even move into the house. Hah. No, it really wasn't bad, thanks to those kind kind kind sellers. And rebates!

So now we have brand new central AC and brand new central heat as well as original baseboard heat for back up. Bring on the seasons.

Let me procrastinate from packing a wee bit longer and share a few photos with you:

First, the "15 Seer thing" outside by the driveway. Two days prior the weeds there were knee high and thick as wool. Matt and I worked some weed pulling magic. The spiders kept us company. UGH!!! I get the heebie jeebies just typing that!!! But it's true. Big enough for appetizers. AGH!!! I'm itching all over!!!

The spot in the foyer ceiling where the air handler sits in the attic. Take note, because this and one even smaller hole is what the workmen had to work with. And, do you see any lavender anywhere? Neither do I, thank goodness!

Back in the hallway there is an itty bitty doorway leading into what we'll use as a broom closet, but it's primary purpose is attic access. When I showed the workmen what kind of space they would be working in, I could tell the would remember their day at this house. Only one had to, you know, squeeze in a little.

There are two giant steps (shelves) up to our non storage friendly attic. Though there is a pink plastic swimming pool up there. And pool nets. Strange.

The view below is in the attic from the broom closet access hole (above) down through the foyer access hole where the handler now sits. And the right side photo captured an element of the day. Dirt, debris and one gray wall color that still has multiple personalities. But we really like them this time :)

So that was my Monday and Tuesday. Hanging out with men from Baltimore who have tattooed arms, try to refrain from cursing when in ear-shot of a customer, make jokes that remind me of 10 year old boys and put their shirts back on when indoors. They were a riot.

Wednesday I found a great gaggle of moving boxes for free off Craigslist. Woo hoo! Yesterday I bid farewell to our blue bathroom. Two years of color was worth the effort of two coats of primer.

And today I'm packing up. Closing shop. Putting our stuff in cardboard boxes. And trash bags. And luggage. And the guest room bathtub.

Yard Crashers

2011-07-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

Potential, not perfection. That's what we looked for on our house hunt. Can you envision it with me now, all that potential hiding in there?

Hooray for potential!!!

Taming the jungle. Matt's parents were crazy for volunteering, but they knew we couldn't have done it without help.

Welcome to the jungle!

And voila!

Elves came to assemble a new lawnmower and clean out the garage.

Trash from garage

Those elves hard at work again.

A quick visit with part of the Robinson family tree.

A gazillion bottles of Gatorade later... it was a phenomenal and fulfilling transformation. Hiding in the rough were crepe myrtles, dogwoods, azaleas, day lilies, peonies, iris bulbs, a rose bush and a hydrangea bush. And once the mowing and edging was done we unearthed a brick border along the front walk. It was a miserable week in the middle of July, but payoff was worth it!

Heat Wave

2011-07-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

HELL-O today was a hot one! No, not just hot. It was scorching, broiling, blistering, sweltering, scalding, humid, muggy, hotter than blue blazes hot. Heat index around here was 118 degrees. Holy cow. Or as Mom put it, holy cooked cow!!!

Paint Palette Preview

2011-07-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

Paint is temporary. Compatibility with one's spouse is forever. Many thanks to mine for helping me through our lavender foyer fiasco. Funny how little things can be so emotionally overwhelming. During the heartbreak of seeing grape cotton candy on our walls I quickly forgot it often takes many tries before finding the right paint. Behr's Manhattan Mist was our first color of choice, but after allowing two coats to dry for two days it was obvious we needed a second color.

Ed at Home Depot was just what the physician ordered. (That was for you, Dr. R) Ed patiently answered questions and consoled our disappointment of the bluish gray having turned purplish. I knew he knew our frazzled state of mind was genuine when he offered to mix a new color for $5 instead of $30. An undercover "ooops" gallon. Thank you Ed! We walked out with Behr's Gentle Rain and crossed fingers. After a couple brush strokes we knew we were on the right track. The difference was so darned subtle. Can you even tell?

The new gray is painted around the thermostat and the old "lavender" is everywhere else on the wall. So darned subtle. This picture does not do it justice. I didn't even try to take a better picture. Didn't want to remember it. But it's soooo much better now! I wouldn't have believed the difference if I hadn't witnessed it firsthand. While we're here in the hallway, take a peek at its history. Strawberry sherbet, orange sherbet, primer and builders beige. Ohhh if these walls could talk...

Now to the point of the post. Without further ado, here's the paint palette we stumbled into. Light gray, white, navy and dark gray. Better known as Gentle Rain, Tailors Chalk, Velvet Evening and Gray Area. With no lighting and no furniture the results have been hard to gauge, but we think we love it!

For now, we're done painting. Hallelujah! Still working on the yard. More details to trickle in as the days, weeks and months continue. Thanks for checking in!

My Bed

2011-07-17T22:00:00.000-07:00

It's after midnight and I can't sleep. There's drama in the paint department. Did you know once on a wall beautiful grey can look like lavender?!? Freaking lavender. No bueno. Also interfering with my Zzz's is anxiety over this week's major task: attacking weeds and what-not in the yard. That begins tomorrow at 7:00am. And while pondering through thoughts on my pillow I realized I ate out for every meal this weekend. For six meals. Six different restaurants. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I'm half amused and half disgusted.

I should close the laptop, turn my thoughts off and crawl back into bed...

My Bed

My bed, My bed, I love my bed.

It rests my feet, it rests my head.

It brings me sleep from dreadful days.

It clears my brain from misty haze.

It rests my neck, it rests my back.

I love to spend time in my sack.

It rests my eyes, it rests my heart.

It brings each morn a brand new start.

It rests my hands, it rests my toes.

Whatever else it rests, who knows.

So even though it’s seldom said.

My! Oh how I love my bed.

~ R. Riecke Gernon ~

No Pictures

2011-07-10T19:36:00.000-07:00

I was going to divulge more info and pictures of the house tonight, but I can't get any to upload. Boo.

We're still living in the apartment right now. Have a few weeks left on our lease we're taking advantage of. Timing is perfect in our eyes. No rush to pack here and ample time to paint there. So we're slowly getting familiar with the house. Learning some quirks (and perks) before the flood of reality completely sets in. Hopefully that metaphor comes no closer to reality than the small leak in our master bedroom window I discovered during Friday's rainstorm. Thank goodness for our home warranty! Regardless of what else the house has in store for us, I have no doubt we'll love it. Even the 1958 pink bathtub. Maybe.

In the meantime we're savoring the amenities of our apartment. Even called maintenance to unclog our bathtub drain last week... because I could. Didn't even try to do it myself.

Aaaand we have roommates right now. Surprise! Aaron, Angela, Pierce and Harrison have been living with us for a few weeks while they are in a transitional phase themselves. In preparation for their big out of state move, their house has been rented. But they need to stick around for work, so they're bunking with us. It has been a surprisingly easy and fun time! Especially since they've been cooking supper for us.

Hope you had a pleasant weekend in TX, AL, SC, IL, MO, GA, MD, NM, TN, DC and anywhere else you may be reading from :)

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

Can't say our holiday was patriotic or celebratory, but it was exciting in a whole new way. We started a massive sanding, taping, priming and painting project in the house! We also had our first meal there. Pizza & Coca-Cola. Does that make us patriotic? Maybe in a consumer kind of way? And we took advantage of Home Depot's paint rebate offer. Surely that qualifies us as patriotic consumers. Unless the paint was made in China. Or even worse, England.

Back at the apartment up on the roof we watched fireworks across the horizon. We will miss that view terribly, but will gladly, happily and willingly replace it with the one above. A backyard all our own, even if it is full of bugs and wild weeds. Our little plot of America the Beautiful. God bless it.

Mi Casa es... MI CASA!!!

2011-06-30T16:00:00.000-07:00

Front yard on inspection day in late April.

How We First Met the House

2011-06-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

It was a rainy Saturday morning in March. My Mom left our apartment after her spring visit just an hour or so prior. We met our realtor in the parking lot of a convenience store out in the "country." We toured one house, gave it a no, toured a second house, gave it a no, then drove by a third house and our curiosity was sparked. There was no time to schedule a showing that day, but we petitioned for one ASAP and got one scheduled for two days later. As we drove away, after only seeing the outside in the rain, Matt said something to the effect of "I think that may be my favorite house already." I was thrilled.

Two days later when we pulled up in the sunshine Matt looked kind of shocked while stepping out of the car. He had in his mind we were going to tour the house next door. He was looking at the wrong property two days prior! But that concern was quickly forgotten. Once in the door we both had a good feeling. I knew we were in a house that could be for us.

When we left an hour later, another couple arrived to take a THIRD look at the house. They thought it could be for them too! Our flags went up. We found out they were indeed going to present an offer to the sellers two days later, so we jumped in the game. Both our offers were presented at the same time and were extremely similar, but the seller chose ours because, as our realtor put it, "they liked you guys better!" I like to think this is due to a cover letter we presented along with the offer to let the sellers know a little about us :-)

Since then it has been a long but pleasant experience. Tomorrow, ten weeks later, it comes to an end when we get the keys at 10:00am!

We Are Buying A House!

2011-06-23T12:00:00.000-07:00

Before there was an "under contract" sign hanging in a yard...
Before endless papers needed to be signed and faxed...

We were weighing the pros & cons between "townhouse or single family" and "buy now or rent one more year." Here's a little glimpse into our house hunting experience.

We started in March of '10, but quickly learned we needed to save more if we were going to own in this part of the country. So we established a relationship with a realtor referred to us by a family friend and waited another year. In March of '11 we were good to go, so the hunt began. I did a lot of pre-viewing while Matt was at work. Crossed off some. Revisited others. All in all we didn't have to look at dozens and dozens of properties like I imagined we would. It was similar to what one see's on TV and completely different too. (By the way, my submission to be on House Hunters didn't pan out, but they did consider us and that made me just as happy!)

We definitely learned to love what you could afford, and the scenario ended up being much better than I once imagined. Before next week's reveal of the ~~money pit~~ perfect house for us, take a look below at the homes that peaked our interest more than others:

The only two story home on our prospective list was crossed off fast. Had a boxy and manufactured feeling, no storage and no dishwasher. Looks are deceiving on this one, that's all I'll say. The corner lot wasn't inciting either.

Despite resembling an upgraded mobile home, this one would have stayed on the list longer had it a second bathroom. The master walk-in closet with window, landscaped fenced backyard with patio and upgraded kitchen made us consider going back to being a one toilet household... but we snapped back to our senses. Fast.

This split personality was relatively spacious, had a deck and heated workshop/garage in a semi-private backyard. But it was on a busy street, smelled like urine, had only one bathroom, an asphalt backyard and... perhaps the most bizarre sight in all our house hunting... a urinal in the laundry room.

Though this booger had good bones and a good price, we stayed in it for all of five minutes. Too much work to do inside. And bad location, for us at least. Someone else may love that it is directly across the street from a hardware store. And gas station. And pizza place. And a nail salon. And your mom. You get the idea.

Now we're getting closer. This charming rancher had small but capable bedrooms, a flat fenced yard, fireplace, sunroom and a basement to work with. But no "it" factor for Matt. After thinking about it more, I soon felt what he felt. Or didn't feel.

This cutie was a game changer for us. Though it was t-i-n-y inside, it was immaculate. Wouldn't have to lift a finger after moving in. New windows, great flooring, two full baths (both of which were updated; the master having a jacuzzi tub, huge walk in shower & double vanity) fireplace, patio, and overall adorableness oozing out of it's everything. Except it was t-i-n-y. No storage. No third bedroom. No convertible basement. But it was immaculate! This house helped us realize we value square footage over updates.

Little rancher #5 (notice a theme?) was the first house we contemplated putting an offer on. The screened porch had me at hello. As did the hardwoods, two amazing large updated bathrooms and ginormous finished walk-out basement. Matt was enamored with the two story garage/shop wired with electric and heat. But in the end, the miniature bedrooms and hard to define living/dining spaces made the sparkle wear off.

This is the second to last house we viewed and something about it appealed to me very much. Though it needed updates, it had larger rooms, two bathrooms, storage and plenty of living space. The private wooded backyard was beautiful, but the long steep drop into a creek left no room to play or grow grass. Matt had a hard time with the split personality. Luke warm feelings from both of us weren't good enough, so onward we looked...

Younts Go To The City

2011-06-20T18:45:00.000-07:00

My Mom and her sister could not be any more different from each other. While my Mom wants to wear dresses and touch up her pedicure while watching HGTV, my aunt wants to fish in her blue jeans and flip through a Cabela's catalog. I identify more with my Mom's interests. Despite them (& us) being cut from a completely different rug, we love each other so much and always have a fun time together. Last week was a whole new kind of fun. Abandoning their instincts to go natural and experience the great outdoors on their summer vacation, the Yount family came to the city! They got to stand where George Washington stood and and experience so much of our country's history!

It was a hoot having two teenagers around. Andrew (16) and Shelby (13) bunked in the living room and were troopers all week. The gang was here for seven days; five of which we ran around Annapolis and Washington DC until we couldn't run anymore. The other two days were spent relaxing around the apartment up at the pool or watching a movie. Other than starting the dishwasher almost daily instead of weekly, the only "challenge" of having six people under one roof was keeping enough milk in the fridge!

Speaking of food, the eatin' was good. Steve & Jean enjoyed their coffee on the rooftop patio almost every morning and the whole crew enjoyed a couple dinners up there too.

Adventurous Steve ordered a soft shell crab sandwich for lunch!

The kid in all of us slurped up every drop of our milkshakes on the hottest of hot afternoons,

We "adults" celebrated Jean & Steve's 18th wedding anniversary over seafood downtown overlooking the water while the iPod loving teenagers were happy at home with their electronics and leftovers.

Discovered and fell in love with a neighborhood place in DC complete with charming host,

Subway tile, painted brick, mood lighting, tufted seats, (can you see the lady in pink that is wondering why in the world I am taking a photo with her in it?),

And a pastry chef that makes homemade pop tarts!

Andrew managed to dodge family photo ops with comical regularity...

Staring down the barrel of a cannon and protecting his mom from a giant shark jaw was more his style,

Sweet Shelby was always game for photo ops and even enjoyed taking many photos herself,

And much to all our liking, we found nature within the city limits,

Bugs at the Natural History Museum

A hidden waterfall

Oooold trees on the Capitol lawn

Beautiful big hydrangea blooms

Vibrant little fishies at the Natural History Museum

and...

Ducks!

While still having fun at the man made sights,

Washington Monument

Viet Nam Memorial

Enormous escalators out of the Metro

Neat street scenes

Thinking of Grandad at the WWII Memorial

Fantastic view from Arlington Cemetery

Matt and I sure had fun over their family vacation and I believe they had a good time too!

Thanks for staying in our "hotel" this summer Aunt Jean, Uncle Steve, Andrew & Shelby!

MORE Summer Vacation Visitors

2011-06-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

Jason & Erin are good friends from Austin who were trying to fly standby to Ireland, but when that plan began to not look promising, they detoured to see us! To help their minds make the necessary vacation transition, we immediately took them downtown to an Irish restaurant. They reminisced about their first trip to Ireland over fish & chips and Irish Soda Bread. Our waitress even had a genuine Irish accent :o)

As our visit with them continues this week, soon I'll post a re-cap of our adventures last week with the Younts.

Summer Vacation Visitors

2011-06-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

My Mom has a sister, she has a husband, they have two teenage kids and we have visitors!

The Ordinary Things, Like Crooked Lime Green Thread

2011-06-06T21:27:00.000-07:00

Where do I want to go with this post? It's 11:00pm and I was comfy in bed, but the writing bug hit. I was thinking of how this darn blog gets the best of me sometimes. A lot of times. I can't keep up with it. Or it can't keep up with me. I don't know which. I like the idea of making my new blog posts chronologically accurate, but that ever present concept on my to-do list seems to never get crossed off. "Update the blog and make it good" is a self-induced pressure I'd like to live without. And most of the blog ideas on my to-do list revolve around trips and events. Things that are out of the ordinary. And in that, my every day ordinary gets lost.

Growing up I was very diligent about writing ordinary things on my 365 Kittens A Year calendar. Every night I jotted down a couple lines about what I did each day. Everything from when I had ballet class and Cameron had a baseball game to how long we jumped on the trampoline after school and what Mom cooked for supper. Later my tastes changed and records were kept via 365 Days In France, but a calendar was always there hanging beside my bed with a pen attached and writing in it was part of my nighttime routine. I loved knowing all those days were not lost in time. Something from them has been recorded forever, therefore I could remember them better. The art of recording events to evoke memories, no matter how brief or detailed, is a wonderful practice.

After college I completely fell out of that practice and have been kind of disappointed about it since. I think I thought this blog would fill some of that void in a new-fashioned way. And I guess it kind of does. I do have to be careful to not share too much on this very wide world wide web though. Of course it's wise to reserve some thoughts for my paperback "Dear Diary" entries, but in the meantime I'll unleash more unleashable things here one the ole blog. And will include things that don't always need chronological documentation. The small things. The ordinary things. Because those things eventually paint a big extraordinary picture.

With that said...

Last night I mended. Full out sewed by hand with needle and thread. Not a huge feat for some, but definitely a note worthy occurrence for me. Last summer a hole in Matt's shorts pocket became so large his keys would fall straight through. I stashed the defunct shorts in a bag with other "to mend" items. None of the items got mended... until last night when a second hole appeared in the pocket of a second pair of shorts. I was SO temped to take them to someone else to fix. But I used my better judgement and conjured up images of my Mom busting out a needle and thread with ease, so I set up shop next to a lamp on the couch and went to town on those bad boys. Lo and behold, crooked lime green stitching never looked so good inside white pockets :o)

Memorial Day Weekend

2011-05-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

Matt had a busy work week prior to Memorial Day so he decided to take that Friday off as well to make it a four day weekend... lucky for us because his friend called to see if we wanted to go sailing that afternoon! The friend and his wife recently completed a rigorous multi-week training course and now they are itching to get as much sailing fun in as they can this summer. His wife was actually out of town this time, so Matt got to be learn the ropes, literally, while I made sure his two little girls didn't get in the way. Which was super easy because they were super well behaved. And asleep in my lap.

We took one of these little fellows out and had a great time gliding past the Naval Academy and around the Severn River.

Back at home I kept up with our new tradition of homemade pizza for Friday night supper. This one looks more like pac man than appetizing, but do not be decieved. The pesto corner was delicious and Matt loved the chicken topping.

Saturday was another unexpected fun time event... free tickets to the Washington Nationals baseball game. Matt, Hillary, Jeremy, his sister Megan and I took the metro out the the ballpark and sat through the rain to watch them lose. Sounds fun, right? It really was :)

That evening our pal Tanner got into town and we had a delightful visit with him over dinner at Gordon Biersch. And of course Menchie's to top it off.

Sunday consisted of the usual church routine, followed by lunch with friends, then home to lounge on the couch where we watched a pretty fascinating documentary on Woodstock.

Monday, glorious Memorial Day Monday kicked off with breakfast at the diner. Then came the first round of being overwhelmed by paint samples at Home Depot. Arg. Better luck next time. Moving on...

We had dinner here that eveing with Aaron, Angela, Pierce and Harrison. Crab legs, chicken, veggies and fruit. Followed by a casual and colorful game of Skittle chip poker and a movie. Good times!

Andrews Air Show on Pierce's Birthday

2011-05-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Pierce is two years old! On his birthday Aaron took all of us (minus Matt who had to work) out to Andrews Air Force Base for a spectacular air show. Hillary captured some amazing photos of the Thunderbirds in action:

Of Pierce eating cotton candy for the first time and LOVING it:

Of happy Harrison smiling, as usual:

And of the honkin' big airplanes:

Jeremy graced us with his goofiness:

And I suppose Hillary and I graced him right back because nothing says "Texas is special to us because it's where we became friends" like posing with your arms up in the air.

More good pics by Mr. & Mrs. with their awesome camera lens:

With all conditions considered (sun, wind, noise, no naps, Pierce's busted lip) we all had a good time. Old planes parked on the ground and new planes buzzing past each other in the sky made for a great afternoon of no cost entertainment!

Lots of shade under the wings.

The Memphis Belle (Movie Version)

A peek into the inside of the Thunder Pig.

More honkin' big stuff. Propellers this time.

"I love you, Sally. Those two were for you."

His Signature Look?

2011-05-18T09:55:00.000-07:00

As I gear up for warmer weather around here one day (temperature today is still in the 60's) my ironing pile has a theme going on. Polo anyone?

P & G & Easter

2011-04-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

Peg & Greg drove up for their annual spring visit Thursday, April 21st through Sunday, April 24th. We were pretty much consumed with house hunting and home ownership conversation topics the entire time :o) More on that later.

Thursday night our apartment hosted its monthly happy hour, this time sponsored by a local bank, and it was the best yet! Cheese, crackers, wine, beer, crab cakes, mini quiches, etc. They were even giving out wine bottle stoppers as favors. To really top it all off there was a drawing for restaurant gift cards, one of which I won!

The Robinsons hold a special place in their tummys for Carmine's, so we took them to the DC location for a surprise dinner Friday night. Matt told them we were going to a ethnic restaurant called Senimrac (Carmine's backwards, clever guy) and they were so excited when we walked up to the front door!

Saturday I remember going to the mall, walking around and reading in the bookstore, but I can not remember what else? Oh yeah, we drove around looking at neighborhoods. We ate leftovers and snacked at home that night.

Sunday was Easter. I helped in the nursery and the others went to the 11:00 service. Afterward we met Hillary, Jeremy and his sister Megan at Brio for a delicious Italian brunch. We amused ourselves by commenting how dedicated we were in celebrating Easter that we traveled all the way to Italy. The Easter Bunny was there celebrating too. Silly us.

Then on to Menchi's for half price frozen yogurt compliments of my employee discount. The weather finally took a turn toward spring and was glorious! (Notice we were wearing coats at dinner Friday night.)

After that, Matt and I must have started to smell bad or something because everyone left. The Smiths drove back to DC and the Robinsons drove back to SC. Haha. No, everyone had places to be and we are so glad they made time to be with us too. Happy Easter weekend!

Today

2011-04-21T21:14:00.000-07:00

Today was a really good day.
I served Pat Sajak frozen yogurt,
My in-laws arrived,
We all ate free crab cakes and wine for dinner,
I won a $50 restaurant gift card,
And we put an offer on a house.
Now it's midnight and I'm pooped.
But it was a really, really good day.

Mah-lei-lei

2011-04-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

My Mom/Melissa (or Mah-lei-lei as Matt calls her with amusement) drove up for a spring visit April 7-16th. It was her third and longest trip here, both of which we were appreciative of.

Thursday, right when Matt and I arrived home from work and she drove into the parking garage, the dinner bell tolled so we immediately set to making roasted shrimp and orzo salad, another tried and true Barefoot Contessa recipe. Yum. And then we walked to Kohl's to browse. Why? Because it's right across the street.

Friday morning was slow and rainy, but we rallied, made a plan, packed a lunch and got in the car. Destination: any cherry blossom we could find in the DC area. We drove straight to the gold mine of cherry blossoms, the Tidal Basin. Though rain and time had done most of the blooms in, we still got quite a show and now know why people flock to see them. Too bad I forgot my camera. BUT we had a great time driving around in the drizzle gawking and trying not to hit tourists, most of which we couldn't help but notice were Asian. I'm just sayin.

For lunch we parked on a semi-quiet street inbetween the river and a green field, directly across from Arlington House and directly underneath Reagan Airport's landing path. The setting made our leftover shrimp and orzo even more memorable.

But the day was still young and we had no babies or boys to drag us down (no offense to either) so on we drove to Ikea. You know, cause it's fun to dream and be overwhelmed. We both left the Swedish superstore with high hopes for a simple and more organized lifestyle... one day. I also left with this handy rod we're using above the kitchen sink for hand towels and this machine washable, inexpensive, fantastic warm weather duvet filler. And we bought a tray of their signature cinnamon rolls. Which was a good decision, because we needed nourishment while stuck in 5:00 traffic on the way home. And once there, I made truffled fillet of beef sandwiches and roasted asparagus.

On one of her days here I drove Mom into Baltimore (with no GPS assistance!) for her first visit. We stayed in the car most of the time, but did get out at Ft. McHenry and to have a pasta lunch in Little Italy.

Other events include: a visit with Angela on her sunny back deck, shopping in consignment stores at least three times over three days (we became pros and found so many great clothes!), browsing neighborhood antique stores in West Annapolis, the White House garden tour and Blossom Kite Festival, acquainting Mom with neighborhoods in which we assumed we would be buying a house, eating quiche at a local girly restaurant on vintage dinette tables and lastly having a picnic and crepes downtown by the water...

White House Garden Tour

2011-04-10T14:07:00.000-07:00

On Sunday the 10th of April Matt, Mom, Aaron, Angela, Pierce, Harrison and I met up in DC for a tour of the White House gardens. The grounds are open once a year during the Cherry Blossom Festival for ticket holders to get up close and personal with historical buds and blossoms. The day was chilly and gloomy when we started out, but got more and more beautiful the further we walked the guided path. Trees planted a particularly long time ago or by specific presidents were noted by signs along the way and an upbeat band entertained our ears on the porch by the "back door." Now, of course the President's House is not Versailles, but I was told to not expect much. That made me expect nothing. So I was surprised by everything! The grounds were more extensive than I imagined with vast scenic views and little secluded hideaways. It was such a treat to see behind the gates!

Rose Garden & West Wing

Putting Green

The Obama children's play set.

The last remaining blooms on a cherry blossom tree.

The White House kitchen garden.

BEAUTIFUL spring colors!

Afterward we walked to the Washington Monument to watch people fly their kites at the Kite Festival. Then before driving home we introduced all in our company to the tasty and unique cuisine that is Ethiopian food. But I'm afraid if I show you a picture, chances are you'll never let us take you there :o)

Cherry Blossom Kite Festival

2011-04-10T13:01:00.000-07:00

March In Photos

2011-04-07T16:24:00.000-07:00

Love watching the sky transform outside our apartment windows.

Kitchen counter conversations. Tanner & Stefani stayed with us for a week while they house hunted.

Wintry walk at Sandy Point.

Pierce dancing to let out energy, only to immediately regain it.

Walking around DC.

Proof that I was walking around DC too. On a sunny day. With no sunglasses. And that Matt and I are equally photogenic.

Group photo opp at the Lincoln Memorial after listening to Jeremy speak Mandarin with Asian tourists.

Tea time! Hillary and I had a special day together.

Jasmine tea with cream and sugar.

Sandwiches, quiches and scones oh my!

Still love those ever changing cloud views.

Hilleremy

Order pasta in Baltimore's Little Italy, not Coke.

Manna

A lovely evening out at the symphony.

You have to have a laptop to hang with this crew.

The TV was probably turned on too.

Relaxing at the airport before flying to Waco.

Dr. Cleaver was our taxi from Dallas to Waco. Within minutes after arriving, we were here at Rudy's.

Eating this. Matt could have gone home happy then and there.

BBQ, law enforcement (complete with cowboy hats), sports on TV and a Texas shaped neon sign. Yep, we were back.

(FYI: Rudy's was Matt's favorite restaurant in town. He still refers to how good their meat is weekly.)

Back on campus, Matt's name was still alive via papers posted in and around the Physics department.

Outside his advisor's office.

The reason for our little trip.

Dinner with some of our favorite Waco residents at one of our favorite Waco restaurants!

Your morning will never be the same after you've been introduced to Lolitas breakfast burritos. This fantastic local dive was blocks from our old home.

Hanging with Doug over a cup of tea in his fantastic office.

Bush's sweet tea outside the science building. I had a great time reading in the sunshine while Matt was inside visiting.

Revisiting part of our Friday night laundry tradition. Grab a sandwich, then walk down the sidewalk to...

Ma Suds. The window decor was new. Everything else inside was the same, including the lady folding laundry.

I didn't take any pictures while at Spenco, but had a great visit with old co-workers who kindly sent me home with samples of their newest comfy sandals.

Matt had excellent turn out at his talk on campus & did a great job presenting. I snapped a picture after the room cleared.

Chips, salsa, queso & a margarita at The Elite Grill afterward with Doug and Natalie.

The Elite was the first restaurant I ate in after moving to TX in 2005. It was my birthday and Mom and Matt were with. Good memories :)

Neat architecture and signs.

After shooting hoops in the driveway, a little ping pong game with Doug in his backyard. Natalie and I chatted on the patio before the mosquitoes drove us inside.

Back to Dallas to see Brock and Stefanie. And to eat more Tex-Mex!

Brockefanie!

Good friends, good food, good visit.

Breakfast at the Cloud Cafe.

And to fulfill our last regionally specific food request, we stopped at Freebird's on the way to the airport before flying home.

A neat photo opp back on the East coast with the USSS director.

And before any more time goes by, that was March in a nutshell.

March Sneak Peak

2011-04-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Use The Food We Have Challenge: Day 3 & 4 & more

2011-04-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

DAY 3: Saturday went down a little differently. Our challenge meal was a breakfast of cinnamon toast and scrambled eggs. I'm proud that our "bread" was leftover hamburger buns I threw in the freezer a while back. For supper we were ate leftover burgers, beans and slaw with friends that were kind enough to bring dinner to us!

DAY 4 : Sunday night Matt ate leftover soup. I had scrambled eggs with the remaining mushrooms sauteed in truffle butter and an apple.

After that I lost track of exact timing, but additional meals we scrounged up without grocery shopping were: butternut squash ravioli, tuna salad, pan seared chicken breasts, soft tacos, hard boiled eggs, and curried chicken with rice.

This doesn't include everything we ate (like random snacks, breakfast pantry items and lunch outings) but we did so well eating at home for supper without buying anything except half and half. Woo hoo!

Thanks, Matt for being willing. I had a lot of fun. I believe our tummies stayed full. And so did our wallets :o)

Use The Food We Have Challenge: Day 2

2011-04-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

Last night we had another good "free" meal. Our turkey, potato and veggie soup with crackers was good! Matt enjoyed it so much he requested it be made again sometime. Perhaps that's because he got home after 8:30 and was starving, but I like to think it's because I'm a culinary makeshift genius.

Already Had:
Ground Turkey
Potatoes
Carrots
Celery
Frozen Mixed Veggies
Chicken Broth
Various Spices
Saltine Crackers

Purchased:
Nothing

March Madness Inspired Meal Planning Challenge

2011-04-01T11:24:00.000-07:00

Before I catch up on our latest goings-on and doings during March, I was struck with an idea. March left us with good memories, but it didn't leave us with a well stocked kitchen. (Who wants to plan meals and eat at home when friends are in town visiting?) So instead of grocery shopping this afternoon, I'm going to pursue the ever looming yet not always easily achieved "let's eat what we already have" goal. Here's what we have:

Not much, but with filler items purchased here and there, it should be enough. For a few suppers at least.

In the past, when we try to "eat what we have on hand" our streak lasts only a meal or two before we're ordering off a menu or filling a grocery basket. So this will be a fun challenge for me. Hopefully it won't be completely boring and unappetizing for you. Maybe you'll be encouraged to use up the frozen mysteries in your freezer too.

Sooo... this little pantry purging party kicked off last night with asparagus quiche, sauteed mushrooms and strawberry jell-o. Not too bad, right? Three cheers for equaled success over the next few days!

Already Had:
Frozen Pie Crust
Frozen Asparagus
Mushrooms
Mozzarella Cheese
Eggs
Strawberry Jell-O

Bought:
Half & Half

Tidbits and Things

2011-03-05T12:49:00.000-08:00

I bought laundry detergent today based on packaging color. Orange and blue.
A few weeks ago I submitted an application to be on House Hunters.
People have assumed I'm under the age of 20 at least five times this year.
If I classify salsa to be a vegetable serving, can my Hint of Lime tortilla chips be a fruit serving?
At Matt's 10 year HS reunion last November his classmates voted him as Guy With Hottest Date :o)
Since referring to how seldom I come across people named Jenna I have met at least three in person.
My hair hasn't been trimmed since June last year.
Matt had to work today. Saturday. Boo.
I've been working part time at a frozen yogurt store for a month. Surprise? More on that later.

Thomas Point

2011-03-02T08:28:00.000-08:00

The Saturday before Valentine's Day Matt and I spent the late morning in Thomas Point Park... the southernmost point on the Annapolis peninsula. The lighthouse wasn't close enough to get a good look, but the weather was glorious. Before leaving we sat in the car and listened to another Maximum Marriage sermon. Good stuff.

Splurge & Save

2011-02-24T17:06:00.000-08:00

I'll let you guess which item is associated with which word:

The Mac wasn't as steep for us as it is for the average Joe (thank you Apple employee friend) but it still won the splurge title. My brand new never been worn Nine West snakeskin heels, however, cost less than $4 = save!!!

PS: Matt dreamed of and saved for his purchase over years and years. I was the one who went out on a limb and made an impulse buy :o)

Guest Room

2011-02-17T06:47:00.000-08:00

It's no secret that we like having guests around here. And the schedule for 2011 is very promising! Today our first overnighters arrive. Are you on the list? Hope so. Or are we on your guest list? Hope so. Oooh to be a professional visitor/traveler. Oooh if gasoline prices weren't so high. Oooh if money grew on trees.

PS - This is a close-up of the linen towel that is safety pinned to the wall above the bed. I took it out of the MothersStuff stash and am debating on whether or not to keep and frame it. Since Matt and I have been to London and all. I wouldn't have the same inner debate with a cloth map of San Fransisco. Never been there.

While I'm on it... I love remembering where our things came from. It evokes soooo much gratitude and brings back great great memories. The bedding was pieced together with wedding gift money. The lamps used to be my in-laws. Matt built the bookshelf. The Orangina poster was a gift from my Mom. The alarm clock and bathroom towels were wedding shower gifts. I bought the "R" on sale at Hobby Lobby in Keller, TX. And the bottom row of books is a set of John Calvin commentaries Matt bought at a used bookstore next to our laundromat in Waco.

Love the things in our guest room and love the people we get to share them with!

Winter Scene

2011-02-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

Geese in the snow a couple weeks ago.

Kennedy Center

2011-02-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

Matt is currently on a rotation/stint/tour/phase/etc. that requires him to be out the door by 5:30 most mornings. Considering his night owl nature, he has done fantastic with it. Three things have been very helpful: (1) self-discipline (2) Rozerem and (3) the Jack Diamond Morning Radio Show. At 5:30 every morning Mr. Diamond opens his phone lines for the "5:30 Club" where callers win prizes by merely being the right caller. No trivia. An easy task that early in the morning.

For months Matt tried and tried to be the 5:30 Club winner. No luck. A couple weeks ago his alarm went off at the usual 5:00 hour, but I caught him resetting it for much later hour (which is allowable, but not every day that week...) so I sleepily encouraged him to go ahead and pursue the day. He did. And an hour later at 6:00 I woke to his phone call saying he won the 5:30 Club prize! Yahoo! What a great reward for getting out of bed that day!

Four tickets to hear the National Symphony Pops Orchestra perform at the Kennedy Center were ours! We laughed, but remained excited, when we found out the music selection was Disney tunes. We were hoping for Mozart, but knew Mary Poppins would be fun too. We took friends Jordan and Meredith with and had fun experiencing a new experience for free! Except parking. They got us there.

We heard great tunes from films including Aladdin, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book. The last song performed was It's A Small World and as the concert hall sang along it felt like a Lawrence Welk moment. Which is a good thing in my book.

We arrived back in Annapolis with empty stomachs at 10:00. Everything but Cadillac Ranch was closed for the night and that place is what it sounds like. An all-American bar and grill complete with mechanical bull. A couple burgers and chicken fingers later, we ended the evening so grateful our friends could find a babysitter on short notice and that Matt didn't go back to bed that rewarding morning.

Chicken Soup Recipe

2011-02-01T16:46:00.000-08:00

I found a staple recipe for chicken noodle soup that is so good. So good I need to share. It came out of this cookbook and is so yummy and easy I made it twice within one week.

1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 med yellow onion chopped
1 Tbs minced garlic
1 chicken bouillon cube
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 C dry white wine
6 C low-sodium chicken broth
2 C shredded rotisserie chicken
2 med carrots, peeled, chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
2 oz egg noodles
1 Tbs roasted garlic
1/4 C chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Add the thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes. Add the stock, the bouillon cube, the chicken, carrots and celery. Simmer until the vegetables are tender, 25-30 minutes. Add the egg noodles and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the 1 Tbs roasted garlic and the parsley. Just before serving, season with pepper to taste and add more roasted garlic if necessary.

It was worth learning to roast a head of garlic in the oven and buying fresh parsley. They say, and it's true, this soup is best made at least 1 day in advance. The flavors marinate and, ode to the white wine and garlic, it's just so good!

Dinner Date

2011-01-28T18:37:00.000-08:00

While my old boyfriend/current husband worked late Friday, I had a dinner date with Pierce. We read books, cooked pretend food on the floor and played with toy cars before sitting down to eat. Though he chose to forgo use of a plate, he was a pro with the fork. And who needs a bib or booster seat when you have kitchen towels and Webster's Unabridged Dictionary?

Baby Harrison woke from his nap to join us for a few minutes. Really he just wanted his diaper changed. I'm sure he's smiling thinking of his Mom & Dad and how much they were enjoying their dinner date.

My BF

2011-01-27T20:42:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time not so very long ago

(though it keeps drifting farther and farther away)

I was a girl with a boyfriend.

And we strolled through a field of wildflowers,

Took pictures of them,

And smooched.

Trendy Names

2011-01-25T19:30:00.000-08:00

I was thinking about names today. How trendy ones come and go with a generation (Prince & Apple), others predate their popularity peak (Cameron & Jenna) and how Biblical classics stick around for ages (Matthew & Sarah). Not a new thought, but fun to think about.

My friends have named their children things like: Maddox, Mac, Harrison, Molly, Pierce, Jackson, Ethan, Audrey, Francis, Emma, Seth, Kayden, Kylie and Kennedy.

My friends names include: Valerie, Natalie, Stephanie, Hillary, Haley, Ashley, Whitney, Jennifer, Julie, Krystal, Shannon, Allison and Michelle.

Our mothers names include: Janet, Florence, Melissa, Marcia, Carol, Connie, Peggy, Nancy, Rosemary, Sandra, Barbara, Donna and Kathy.

Our grandmothers names have the most in common: Grandma, Granny, Nana & Meme.

I love my name. First, middle and last. Love love love it. I've always read "Jenna" means "little bird." Tonight I learned it also has Arabic roots with the word "heaven." I also learned the name was made popular by the TV show Dallas... and in 1983 the character was played by Priscilla Presley. Wonder if Mom was a fan.

I love my brother's name too. Cameron Reid.

I remember the very first time I encountered another Jenna. My Granddad was indulging us at Burger King and we snuck in a few minutes on the playground. I was probably 10 or 11 and heard a random Mom call out my name, to which a much younger little girl responded. I remember standing there kinda baffled as I processed the idea of someone else having my name.

I also remember once after being called "Jenna Claire" in public (lovingly... our middle names were never a sign of oncoming discipline) a stranger who overheard Mom call me responded with, "well that's a pretty southern name." We were at Wiregrass Commons Mall outside of Kirkland's. Funny what random memories can stick with a brain.

What does your name mean? Any stories to go with?

Spice Life

2011-01-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

I noticed an odd-man-out while sorting through my spice cabinet. See him down there?

It's Mr. Curry in his outdated attire.

Now I didn't have anything in there relevant to this advertisement,

But it was definitely years past its prime. And realizing I have stocked a kitchen long enough to own spices in discontinued packaging was a minor domestic revelation.

More Fun Saturday Things We've Recently Done In An Effort To Not Sit On Our Booties All Day Long

2011-01-16T19:28:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Eve Matt suggested we make eating sushi on the last evening of the year a tradition. Awesome! For the first annual event we had a leisurely 9:00 meal downtown... and I'm just now realizing he didn't order sushi, but chicken fried rice! Oh well. After dinner we walked through the touristy souvenir shops, listened to a band outdoors and stood in a long line for something hot at Starbucks. After a few fake midnight countdowns in the crowd, we and the rest of Annapolis welcomed 2011 with a pretty impressive fireworks show. (There was also an early bird display at 8:00 that we watched from inside our apartment. Very cool!)

On Saturday the 8th, Matt played in the Apple store at the mall while I went to a baby shower. There was also some grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning thrown into the mix.

This Saturday, the 15th, we did some major couch potato time. The only thing that got us up was Matt having told his coworker we would listen to his band play in Baltimore that evening. However, upon arrival at the tavern we learned the band had already left! Turns out he Ravens were playing a big game and everyone wanted to watch football instead of listen to music. We laughed, left and walked around the corner to eat mussels cooked in Old Bay & Guinness before driving back home... where we resumed potato status on the couch.

War Eagle

2011-01-10T22:06:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh... so proud to sport this car decal.

A long, fun and perfect football season is now behind us.

War Eagle.

December Saturday

2011-01-04T14:10:00.000-08:00

While Matt and I are relatively decent at playing tourist already, we're on a renewed mission to get out, see and do. The couch needs more of a break from our derrieres and the batteries in our remote deserve to last longer than six months.

Recently our dental hygienist informed us of a special time constrained BOGO ticket offer the Newseum had going on. The Saturday before Christmas we bundled up, got on the Metro and bought our BOGO tickets with hardly a minute to spare. Which was great, because I don't know if it was really worth the regular $20 a pop fee... in comparison to all the free things around town. But it was good and we're glad we went. Tons of great photographs, a million snippets from history and a lot of painting the media in good light (no surprise there.)

Afterward we strolled across the street to watch ice skaters in the Sculpture Garden go round and round, fall and get up and go round and round again. After being at the museum I felt compelled to document every comment I heard and expression I saw. But I didn't have a camera crew. So we went inside the National Gallery of Art where we made fun of boys in dresses and stood in awe of paintings created in years with only three numbers.

Then we walked through dusk into the evening past displays of greenery and white lights. While warming up in a Barnes and Noble we talked ourselves out of going home for supper and instead, completely embraced the day by eating Ethiopian food. The End. Until next Saturday...

Ten For '10

2010-12-31T15:37:00.000-08:00

Ten Simple Firsts During 2010
by Jenna

used a steam vac
drove a Mercedes
went to a baby shower
held a new newborn
finished a beer
drove in snow
ate Ethiopian food
de-meated a rotisserie chicken
learned new settings on my camera
baked a pie

Top Ten Things During 2010 (That Weren't Really Mentioned On The Blog)
by Matt

10. Overcoming fear of driving into/through DC.
9. Spending a weekend in Baltimore, in the Inner Harbor and Fells Point.
8. Finding the best crab dip on earth.
7. Learning to not be annoyed by babies.
6. Taking multiple foreign and domestic trips for work.
5. The freakish (record breaking) amount of winter snow, the freakish (record breaking) summer heat, and the freakish (record breaking) chilly fall.
4. Going to my 10 year high school reunion.
3. Playing tennis on a regular basis for the first time in 10 years (through a work league).
2. Finishing a full year of not being in school and then finishing a full year of a real job.
1. Auburn going undefeated and contending for a national championship.

Happy New Year's Eve everyone!

Here's to our memories from 2010 and our expectations for 2011!

Christmas in SC

2010-12-29T13:02:00.000-08:00

We drove down into great weather,

Visited on the porch,

Wore non-pajama-like clothing on Christmas Eve,

Exchanged gifts Christmas morning,

And braved the snow.

More uniquely, we played a part in Matt's Grandpa's Christmas wish: to see his kids and grandkids, all of whom live somewhere in-between Georgia and Maryland. Our job was to get him from North Carolina to Virginia, which was a treat for us too since we were not only able to visit with him, but additional family members as well. So glad all Santa's elves could help him get what he wanted for Christmas!

It was a nice holiday with family, food, games and naps. Thank you to all Santa's elves for our gifts. Thank you to all the chefs for our meals. Thank you creator of Trivial Pursuit Baby Boomer Edition for making me feel challenged in ways Farkle never will. Thank you inventor of cruise control. Thank you Old Navy for having already inexpensive clothing on sale. Thank you elastic waistband for being in my pajama pants. Thank you God for Jesus. Merry Christmas!

A Year With Pierce

2010-12-20T16:39:00.000-08:00

My daytime buddy and I had a lot of fun during our fourteen months together. We were frequently entertained by good ole PhotoBooth. Below is my first shot at a Picasa collage and some of our oodles and caboodles of pictures:

Good December Friday Morning To You!

2010-12-17T05:15:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's snow underneath this morning's sunrise.

Mount Vernon

2010-12-15T09:02:00.000-08:00

Two weekends ago we made the relatively short urban drive to Mount Vernon, the beloved Potomac oasis of George Washington. The weather was cold, but lovely. December highlights of the grounds include viewing the third floor of the house, seeing this year's pardoned Thanksgiving turkey, and the traditional Christmas camel. Huh? Yep.

This was Matt's first trip, but I went about 15 years ago (sheesh!) with my family. It was exciting to verify images that had floated around in my head for all those years with the real thing again. I was proud of me for correctly remembering a lot. And thankful my (our) parents were able to expose us to great places like this as kids. I wonder how much Cameron remembers.

The property is gorgeous and other than being hustled quickly from room to room, it was a great peek into the past. Perhaps the only truly negative thing is that our house hunting hopes and dreams have now soared to a place where they will most definitely be completely deflated by reality. (Not really, but you know...)

I'd be happy with the kitchen alone as our entire home.

Oh the peaceful solitude! No wonder George liked it so much.

Beaches, forests, pastures and hills. This property has it all.

Preserved evidence of a once self-sufficient estate.

Eye catching red roofed barn and other buildings.

I wonder if any of their grand-kids dared to sled down this mother of a hill.


Somewhere in a shoebox, there is a 15 year old picture very similar to this one. But it has a brother in it, not a husband.

A Jump-Start

2010-12-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

It was 20 degrees this morning. Thank goodness for the sunshine. Helped counteract the 10 degree wind chill. Yesterday seagulls were in the blue sky and sand was blowing around on the ground. Oh wait. Nope. That was snow. Who knew seagulls and snow could go hand in hand?

Matt bought a humidifier last weekend. It is a good thing to have during the winter, though I'm amused, as it appears to make him happier than receiving a handful of books off his Amazon wish list. I'm sure he's just pulling my leg. He does make me laugh. In a check-out line recently he casually declined a bag from the cashier in order to "save the plastic trees."

Unless you count the greeting cards taped to our pantry door, we don't have any Christmas decorations inside our apartment. We do, however, have yards of orange and blue crepe paper swagged around the ceilings. Did you know Auburn was undefeated this football season? Did you know Auburn won the SEC championship? Did you know Auburn's quarterback won the Heisman? Did you know Auburn will play in the national championship game this January? Brag, brag, gloat, gloat, etc, etc. War Eagle.

My blogging brain cells have had a jump-start and are now revived. Here we go...

Twenty-Nine!

2010-11-24T18:08:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Matt!

Halloween Pictures

2010-11-19T12:16:00.000-08:00

Trick-Or-Treat Wagon

This baby duck liked being hand fed M&M's

Frumpy Farm Lady & Baby Duck

Adorable Pregnant Lady & Baby Duck

Halloweekend

2010-11-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY: After getting home late from work, Matt realized he lost his keys. Thankfully he took the bus in so his car was here, he had his phone, and I had a spare key. No big deal. Just annoying. After lots of effort trying to track them down we gave up and ate a sushi dinner down the street at 8:30pm. Revelled over the fact that we had the freedom to eat dinner out so late.

SATURDAY: Slept in, made french toast, went to an estate sale, watched the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear. Ate a delicious Ethiopian dinner in DC with AU friends Travis and Billie, watched the AU game at their apartment in VA. Took a late metro ride home and saw LOTS of costumed crazies celebrating Halloween. Made it to bed by 2:00am.

SUNDAY: Baked a pumpkin spice cake, went to church, worked in the nursery. Sped back home to cook chicken tortilla soup. Celebrated fall by eating the soup, cake and leaf shaped spritz cookies here with 8 friends. Cleaned and rested. Celebrated Halloween with a baby duck and his momma. Saw lots of cute trick-or-treaters, ate chicken nuggets and candy for supper, picked up Tanner from the airport, visited, made it to bed by 11:30.

MONDAY: Matt found his keys.

What You Get For The Money

2010-11-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

One day we'll house hunt in the flesh, not just poke around on the internet. But it's a good thing we're poking. It will help cushion the prick of reality. The following homes are listed for the same price with almost the same results.

SOUTH CAROLINA

ALABAMA


TEXAS

MARYLAND

Can't say we're very thrilled about this last result.

Apples

2010-10-26T13:06:00.000-07:00

Granny Smith apples.

Apples under attack.

Apple blossoms.

Apple signs.

Apples that looked like red potatoes.

Apples in a bag. (Now in our fridge.)

Apple growing sunshine.

Apples in the trees.

Apples on the ground.

And pumpkins too.

Blog Recommendations?

2010-10-22T18:23:00.000-07:00

Do you guys have any recommendations for good blogs to read? I read a few that are thrifty, foodie, creative, entertaining type blogs, but I'd love to be referred to more. And I don't personally know a lot of people or families who keep blogs. Any recommendations?

The Scenic Route

2010-10-19T18:17:00.000-07:00

While exploring in the car last weekend we found ourselves near DC on one of the loveliest stretches of road I've ever driven on. The two lane pavement wound through wooded areas lined with stone walls. There were fall colored leaves sprinkled everywhere on the still green grass. The sun was so shiny, the sky a perfect blue. I felt like I was living out a movie scene as we drove along listening to Mozart. We stopped at a scenic overlook to savor a few more minutes before the road led us somewhere else...

Crab Dip

2010-10-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

We found it. The Boatyard in Eastport has the best crab dip around. Possibly the best ever! (Yes, you-know-who, we're challenging the famous crab dip from you-know-where...)

Peek-A-Boo

2010-10-12T18:16:00.001-07:00

Blog #2

2010-10-05T19:20:00.000-07:00

Introducing...

MothersStuff.Blogspot.com

A place dedicated to vintage things, garage sales, table cloths, thrift stores, aprons, hankies, pretties and that kind of stuff. With time it will become more refined. So please bear with me as I build upon the empty foundation and put meat on its bare bones. Let me know if you have any feedback, requests or ideas. I'm hoping it will be a lot of fun!

And a honking big heartfelt thank you, by the way, for reading this little blog about what we do. Knowing I have readers helps me keep writing. And I really do enjoy writing.

Fear The Turtle

2010-10-05T14:52:00.000-07:00

We're in ACC territory now. Which is nothing like the good 'ole SEC. But it's still fun college football. Before last Saturday night neither of us had been to a game since we were students at Auburn, so when a friend offered us tickets we gladly accepted. We sat in a sea of red and black at the Maryland vs. Duke game and had fun in the new atmosphere. We did stick out like sore thumbs in our orange and blue though. (Our 5-0 record is too good to hide!) When the marching band played the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle theme song we loved it and laughed, but somehow it didn't have the competitive edge Eye Of The Tiger does. We'll be back one day Auburn... in the meantime, Go Terps!

Rainy Day

2010-09-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Summer Again?

2010-09-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Well folks, I spoke too soon. Today was a 96 degree scorcher. I suppose weather is fickle no matter where you are. But we all knew that already.

Beauty trumped heat, so our little Wednesday play date group held to our plans of walking through the Naval Academy grounds to City Dock downtown. Our stroller parade parked in the shade for sandwiches before the return trip to our cars. It's fun hanging out with these gals and being Pierce's daytime buddy!

(Three of the four ladies here are pregnant. Kiddos kiddos everywhere.)

Fall Already?

2010-09-21T14:16:00.000-07:00

When did Fall get here? Not just football season Fall, but mother nature Fall. Yesterday while walking outside with Pierce I was shocked to notice that trees have begun to lose leaves and change color. What in the world? It's only September? Then I remembered. We live "up north" now and summer doesn't last until Halloween here.

Today on our 71 degree afternoon walk we heard crows in the sky and stopped to look at a pumpkin display. Fall is definitely here.

Every year. Every season. I feel an element of surprise when the weather begins to fade into something new. Year after year the awe is still there. What a refreshing and wonderful gift seasons are.

Carolina BBQ

2010-09-17T20:16:00.001-07:00

Did you know there was such a thing? I did not. Even after marrying into the Carolinian clan, I was oblivious to their ways with pork. Only in the past couple months have I been exposed to this vinegar based BBQ concept... in Maryland... by people from Ohio. Even Utz up in Pennsylvania knows what's going on. (If you like salt and vinegar chips, try their Carolina BBQ flavor. Yummm!)

Earlier today a crock pot recipe for "Carolina BBQ Pork" caught my attention so I gave it a try. It made enough to feed a small army, so we shared it with friends for dinner tonight and all agreed that it was worth making again.

Hopefully I can taste the real thing on a trip down south sometime :o)

Time to Post About Something...

2010-09-16T18:05:00.000-07:00

I lost my good glasses at church. My back-up pair has a giant scratch on the right lens.

I baked blueberry as well as chocolate chip muffins this week. Turns out Baking Pam isn't a waste of money at all. Smells good too. I think it works better than paper liners. My stuff always stick to the liners.

Two Sunday's ago we stopped at Goodwill to see if there was anything there I couldn't live with out. There was. I bought a desk.

Last Sunday we took advantage of Blockbuster's unfortunate bankruptcy. Matt bought ten new release DVD's at a store closing for a fraction of the value.

I got to watch a friend's kids for a couple hours this afternoon. Sooo cute!

Tonight Matt and I had the opportunity to take a two hour cruise on the Chesapeake. It was drizzly, but soo great to be in the fresh air and chat with people from our church.

I made my first purchase from Amazon last week... and they mailed me the wrong item. Despite Matt's gook luck with it, I'm disenchanted.

We watch Scrubs re-runs every night.

Kix are goooood.

Aprons

2010-09-09T14:23:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my torso models, these trendy vintage aprons and more are headed to MothersStuff!

Last Weekend

2010-09-08T12:54:00.000-07:00

Our three-day Labor Day weekend was low key and relaxing. I originally had my heart set on an out-of-apartment adventure (camping?) but I know the fall is young and there will be other chances. We'll make other chances. This time around we went on a simple vacation to our guest room. Definitely worth the trip.

We also sifted through our two storage spots: the guest room closet and under guest bed. Last year about this time anything without an obvious home was shoved into one of those two places. So we emptied everything into the living room, sorted, divided, trashed, then filled the closet back up in a much less chaotic fashion. But it's still pretty darn full.

There was also a lot of tennis watching via the US Open.

And we had a nice leisurely three hour lunch/visit with friends after church Sunday afternoon.

And we had a glass of wine while reading by the pool Monday before it closed for the season.

And we grilled!

And ate gelato!

There was also a downtown outing. We tried an Irish restaurant for lunch, browsed an antique store and stopped in a fantastic bookstore.

It turned out to be a really good weekend.

Problem Solving, Toddler Style

2010-09-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

My daytime buddy is good entertainment!

Tablecloths

2010-08-31T09:21:00.000-07:00

Blue grape leaves, pink dogwood blossoms, green roses, Conestoga wagons, whimsical teapots, strawberries, red checked, yellow checked, or a brand new tablecloth from Czechoslovakia...

All and more will eventually make their official debut here. Which design is your favorite? Mine is the blue floral one pictured last.

Here's to bare tables waiting to be dressed in fun vintage style!

Baltimore

2010-08-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

We had a refreshing overnight adventure in Baltimore this past weekend. My birthday was a couple weeks ago, which gave us reason for a little indulgence and adventure. So off we went... It was nice to arrive somewhere new and different without having to drive far (less than 30 miles!)

We checked into our splendidly luxurious Inner Harbor hotel Friday evening (by far the nicest I've stayed in... flat screen bathroom TV, fantastic feather topped king bed, HUGE window overlooking downtown, gourmet coffee & tea, rooftop tennis court... what a birthday surprise!) Then walked to catch a water taxi to Fell's Point where we ate supper at Bertha's Mussels. Matt's entree was yummy (crab stuffed shrimp over rice) but mine was strangely sweet and unexpected in a wrinkle-your-nose kind of way (scallops and shrimp in cream sauce.) Luckily we both thought our appetizer was good. Beer, mussels and buttered bread. Yum. (What? Yum? Do my taste buds really like those things? Wow.)

While walking in Fell's Point we stopped for gelato, heard street performers, and saw Jupiter. An older man had his telescope set up perfectly so that Jupiter could be seen in all it's four-mooned glory. This kind gent was an electrical engineer who in his spare time reads physics magazines and helps tourists glimpse into space on clear nights. I hope other weekenders appreciate and love him as much as we did. On our return water taxi ride we imagined the best life we could for him, marveled at talented street musicians (in particular, those who perform good renditions of Somewhere Over the Rainbow) and sat close in the 70 degree late summer sea air.

Saturday was glorious. Warm, but not humid. We continued our Inner Harbor experience with lunch at J.Paul's, took a peek inside the Power Plant Barnes & Noble, saw that jellyfish really did invade the Aquarium, and toured the USS Constellation. I loved the bookstore because an old building was being re-purposed. Matt loved being surrounded by books. We both enjoyed a glimpse into a world that is part of ours, but not ours at all, via the aquarium exhibits. On the Constellation I easily spent two hours exploring all four decks and imaging life on a ship during the Civil War, while Matt happily spent most of the time napping in the breeze on the top deck.

Our last highlight was driving into Little Italy for a delicious pasta dinner and slice of chocolate cake at Amiccis. A dang good way to shrug off 26 and embrace 27.

Etsy

2010-08-17T13:37:00.000-07:00

Many moons ago a mother and daughter got hooked on auctions and estate sales in central Missouri. Their personal treasure collections grew very big very fast. So they decided to sell some of it at the daughter's home in Alabama. Customers quickly saw the appeal of their beautiful linens, etched glass and shiny silver, so the mother and daughter happily went into full-time business. Twenty years later the daughter's daughter has grown up, now views that old stuff as wonderful stuff and is helping sell some of Mothers Stuff via the wonderful website Etsy. Spread the word to all your treasure hunting friends!

A fun seafood print hand towel; the first Etsy sale for MothersStuff!

Barefoot Contessa

2010-08-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

I like food. And when I find the motivation to plan for it, I like to prepare it. So when I received my library card a few weeks ago (after finally getting my MD drivers license) I immediately took advantage of the cookbook selection. I've had a lot of fun with and good feedback from these yummy (& relatively easy) Barefoot Contessa recipes:

Last weekend I thought it would be a good idea to watch the 1954 movie, where the name originated. I won't call watching it a complete waste of time, but... Humphrey & Ava, your movie wasn't a fraction as entertaining to me as the cookbooks.

Going Global

2010-08-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

After buying a second globe at Goodwill yesterday I am officially growing a collection that will hopefully one day look like these:

Only spending a few dollars at a time, I'm going global.

Home / Hotel

2010-08-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

I miss our first home and neighborhood. I like our current place for certain qualities, but I really miss the place we sometimes still refer to as home. The atmosphere there satisfied my "quaint and cozy" desires. We were home when we parked next to the grassy yard, passed through the rod-iron gate, stepped onto the back stoop and walked through the kitchen door. I miss that.

Our second home is good too. But we both had to adjust big time. Parking in a five story concrete garage and walking down the long hotel-like hallway doesn't have the same cozy effect when coming home. Living in a shopping center is convenient & exciting. But the pro of being surrounded by convenient things makes way for the con of being surrounded by commercial things. This complex is so different than any I would have imagined myself living in. I am grateful for the many wonderful things about it, but am eager to one day find another neighborhood to call home. Home is where your heart is and sadly my heart ain't here. So when we decided to sign a second year's lease it was hard to say goodbye to the idea of renting elsewhere. Now I will have to learn from our first year here how to better enjoy the second. Because one day I'm sure I'll miss this place too.

Here's to the pursuit of turning an address into a home.

5:35 - 6:05 AM

2010-07-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Matt got up early for work this morning. So I got up too. Sometimes it's exciting to be awake while the world is still dark outside (most of the time it's not.) Today it was. So I drank chocolate Instant Breakfast and watched the sky transform outside our guest room window. And as sure as the sun rises, that amazing burning ball peeked over the horizon and brought Friday morning with it.

Eastern Shore

2010-07-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to friends of friends we recently had the opportunity to take an overnight poke around the Eastern Shore and Ocean City. First stop, the boardwalk. It was like a year-round carnival with rides, sites, and disgustingly delicious eats. Our group snacked on Dolle's saltwater taffy, Thrasher's fries and deep fried Oreos. Nearby was Assateague Island, known for their wild ponies... three of which we saw in the park right by the side of the road. The weather was rainy & overcast most of the time, but it was still an excellent weekend get-away and fun to experience Maryland's popular beach area.

Treasures

2010-07-23T11:21:00.001-07:00

Some recent garage sale hunting, Goodwill sifting, buck banging bargains I'm proud to be the owner of:

Though it is one lone saucer with no teacup, the colors and pattern called out to me at Goodwill last week. Possibly a soap dish? Trinket holder? Time will tell.

Walking through a smoky VFW hall was worth it when I bought this vintage juicer for just $2.

This framed print came from the county flea market. I like that (1) it's old, (2) it's of a real building that still stands in London today, and (3) that I talked the seller down to half price.

I'm so excited to have a batter bowl! All trends aside, Jadeite truly is beautiful.

Maps, flat or round, intrigue me. Especially $4 ones.

The shape and color of the cups reeled me in, but when I noticed there were freaking chickens on the plates my heart sank. I don't like chicken decor. Too country for me. But when I slowed down to focus on the great gold and blue colors, the durable melamine construction (perfect for rooftop dining), and the dirt cheap price of $4... the suddenly charming chickens found a new home.

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th of July

2010-07-07T12:25:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful week/weekend! On the 1st we had our small group over for pizza, cupcakes and Bible study on the roof. On Friday the 2nd we had another lovely meal upstairs. This time an impromptu hamburger feast with a few friends who don't mind last minute plans. We had two kinds of patties (au poivre and blue cheese and bacon) grilled pineapple, squash and onions, salad, juicy watermelon, blueberry scones with lemon curd and ice cold Coca Cola. When the sun went down we walked across the street to a new restaurant for drinks, live music and to watch fellow patrons attempt to ride a mechanical bull.

Saturday was the epitome of a lazy slow paced summer day. Seriously slow paced. I'm not afraid to say we happily slept until 11:00. Later in the evening we met up with more friends for a Bowie Baysox Baseball game and ballpark food (the most unique treat was a Chesapeake Pretzel: stuffed with cheddar cheese and sprinkled with Old Bay seasoning). The evening weather was spectacular, the Baysox won while dressed in their patriotic uniforms, and we got a good fireworks show afterward.

On Sunday the 4th we went to church, ate lunch at home, watched TV, then headed over to celebrate Independence Day like never before - on the Capital lawn in Washington DC! We had been planning this outing for a year and everyone we ran the idea by was very encouraging of it. The crowds weren't half as bad as we assumed and overall it was a very enjoyable experience. On our way to all the hustle and bustle, we took a quick walk through the US Botanic Garden before they closed. This (& the fireworks show of course) kept in line with us doing something new every trip into the city. Later on we hadn't seen any food vendors (well, there was the Hare Krishna free food tent...) so we opted for supper at the Natural History Museum cafe --- a safety net we've relied on a few times already. Once through security back on the Capital lawn we found a nice plot from which to view the fireworks just as the concert started. From there we couldn't see the stage, but did hear Gladys Knight, Darius Rucker, some American Idol guy, and Reba McEntire. Then the show we were really there to see began! Half the lawn crowd quickly realized they only had a view of the stage, not the fireworks so there was a lot of standing up and shuffling about (which annoyed me, and others I'm sure, who carefully secured their pyrotechnic watching plots hours ago.) Inevitable with large crowds I suppose. Aside from that it was a marvelous show and fun new patriotic experience.

A Good Summer Vacation

2010-06-16T10:57:00.000-07:00

We didn't know what to expect on our first cruise other than a small cabin and lots of mediocre food. Now we have very high and excited expectations for a second one. The trip was a perfect ten. Accommodations and service better than a good hotel, food quality and variety amazing for all-you-can-eat caliber, and entertainment endless. Our vacation pennies were spent wisely.

Back during snow season we started tossing the idea around of going on a warm weather cruise with our friends, Aaron and Angela. That idea began to sound better and better so we made it happen! The cruise was a 4th anniversary celebration for us and a pre-baby #2 escape for them. After the boat ride we also cashed in on an overdue Christmas gift to each other, a trip to NYC.

Off we went on a five night adventure... up the New Jersey Turnpike, past the NYC skyline, across the Atlantic, to Bermuda...

Wow factor views don't always require variety in the scenery
The ship wasn't short on entertainment. We watched a parade from our cabin window on the first night
And discovered different nooks and rooms every day

Took our own free-of-charge-formal picture
It overwhelms me now to think of all the entertainment provided on the ship. Big shows every night, trivia, dance lessons, ping pong, putt-putt, stretch class in the morning, midnight dance and buffet, love and marriage game show, etc.........
And the little cabin wasn't a problem at all. It was plenty spacious even when shared with our towel animals

While in Bermuda, which is very clean and relatively low-key, we walked around St. George and the Naval Dockyard. Saw some very old churches, watched Matt climbed a tree, ate lunch in a very Americanized restaurant, enjoyed views of the beautiful water, snorkeled in Tobacco Bay, attempted to get into Fort St. Catherine , watched a glass blowing demonstration, sampled rum cakes (delish), and tasted a Dark & Stormy (nasty) at the Frog and Onion.

Once back in New Jersey and off the boat we drove directly to Carlo's Bakery, home of The Cake Boss! Everything in there looked and smelled scrumptious. Our cupcakes, biscotti and cannoli were delicious, but I sure wish we could have sampled it all.

And what did we do next? Headed to another restaurant of course! (It's tough weening yourself off the buffet lines...) The weekend Matt and I met, over seven years ago, I quickly learned from him that Carmine's has "the best food in the wooooorld." He's talked about it at least once a month since. It was my immense pleasure to finally sit down with him over a gigantic platter of spaghetti and dig into his idea of culinary perfection :o)
After lunch we walked around Times Square and were approached by what turned out to be a CBS Page asking if we wanted to be in the Late Show audience that afternoon - heck yeah! It was a first time experience for all of us and was loads of fun. Our third row seats gave us excellent views of David, Paul, the orchestra and... AND... AND... HARRY CONNICK JR! I don't think we can be seen, but this is the episode. After that fun we meandered around the city a bit more before heading to our hotel room to eat a big greasy delicious New York City cheese pizza.

The next morning we made it over to the 30 Rock plaza to hear Rascal Flatts perform for the Today Show's summer concert series. We had an excellent view (directly beside the stage on the right, underneath the Dean & Deluca sign), but didn't make the national TV camera cut this time either.
That afternoon we strolled around the streets with and without direction. Stumbled upon some neat places and purposefully found others. After walking through the charm of Soho and chaos of Chinatown, we stopped to have lunch in Little Italy at an outdoor cafe.

We continued walking through the afternoon and oohed and aahed over a city lifestyle we'll probably never live. Before we knew it, the clock tolled "time for early dinner" before our drive back home. Thanks to Google and smart phones, we found a really neat place called The Primeburger... where the food is fried, oldies are always goodies, and everyone has their own 40+ year old chair with attached food tray. Goodbye New York. We are intrigued by you so much. We'd hate to live within your hectic parameters, but we look forward to visiting you over and over again...
Our summer vacation was good.

Where Did We Go?

2010-06-15T07:36:00.000-07:00

ON A CRUISE!!

TO BERMUDA!!

THEN TO NYC!!
(More to come...)

During the last two weeks of May...

2010-06-04T18:06:00.000-07:00

Someone celebrated their First Birthday and loved every bite of it:
We had our last Lost night. It was a brilliant TV show in so many ways. We're still getting over the fact that it's over, but The End was good. And once again, it proved to be a great tool in making and strengthening friendships in a new area:
Pierce went with me downtown to participate in the USNA's commissioning week by watching this, but it was over in less than three minutes, so we had a photo shoot on the State House lawn instead:
The next day the Blue Angels performed for commissioning week and I was able to get an excellent view of them from the rooftop. (It's hard to tell, but they are on the horizon in between the little girl and man in sunglasses)
Pierce was a good sport, but it was hot and sunny up there so we took refuge and played inside for a bit:

Then later that same day Bruce and Betty (Matt's "other parents") came to town! They knew someone graduating from the Naval Academy and drove up to celebrate and visit. I was able to watch the 2010 commissioning march with them. What a great time we had walking (and eating!) around Annapolis and DC:

After they left Matt and I celebrated Memorial Day by kayaking then having margaritas and crab legs by the beach. I love this picture :o)

Tonight for dinner, it was my delicious pleasure to help clean out our fridge by eating blueberries, brie & mozzarella, crackers & salami, edamame and a tomato/basil/spinach/pasta salad before we head out on a super exciting adventure tomorrow! I'll let you know what it was when we get back :o)

A Visit From P&G

2010-05-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

While Matt's parents were in town visiting last weekend we spent a beautiful day walking and riding the Metro around DC. Ate at Old Ebbitt's, saw the White House, monuments and the Pentagon 9-11 Memorial.

They got to experience how fun baby Pierce is:We ate seafood outside by the water at Cantler's:
Saw blue crabs being sized and separated:
Walked (and laid) around downtown Annapolis after touring the State House and eating ice cream:And snuggled (by force?) with a kitten at the animal shelter: