As Seen Through The Eyes Of...

2010 Books

2011-01-03T19:10:00.000-05:00

**** Pick it up from the library today!
*** Add it to your reading list.
** Eh, it was ok...
* Forget you ever heard about it.

Fiction

The Wives of Henry Oades by Johanna Moran - "A common bat on the other side of the world elects to sink its rabid fangs, and one's cozy existence is finished." ***

The Vagrants by Yiyum Li - "The day started before sunrise, on March 21, 1979, when Teacher Gu woke up and found his wife sobbing quietly into her blanket." **

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese **** - "After eight months spent in the obscurity of our mother's womb, my brother, Shiva, and I cam into the world in the late afternoon of the twentieth of September in the year of grace 1954."

Daughter of Kura by Debra Austin - "Something obscured the horizon." *

The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher- "'Sue, the garden of number 84 is nothing more than a sort of playground for all the kids of the neighborhood.'" *

Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe - "Late in the afternoon of a chilly day in February, two gentlemen were sitting alone over their wine in a well furnished dining parlor in the down of Pee in Kentucky." **

Little Bee by Chris Cleave - "Most days I wish I was a British pound coin instead of an African girl." ***

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safrean Foer - "What about a teakettle?" ***

Pearl of China by Anchee Min - "Before I was Willow, I was Weed." **

Elysiana by Chris Knopf - "Stretched out she just fit, slightly wedged, between the padded armrests of the Catalina's backseat." *

Await Your Reply by Dan Chaon - "We are on our way to the hospital, Ryan's father says." **

The Willoughbys by Lois Lowry - "Once upon a time there was a family named Willoughby." **

The Jungle by Upton Sinclair - "It was four o'clock when the ceremony was over and the carriages began to arrive." ***

The Believers by Zoe Heller - "At a party in a bedit just off Gower Street, a young woman stood alone at the window, her elbows pinned to her sides in an attempt to hide the dark flowers of perspiration blossoming at the armholes of her dress." **

Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde - "It began with my father not wanting to see the Last Rabbit and ended up with my being eaten by a carnivorous plant." ****

All Souls by Christine Schutt - "Mr. Dell, in his daughter's room, stuck his face into the horn of a stargazer lily, one of a... one of a... must have been a dozen, and he breathed in and said wasn't that something." **

Miles From Nowhere by Nami Mun -**

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by F Scott Fitzgerald **

Sherlock Holmes ***

The Secret Garden **

The Help by Katheryn Stockett - "Mae Mobley was born on a early Sunday morning in August, 1960." ****

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters ***

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Von **

Non Fiction

The Worst Hard Time by Timothy Egan - "Live through this." ***

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson - "Welcome, and congratulations." ***

On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam - "With a baby in your future, everyone seems to state the obvious "Life as you know it will never be the same." ***

Stitches by David Small - "I was six." **

The Big Short by Michael Lewis -- "Eisman entered finance about the time I exited." ***

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman - "At 30,000 feet, somewhere between Buffalo and Dallas, he put his magazine in his seat pocket, turned in my direction, and asked, "What kind of work do you do?" **

Little Princes by Conor Grennan - "It was well after nightfall when I realized we had gone the wrong way." ****

... X-Ray Vision

2010-06-03T18:31:00.007-04:00

Here's what you'd see if you had x-ray vision into my tummy.

Here's what you'd see if you didn't.

One version is decidedly much cuter in my opinion.
One version is becoming fairly difficult to cover in a modest fashion.

One version I stare at all day.
One version I touch all day.

Both versions make me exceedingly happy.
Hey, it's the south. Everyone's kinder to pregnant women. ;-)

... Flat Stanley's Big Adventures

2010-03-29T14:46:00.017-04:00

Megan, my niece, read the book Flat Stanley this year in school. Stanley is a little boy who gets flattened. He's a bit sad about it at first, but then realizes he can be sent through the mail for some exciting times. So what do you know, Stanley got sent to us for a visit!

We had a ball taking him around town to see the sites. Day one: Colonial Williamsburg followed by The College of William and Mary.

Turns out the Stanley is a pretty popular dude. People were stopping me asking if Stanley was available for photos with them.

Day Two: Virginia Beach Oceanfront where we saw the Shamrock Marathon & King Neptune Statue.

Rounding it up: Downtown Norfolk for a visit to the Pagoda and USS Wisconsin.

We had such a great time with his visit and are hoping that next time Megan, Ashlynn, and their parents are flattened so they can visit too!

... Coming Home Dress

2010-03-25T10:56:00.000-04:00

I though baby girl should have something special to wear for her arrival home. Not that she'll care at the time, but still.

I'm so pleased with how this turned out. I've never attempted to sew clothes before so I feel quite a sense of accomplishment.

The very next day I made another dress/top for a friends baby.

I think I'm going to like having a girl. :)

... McDonalds turns Smurf

2010-03-22T12:24:00.007-04:00

At some point in time, the attic in our house was converted into a loft. It's a really neat space with lots of angles, window seats, benches, and exposed brick (the fireplace chimney juts up through the center of the room).

We've had a few roommates live up here, making one half their bedroom, and the other half their living area. It's really rather large as it extends the entire length of the house.

One of the roommates painted it yellow. As in sunshine yellow. Golden arches yellow. It was really bright. We weren't so into it.

Since I'll be moving my office up here to make room for the nursery downstairs, we figured a now was the time to paint it.

5 gallons of paint and 1 month later, we're done. I had no idea how much work it would be. It's a good thing I like it 'cause we're not painting it again. Ever. :)

We'll slowly be making additional repairs and adjustments to the room. Like new carpeting. I envision one day having all the furniture and accessories be black and white. But for now, I'm happy with the fresh coat of paint.

... Our Little Girl

2010-03-08T14:07:00.005-05:00

It's a she!

The tech prematurely announced our little thing was a girl, but then quickly added "but we'll make sure in a few minutes, I could be wrong". What a cruel joke that would have been if she'd changed her prediction. Not that I didn't want a boy, but as soon as she said the word "girl", I was hooked.

So was Jeff. I've heard him talk of wanting a daughter ever since I've known him. I'm not entirely sure he knows what he's getting into though. A very large portion of his family is male so a girl will be a little new to him.

Baby girl moved quite a bit, waiving hi to us, chillin' with one arm tucked back behind her head (just like mommy and daddy do).

Seeing her like this just makes her all the more real to me. Soon enough she'll be in my arms. We can't wait! :)

... The Halfway Point

2010-03-01T18:01:00.005-05:00

While working in my office today (soon to be the nursery), I took a break to shoot some photobooth pics of my growing midsection.

Does it seem like I'm on the large side for 19.5 weeks? Man! :)

... The necessities

2010-02-15T13:37:00.002-05:00

I'm not a materialistic person. I hate clutter. I live in a very small house intentionally. I wouldn't call myself a minimalist, but I strive to be.

That said.

I'm having a baby. And in an effort to not let this little human double the amount of things we own, I'd like to reach out to you.

What is necessary?

What is superfluous?

Bare bones here people. What do I need and what is hype? Help me out.

... A Blanket for Me and Mine

2010-02-12T11:28:00.001-05:00

Once in a while, when a very special baby comes into this world, they will receive a baby blanket knitted by yours truly.

I use the softest yarn and double up so it's quite plush.

Here are a few that I've made:
Killian's
Avery and Tre's

This time, I made one for myself.

I hope (s)he likes it!

... Snow

2010-02-06T16:15:00.007-05:00

Snow, snow, snow, snow!!

{You have to read that the way it's sung on White Christmas. Which, by the way, I happen to go to church with the son of one of The Clooney Sisters. You know... the gals that actually sang that song with Bing and Danny. But that's a story for another time.}

Yes folks, here in Norfolk, VA we actually experienced snow. These shots were taken one week ago from today. The local papers told tale of this being the biggest snow storm in 20 years. To be honest, it's the only REAL snow I've seen here in the 13 years I've lived here.

The funny thing is, today it's snowing again. Part of what weather men across the nation are calling "The Storm of the Century".

What's the world coming to I wonder?

But back to the snow.

Since we have no children, most of our entertainment centered around our dog, Sidney.

She faithfully allowed us to throw snowballs at her. {She tried to either eat them in the air, or fetch them depending on how far we threw.}

She also let us chase her.

But mainly, we just sat inside peering out the windows at this amazing sight.

What a novelty.

Snow.

... Illogical Insanity

2010-01-27T09:32:00.002-05:00

I don't work in the design or web marketing field, however, I truly love this website. It captures the frustration I sometimes feel when working with some of my clients.

Clients from Hell

Even those that don't work directly with their clientele will appreciate this site, I'm sure.

... Mr. Owl

2010-01-19T08:06:00.000-05:00

Shortly after I found out I was expecting, my minds eye started scrolling through all the cute baby & children's crafts I've seen over the years. I was eager to make something, yet frustrated that I didn't know the gender of our child so I could start stitching immediately.

I ended up settling on a little stuffed owl to satisfy my itchy stichy finger. I copied the idea from a picture I saw online, using various textured fabrics making it fun to feel... and drool on too I suppose. I think he turned out kinda cute!

... the not-so-new-anymore glasses

2010-01-16T14:52:00.000-05:00

Remember this debacle? The one that forced me to get new prescription sunglasses. Well, it turns out that you have to get your prescription updated every 12 months. And your eyes don't like it when they have sunglasses in one prescription and glasses in another. So that whole dang dolphin incident.... it made me have to get TWO new pair of glasses. Ouch!

But here they are. A little subdued compared to my last ones.

... the 41 of 2009

2010-01-12T12:24:00.004-05:00

**** Pick it up from the library today!
*** Add it to your reading list.
** Eh, it was ok...
* Forget you ever heard about it.

Fiction

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan - "The stone walls of Loretto Academy are so thick I can sit curled up on a windowsill, arms around the knees tucked beneath my chin." ****

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon -- "I still remember the day my father took me to the Cemetery of Forgotten Books for the first time." ***

Lush Life by Richard Price -- "The Quality of Life Task Force: four sweatshirts in a bogus taxi set up on the corner of Clinton Street alongside the Williamsburg Bridge off-ramp to profile the incoming salmon run; their mantra: Dope, guns, overtime; their motto: Everyone's got something to lose." **

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson -- "Accidents ambush the unsuspecting, often violently, just like love." ****

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout - "For many years Henry Kitteridge was a pharmacist in the next town over, driving every morning on snowy roads, or rainy roads, or summertime roads, when the wild reaspberries shot their new growth in the bramlbes along the last section of town before he turned off to where he wider road led to the pharmacy." **

Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian - "The girl - a young woman, really, eighteen, hair the color of corn silk - has been hearing the murmur of artillery fire for two days now." **

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson - "It happened every year, was almost a ritual." ***

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - "Claire: It's hard being left behind." ***

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein - "Gestures are all that I have; sometimes they must be grand in nature." **

The Given Day by Dennis Lehane - "Due to travel restrictions placed on major league baseball by the war department, the world series of 1918 was played in September and split into two home stands." **

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See - "'Our daughter looks like a South China peasant with those red cheeks,' my father complains, pointedly ignoring the soup before him." ***

Daphne by Justine Picardie - "To begin." *

The Things that Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley - "It was quiet coming home from the funeral." **

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - "Susanne Scott is a wonder." ***

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing by M.T. Anderson *

The Boat by Nam Le ***

Brick Lane by Monica Ali **

Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo ***

The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway ***

The Children of Men by PD James **

Serena by Ron Rash ****

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery ***

Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald ***

The Lazarus Project by Aleksander Hemon **

The Likeness by Tanya French **

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan ***

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult ***

Netherland by Joseph O'Neil *

The Pig Did It by Joseph Caldwell **

The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich **

Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh ***

So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger ***

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski ****

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri **

Non-Fiction

Annie's Ghosts by Steve Luxenburg **

The Hemingses of Monticello by Annette Gordon-Reed ***

The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto ***

Jamie at Home by Jamie Oliver **

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch **

Long Walk to Freedeom by Nelson Mandela ***

Tears of the Desert by Halima Bashir - ****

... The Reason for My Absence

2010-01-10T16:42:00.004-05:00

... Farmers Market, Hawaiian Style

2009-11-22T20:34:00.001-05:00

Morning of day #1 and what do we do? We immediately ferret out a local farmers market. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this! The place was packed out with all types of people, a large variety of inviting fragrances, and colorful & exotic fruits & plants.

Acting like kids in a candy store, we scooped up as many fresh goods as our little arms could hold. Creamy Avocado, Juicy Tomato, Hot Bread, Sweet Papaya...

One of our more adventurous eats was some coconut juice. When you cut open a coconut, there is a watery fluid in there (it's not the milk -- that's made by scraping and pressing the pulp). It was interesting, not coconut-y or sweet, just a fruity flavored water. We went back afterward to have it cracked open and scraped so we could eat the meats. What a versatile nut.

Ahhh.... a well stocked farmers market, the perfect way to start our vacation in paradise!

... The Things that Keep Us Here

2009-11-19T19:46:00.012-05:00

Two in a row!

This one found it's way on my front door stoop just a few days before the storm. Well timed because if it weren't for three days without electricity and an unsettling amount of time camped in a coffee shop like a refugee, it would likely have been weeks before I would have attacked this book. I've thought it through and attacked is the correct verb. For it was done and victoriously shelved in two sittings.

The story read well -- a real don't-want-to-put-it-down type of book. But what was really interesting was the superbly timed subject matter. It was, personally, regionally and nationally, quite relevant.

A quick scan of the back of the book told me that a virus was spreading through the nation and what would a mother do to protect her family. Not something I would normally pick up. Too sensationalist sounding, right? Well, yes, it was a page turner but it was oddly not sensational. Not sensational since much like the book, we are facing a flu pandemic. And much like the book, I was struggling with being cooped up in a home without power. Annnd... well, that's about where the parallels ended. But it was enough to hook me.

Perhaps I'm just in a generous mood - deeming a high percentage of my books as recommendations lately. Or maybe there's a lot to look forward to in 2010 in the publishing world. But Carla Buckley's book is a good story! So start checking the shelves around February and set aside a Sunday afternoon. Just make sure you don't have the sniffles when you're reading it, or you might get a little fearful of the consequences. :)

Added Later: This would make an excellent book club read. Lots to discuss and consider...

... The Day the Falls Stood Still

2009-10-06T11:29:00.014-04:00

In an unmarked envelope, that's how it arrived. I took a few minutes, scanning my mind, trying to remember if I'd recently ordered anything. Then I open it and sniffed the pages. A new book. An advanced copy sent to me by the publisher in hopes that I would read and review it. I always read them, rarely do I review. But I've been quite excited to share this one with you.

Prepare yourself to travel to the early 1900's where on the Canadian side of Niagara you'll meet Bess.... I could now use phrases like "coming of age" or "epic" to describe her journey or the course of the novel, but I won't. They're so overused and to be honest, when a story is described that way, it make me not want to read it. So instead of a sweeping overview of the beautifully written story, I'll share why I liked the novel so much.

Though fiction, enough actual history is woven throughout to really breath life into the story. In addition to old black and white photographs of the town and Niagara river, they've included faux-newspaper clippings of key events. I love the touch these add to the storytelling.

The characters are easy to relate to. In the beginning, I was about to toss the book aside, thinking it was the same ol' story with the same ol' people, but the characters grew and progressed throughout the story. The became real to me in a powerful way.

In the end though, in spite of how good the story is, it's Buchanan's writing that really excited me. I found myself completely in the story. Something about the way she told it had me experiencing a broad range of emotions, along with the characters, quite keenly. It's been a while since I've been carried away with a book like that.

Buchanan's novel has since been released, so if you're looking for a good, as of yet obscure, novel grab it and be carried away yourself.

... Sew Many Projects

2009-09-21T16:50:00.000-04:00

What does a group of modern-day crafty gals do when their handmade project list has grown to monstrous proportions? Why, they schedule a sewing get-a-way of course.

And when the lack of funds and shortage of free weekends threaten to squelch the thread and needle... they shorten it to a day and keep host it at one of their homes.

Or at least that's what Amy, Rebekah and I did.

Work hard we did, accomplish much we did not. I was amazed that given an entire day, working solidly from morning 'till night, I was only able to get 1 project done. One. But hey... I had loads of fun doing it. And at least I was able to get Elka's nursing cover mailed in enough time for her baby shower!

She chose the fabric... isn't it beautiful!

Not to be discouraged, I spent the rest of the week completing Joanna's bridal shower gift. It may look familiar since you've seen the other place mats I've made here, here and here. The good news is, I'm getting really good at making these. :)

I was super excited about this fabric. The dishes she registered for are cobalt blue which I think will contrast with the persimmon quite nicely.

And since Jo lives in Hawaii, the flowers add a nice touch too. Well, at least I think they do. If they don't, just don't tell me, ok?! :)

But wait, there's more!

I still had to create the perfect vacation bag. The bag that I'll wear all day, every day while touring Hawaii.

It had to be cute (No shortage of fab fabric to choose from! I chose these two by Anna Maria Horner.)

It had to be comfortable (it slings around my shoulder and hangs right at the perfect part of my hip.)
It had to be reinforced (since the camera is heavy and I'll be carrying it all day, I made wide shoulder straps and doubled up at the top where it sits on my shoulders.)

It had to be the right size for the vacation essentials.

It had to keep the camera safe (Amy suggested flannel interfacing for extra padding and it worked out perfectly. I also boxed the bottom of the bag so it's exactly the same size as the back of the camera.)

It must have a place for everything (I created the pocket sizes and locations based on exactly what I plan on having in each one. The iphone in the front for ease of reach. The wallet in the middle below the magnetic snap so it'd be handy for me, but not for an unwelcome hand.)

Jeff said this bag wasn't a necessity, but I think it was. It's the perfect vacation bag. I'm now officially ready to go! :)

... Kiptopeke

2009-09-02T11:49:00.001-04:00

Just one 18 miles bridge away, the Eastern Shore's bekon could be ignored no longer. Jeff and I finally packed our camping gear and kayaks and headed up.

The sun decided to set while we were on the bridge. We came upon the pull off with just enough time to snap a self-portrait or two.

Despite my reservations about getting in the water with a tropical storm having just passed, we kayaked out to the concrete ships.

They were built during WWII and then sunk as breakwaters in the bay. Viewed up close, the atrophy and decay offered an alluring type of beauty.

Though the trip was cut short due yet another East Coast rain storm, we weren't disappointed at all. We'd managed to pack in lots of relaxation and fun and plan to head out there again soon.

... Sleeping Angels

2009-08-28T09:02:00.004-04:00

This bundle of preciousness is welcome to slumber on my couch whenever she wants.

... The Uniform Project

2009-08-18T15:25:00.014-04:00

What do all these outfits have in common?

They're obviously an exercise in accessorizing. But look closely.
Did you notice they're all the same dress?

With 7 copies of the exact same black dress, she wears the dress every day of the week altering the outfit only by adding accessories.

And she will do it for 365 days in a row.
If only I were this brave and talented. I'm lucky if I go so far as to add a belt to my jeans....

... Judging a Book by its Cover

2009-08-13T12:37:00.002-04:00

Once, in spite of what they say, I spent a whole summer judging books by their covers.

I walked up and down the aisles of Barnes and Noble and chose to only read books with covers that caught my eye.

And you know what?

I read some really great books that summer.

... Preparing for Hawaii

2009-08-10T15:18:00.010-04:00

Our hotel is booked (finally!). It took quite a while to find one location that had everything we wanted. I don't think we're particularly choosy, however, there are a lot of teal walls and rattan furniture in Hawaiian hotels and we were hoping to find something a little more updated. We did.

Though it was already in our price range, I called the hotel directly to ask what their rates were. My experience is that the hotel will oftentimes quote lower than the websites. They did. Mr. Nice-Guy-At-The-Front-Desk gave us $40 off the cheapest on-line rate. x10 days and that's $400 plus tax in savings. Whoo Hoo!

Next comes working on the tan. I'm not a fan of laying around in the sun, but I don't want us to burn on day #1 and have a miserable time thereafter. So this past Sat we took a few hours and visited north beach. That's when I discovered I hate dolphins.

I was wading in, barely up to my knees and not planning to go any further. But then a pack of 15+ dolphins were swimming by so very close. So I waded out further. I was enjoying them until *whack* a big wave knocked me over and caused my practically new prescription sunglasses to fly off my face, never to be seen again. That's why I hate dolphins. I don't know if I'll ever get over it.

Then today, the books I purchased as beach reads while in Hawaii came in. I'm positively giddy with excitement over them. Is that strange? Is it strange that I smoothed my hands over the covers & sniffed the pages? Do I need help? Don't answer that.

... Housewarming Gift

2009-08-05T09:40:00.001-04:00

Somebody's getting something special in the mail.....

Have you guys been checking out Libby's adventures in the Alaskan Wilderness?

I thought this housewarming gift appropriate.

When I saw the fabric, I knew it was the one.

It's discovery channel meets Anthropologie.

I was considering making a video tutorial -- how to make Libby's Housewarming Gift in 85 simple 5 minute snatches of time. hehe.

But I finally got them done and they turned out so lovely. Much better than my first attempt at this project.

Can't wait to see pics of your new home girl. You have such exquisite taste. I know it's going to rock.

... The Vetta Collection

2009-07-30T10:25:00.008-04:00

Back in 2005, I applied to and was accepted by an international stock photo agency. They sell licenses to use photos for various things such as: magazine articles, book covers, websites, signage, greeting cards, etc, etc, etc. They take a cut of the sale (for brokering it) and I get the rest. I rarely know what my photos are used for though I do run across them occasionally on the internet or once at the library in a book. It's quite exhilarating. Especially when they credit me as the photographer.

I used to track my sales and progress obsessively and submit new work regularly. That was then. Now, I all but forget about my account, excepting of course when the check arrives in the mail each month. :)

So imagine my surprise when I'm blog surfing and find out that the company has created a new collection of their top work. The Vetta Collection. The collection represents less than 1% of their existing files and is touted as the best of the best. They've even raised the price on these 20 fold.

And you know what? One of my files was included. Little ol' me! Ha. I just had to share. Funny thing is, I wouldn't have chosen this as one of my best shots. Guess that goes to show what I know. Or at least else how art and beauty are subjective.

Thanks to the beautiful African sunset and the tradition of sundowners.

... Evangeline

2009-07-20T12:51:00.005-04:00

I'm hoping this little princess and her mommy will forgive me for taking so long to come visit. I'd say it was worth the wait, however, 'cause I had Evangeline all to myself -- when their little dog Millie wasn't pulling out my ponytail that is. ha.

... Our Family Secret

2009-07-14T20:44:00.009-04:00

Well, it's out. Who were we to think we could keep it a secret. Occasionally over the years I'd run into someone who'd hear my former surname and guess the truth. But now with Johnny Depp, Christian Bale and (sigh) Billy Cudrup bringing it out into the open with the movie Public Enemies, I suppose it's time for a confession.

A member of my family, Homer Van Meter to be precise, was the focus of an FBI manhunt. Yep, family lore turns out to be true and Homer was indeed John Dillingers right hand man.

Now I just need to do some research and see if the Belle Star listed in our family bible is the same as the famous female outlaw. Jeesh....

... Birdwatching

2009-06-22T08:52:00.005-04:00

Speaking of birds.... This little guys is new to our yard.

He's everywhere I look. Chirping up a storm.

Unafraid of humans or how close they get to him.

Isnt' he pretty? I love his rust colors. His song is pretty too.

Hello little guy. Welcome to the neighborhood.

... Hammock Time

2009-06-19T16:32:00.005-04:00

Not that this is indicative of my week, but it's what I most look forward too -- a little hammock time.

To sway in the gentle breeze underneath the towering oak tree. Birds chirping nearby. Clouds lazily drifting. Sun warming my face.

Life is good.

... Baby Adam

2009-06-14T15:08:00.005-04:00

Little Adam at only four hours old. What a precious little boy.

Rebekah -- all smiles and in great spirits.

Daddy and his babies.

Father and son.

And beautiful Avery with her baby.

Man these guys make pretty children. Congratulations and all my love!

... Crafty + Camera

2009-06-08T15:12:00.004-04:00

RIP Nikon D70.

Hello Nikon D90!

I can't believe all the things the new Nikon D90 can do. No wonder it's sold out everywhere! This thing rocks!

And since I have a fancy new camera, I figured I must create a fancy new camera strap. Behold my craftiness!

... Monticello

2009-05-28T10:58:00.003-04:00

... a Commune

2009-05-14T09:33:00.002-04:00

Or is it a Bed and Breakfast? Either way, we're up to 5 adults, 1 energetic dog, and 2 turtles in this cozy little cottage. I love it. Mark's been loads of fun to have around. (That's Mark on the left.)

... a Chickadee

2009-05-02T14:09:00.007-04:00

This weekend, as Jeff and I were working in the yard, we kept getting dive-bombed by a little birdie. Best we can tell, this little guy was just learning to fly and his steering skills were still being developed. So were his fear of man skills, 'cause he decided to come into the house and hang with us for a good long bit.

This tiny little chickadee was the prettiest guy ever. So sweet, tiny and unafraid.

Eventually we took him back outside and coaxed him to fly away... but not until we got a little video so we'll always remember the visit from little "dusty".

... A Taste of India

2009-04-27T19:42:00.008-04:00

This weekend I got away for a little taste of India. I didn't have to travel very far but was still able to see the Bollywood Dancing as well as stuff myself with a whole slew of yummy Indian Dishes such as Tikki Chhole, Makhni Chicken & Naan, and of course Mango Lassi.

Jeff was very patient as I basked in the culture, energized by the dancing and flavors. For some reason I have this thing for Asian Indian culture. Maybe it's the fact that their men will dress like this and dance with no shame. And dang could they dance.

... Four

2009-04-22T17:06:00.005-04:00

Welcoming a new addition to the household.

In case you're counting, that's 4 adult's, 1 energetic dog, and a turtle.

... Springy Feelings

2009-04-18T12:46:00.000-04:00

Blooming azalea bushes... Warm sun... The disappearance of rain...

They all just give me a renewed sense of energy.

They make me want to....

Sew up a new spring purse.

What have you been doing to take advantage of this nice weather?

... Josh and Kelley's Wedding

2009-04-15T08:10:00.000-04:00

Avid bicyclers, Josh & Kelley (and their bridal party) cycled to their wedding. I can just imagine what they all must have looked like going through their favorite spots on the 5 mile trek. How utterly cool.

The small wedding (small in this case means 50 people MAX), took place in a children's park in Tucson. The sky was blue, the sun warm, the breeze cool. Perfect.

Congratulations guys! We wish you the best!

... Sidneys Adventure in the Swamp, I Mean Park

2009-04-12T13:10:00.000-04:00

Dear Kacee and Jeremy,

It's been raining a lot around here. Feels like weeks. But today the sun was out and the air was warm so Michelle and I went to the park. She finally took my hint.

No one was in the field. We had it all to ourselves. I wonder why? It was so much fun with all the mud and puddles.

I chased birds, ran after the ball, skidded through the water...

Oh, and by the way, I don't chase bikes anymore. Nope. That seems to make Michelle and Jeff really happy. I know that in order to go to the park I have to follow the rules. I sit on the front porch until they walk across the street and release me to join them. And I know that 'home' means I'm to grab my ball and run along the sidewalk toward the house and wait for them to walk across with me.

It's worth it... all those rules... 'cause going to the park is loads of fun. Even if I have to get a bath after days like these.

Miss you,

Sidney

... Baby Broccoli

2009-04-09T12:49:00.004-04:00

... The Seige of Sarajevo

2009-04-03T16:24:00.008-04:00

"It screamed downward, splitting air and sky without effort. A target expanded in size, brought into focus by time and velocity. There was a moment before impact that was the last instant of things as they were. Then the visible world exploded."

-- First sentence of the book The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

Some books aren't about a plot, yet they still tell a touching story. This is one of them.

... Two Year Old Tre

2009-04-03T10:25:00.001-04:00

What a fun kid Tre is. 22 lbs of pure energy. Very aware of his surroundings, taking it all in. Quite sociable. We had tons of fun with him and miss him terribly.

Monkey Tre:

Who-ville Tre:

Jeff Tre:

Snuggly Tre:

... Spring Training

2009-03-31T16:23:00.000-04:00

I enjoy baseball. Watching it live is oh so much fun. I'm lucky to have a wonderful minor league stadium and team within walking distance to my house (so it's a little long for a walk... but we do it).

I've been to a few mlb games, toured Fenway Park, sat on the green monster.... but I have to say, being able to attend spring training games is the way to go.

Tucsons Electric Park was super nice and uber small!! That means no matter where you sit, you've got an awesome view of the the action. Combine that with winter Arizona weather and it's pretty much a win-win, no matter who wins.

... Our Wedding

2009-03-28T08:07:00.001-04:00

{all photos are copyrighted and property of Thomas Sanderson Photography}

... Abby Rose

2009-03-25T09:06:00.000-04:00

First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage.

Last time I went out west it was to attend this beautiful brown-eyed baby's parents wedding. She wasn't even a glint in their eyes then.

Your Uncle Jeff and I love you little one.

... Sabino Canyon

2009-03-22T09:14:00.001-04:00

Alright.... we did more than just hang at the house in Arizona. We also visited Sabino Canyon; a natural area with inherent dangers. Don't believe me? Here, read the sign yourself.

There'd even been mountain lion activity (read as attacks) recently. Man, Arizona is not for the faint of heart, remember my last post of all the crazy animals?

Anyhow, it was lovely. We all hiked in a few miles and picnic'd.

This is what Tre ate:

This is what I ate:

Isn't it lovely?

{You can click on this last photo to see it larger}

... Hanging in AZ

2009-03-19T09:04:00.005-04:00

The trip to Arizona was great. A well timed vacation. Jeff and I had both been overly busy with our varied commitments and a break was exactly what we needed.

We stayed with Greg and Elka who are always the best hosts. Tre is at the perfect age where he understands everything, but isn't quite speaking the language of the masses (I wonder if kids understand each others babble). He's very playful and play with him we did.

Mostly though, we just hung out.

We invented a game of back-yard-beach-ball-tennis. We challenged one another to Tetris. We lazed on their comfy couches.

Overall, it was a perfect time! Thanks for having us guys!

... an American Airlines flight (or five)

2009-03-16T16:16:00.006-04:00

There's currently a guy living in Hawaii who is one lucky dude. I've never met or spoken with him... but he's managed to win the heart of a very good friend of mine and they're getting married. Yay!

Joanna and Paki were sweet enough to choose my anniversary as the date of their anniversary. Well, maybe it was the photographers availability that chose the date, but it's all the same to me.

Hawaii
Joanna's wedding
My & Jeff's one year anniversary

I don't think it takes much consideration here, right folks?

Hawaii - here we come!!!!

One of the parts that has me so excited is that we get to fly for freeeeeee. Or pretty much free. See, the past three times I've flown overseas I've taken the same airline (AA - it's the best one in my opinion). All those miles added up to a free European flight, or two free non-Continental US flights. Just pay a transfer fee, some minor taxes, and voila!

Sigh... only 8 more months....

{photos snagged off various Hawaii vacation sites.... but I'll have my own to show you soon.}

... a Get-Away

2009-03-03T09:46:00.002-05:00

Skip this! We're heading to Arizona!
{Photo by Jeff}

... a List and a Smile

2009-02-23T11:49:00.001-05:00

I'm easy to please. Really, I am. High on the list of things that make me happy -- list paper. Wait, I just saw the irony in that. List. List Paper. haha.

Really though. I like making lists and I like nice clean sheets of pretty paper to do it on. A good pen is a must too (blue ink, never black).

What small things make you smile?

... the Meat Counter

2009-02-19T10:17:00.001-05:00

A conversation overheard while standing at the meat counter of the local grocery store:

Guy A: "Hey yo, whaz up?"
Guy B: "You da man! Waz up? Waz up?"
Guy A: "Whaz goin' on?"
Guy B: "How you doin'?"
Guy A: "Whaz new yo?"
Guy B: "Word"

Entire conversation.
Verbatim.
Beginning to end.

Yep....
that's what I thought too.

... Watercolors

2009-02-15T12:21:00.003-05:00

It pays to have wonderfully gifted artistic friends. Especially ones that paint you pictures of your first home together as wedding gifts. Thank you Catherine! I {heart} it! :)

... Rachel Ray's Vodka Pasta

2009-02-05T08:24:00.000-05:00

Back before Libby made the trek out west, she, Dave, Jason, and I used to have regular dinner parties. We'd alternate houses and come up with themes. We had lots of fun.

One of these nights, Libby served a fabulous Vodka Pasta crediting Rachel Ray as the creator of this particular fine meal. Apparently, this Vodka Pasta had some sort of magical love potion causing it to earn the name You-Won't-Be-Single-For-Long-Vodka-Pasta.

A whole slew of women had written to Rachel Ray claiming that soon after serving this meal, friends would become boyfriends or boyfriends would become fiances.

We had a laugh at this antidote and enjoyed our meal and evening.

A few months later, I had company in town and needed a yum and simple meal to make. Remembering the Vodka Pasta, I whipped it up & served it to my guest. And wouldn't you know it, that particular guest shortly after turned into my boyfriend, and later down the road, my husband.

Now, I'm not one to believe in the magic of food. But I do find it humorous that after serving this meal, I never was single again.

I just thought I'd mention it.

{Photo Credit Belongs to Ree Drummond}

... A New Addition to the Family

2009-02-01T10:44:00.005-05:00

Yes, it's true. We'll soon have a new addition to our little home!

Adjustments are currently being made around the homestead and of course our lifestyle will be affected as well, but we're both very excited and certain that it'll all be worth it.

I'm sure this change will liven up the place a bit and we're really looking forward to the laughter that's sure to ensue. I mean, she is a wicked funny gal after all! Welcome to your new home Beka!!

What?
What did you think I was talking about?? ;)

... Martin Luther King, Jr.

2009-01-19T08:22:00.012-05:00

"To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."

... Our New Church Family, Officially

2009-01-13T10:21:00.001-05:00

... 52 in 52

2009-01-09T08:34:00.001-05:00

It seems to be my speed -- a book a week. Here are the reviews for 2008:

**** Pick it up from the library today!
*** Add it to your reading list.
** Eh, it was ok...
* Forget you ever heard about it.

Fiction

Finn by Jon Clinch - We all know the story of Huckleberry Finn through Twain's eyes, but Clinch fills in the blanks in this dark and daring story. **

Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis - The first in a sci-fi trilogy, the main character is taken against his will to a new planet as a sacrificial offering. Wasn't all the fascinating to me but I'll give the second book a try since I hear so much good about it. **

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - I needed to brush up on Twain's version of Huck after reading Clinch's. **

The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde - Such a fun book. Very original. Read more about my thoughts here. ***

The Sea and Poison by Shusaku Endo - This Japanese writer explores the morality of the human experimentation that occurred during WWII. **

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz - Unless you've been under a rock, you've been hearing tons about this years Pulitzer Prize Winner. It's a riveting story about a nerdy teenage Dominican, his family, and the jinx (fuku) that haunts them. The storytelling is fast and fresh but I must warn you, the foul language flows freely. ****

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts - Billed as fiction, the story is written in the first person as a memoir. Roberts, one of Australia's top 10 most wanted, has broken out of prison and fled to India. Tough guy + tender heart + deep friendships. I'll confess that I cried for a few days after reading of the death of his close friend. The story teaches you of Bombay's mafia, it's shantytowns, and of true forgiveness. ***

The Savage Detectives by Roberto Blanco - In a nutshell: 1970's Chilean literary movement. I heard so much hub bub about this book but to be honest, I had no idea what was going on the entire time. Maybe it's me. *

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks - The story of a religious book that travels through 500 years & the people who protected it. Boy, that sure doesn't make it sound all that interesting, though it is. I think Ms. Brooks is becoming one of my favorite modern authors. ***

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - Boyhood friendship. Life in Afghanistan with the Taliban. Love and forgiveness. ***

Independence Day by Richard Ford - Drollllllll.... I don't know how this won the Pulitzer Prize but it was torture to read. *

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens - Miss Havisham, Pip, Joe... You know the deal. **

Away by Amy Bloom - It was touted as a sweeping, epic story so I read it. Maybe it was sweeping but I wasn't so into it. *

The Known World by Edward P. Jones - Were you aware that freed black men owned slaves? What a curious and interesting fact to build a story around. **

Falling Man by Don DeLillo - A post-9/11 story of a man who escaped death that fateful day. *

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson - Her daughters best friend and neighbor is found floating in her pool, dead. What happened? **

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini - Afghanistan and Taliban again, but this time the main character is the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy man who is forced into marriage. Powerful friendship. Brutal. Moving. ****

The Senators Wife by Sue Miller - An emotionally conflicting story of a young couple moves into a duplex shared with an elegant woman -- the wife of a prestigious former senator. **

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott - The life affirming story of the beloved March family. ****

The Road by Cormac McCarthy - Father and son surviving in a post-apocalyptic world. Heavy but insightful. The son is one of the more precious characters I've encountered in a while. ***

Katherine by Anya Seton - Medieval history meets fiction. I'm so used to hearing about Anne Boleyn that it was refreshing to hear of another woman in court. ***

Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson - Scandinavian novel written from the point-of-view of an elderly man remembering his boyhood . **

Evening by Susan Minot - Ann Lord is dying of old age and in her haze she's remembering her youth & the love she found. **

The Heretics Daughter by Kathleen Kent - Sarah & her family live a simple existence -- until, that is, they get swept up in the 1600's witch trials. ***

Q&A by Vikas Swarup - A poor boy in India wins the largest monetary prize ever given away... and they think he cheated. Cleverly written and an easy read. ***

Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne - Fun, classic story of a man who makes a bet that he can travel around the world in 80 days. But did he? The first person to tell me how many days it took him to travel around the globe, will get to pick a book of their choice off this post. **

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Savedra -- The adventures of Sancho and Quixote. Funny, funny stuff here. **

Non-Fiction

Not for Sale: The Return of the Global Slave Trade and How We Can Fight It by David Bastone - An eyeopening book about sex trafficking & the global justice system. Did you know that there are more slaves in the world today than ever before? And, yes, that includes in the United States. There's even one chapter about an everyday man in Williamsburg, VA who discovered and saved a local captive woman. ***

Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammad Yunus - Read my thoughts here. ***

Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against Poverty by Muhammad Yunus - More thoughts from the Nobel Peace Prize Winner... read my thoughts here. ***

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manafesto by Michael Pollan - He hit it out of the park. Again. I wrote more here, but I think everyone who eats should read it. :) ****

Blood Diamonds: Tracing the Path of the Worlds Most Deadly Stone by Greg Campbell - Yes, this is non-fiction. No, it's nothing like the movie. I suggest you read it for yourself and finally hear what all the talk is about. ***

Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses by Ricki Carroll - Well, it's out. I make cheese at home. It's so fun. **

Let It Rot!: The Gardeners Guide to Composting by Stu Campbell - It's, uh, a gardeners guide to composting. What else is there to say? **

Mudhouse Sabbath by Lauren F. Winner - A review of some Jewish rituals that Winner feels Christians could benefit from participating in. ***

Completely Pro-Life by Ron Sider - Pro-life does not just mean anti-abortion. It also means anti-war & anti-poverty, etc. Very interesting (if not outdated) read by a wonderful Christian man. **

The Vegetable Gardeners Bible by Edward C. Smith - I'm so excited to put this information into practice. **

Secret Ingredients: The New Yorker Book of Food and Drink - All the short stories or articles mentioning food that have appeared in The New Yorker over the past few decades. **

Living by Fiction by Annie Dillard - Ummm... yeah, I really can't tell you what this book is about 'cause even after reading it I'm not entirely sure. *

Biography / Memoirs

Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon - Not the theatrical viewpoint, nor the screen, but the historical study of Anna Leonowens. Fascinating. ***

Gluten-Free Girl: How I Found Food that Loves Me Back... And How You Can Too by Shauna Ahern - A pretty self explanatory title, but I've written more here. ***

The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World by Alan Greenspan - I read this just before the economy started to downturn with more force. It sure did provide food for thought. **

Animal Vegetable Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver - Kingsolver and family vow to live off the land and eat locally for one full year. The book is the family journal of that year and all members of the family participate in writing it. Refreshing. Inspiring. Realistic. Hopeful. Interesting. ****

The Story of My Life by Helen Keller - Inspirational story of a young woman rendered blind and deaf at 19 months. **

Born on a Blue Day: The Gift of an Extraordinary Mind by Daniel Tammett - Daniel is autistic and shares his giftings and life story with his readers in a way that is intimate and educational. **

Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins - A tell-all about how US Aid policy is used as a weapon against foreign countries. Wow. ***

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream by Barak Obama - A first person look at the issues and hopes of our President Elect. ***

Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir - Read my thoughts here. ***

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson - Everything you wanted to know about the famous 20th-century thinker. **

The Woman Who Can't Forget: The Extraordinary Story of Living with the Most Remarkable Memory Known to Science by Jill Price - This woman has full and total (and often unprovoked) recall of everything that's every happened in her life. She's the first, if not only, person to have been known to have such a memory. She shares how it works, and how it effects her life. ***

Infidel by Ayann Hirsi Ali - Born a desert nomad, circumcised as a child, educated by radicals, & forced into marriage. Though she escapes, seeking asylum in Holland, her story does not end or get any easier. Infidel chronicles this amazing woman's journey. She deserves to be heard. ***

The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography by Sidney Poitier - Great storytelling from an interesting man. **

... N.E.S.T.

2009-01-05T13:56:00.005-05:00

Norfolk Emergency Shelter Team (NEST) is a collection of local churches that each take a week throughout the winter months to feed and house the homeless within their church.

Our church took Christmas week for the 18th year in a row and debuting as the coordinator of the whole shebang was moi.

What an adventure it was. Jeff declared it was good for me to, at least once in my life, feel I was in over my head. I was stretched to be certain but the rewards far outweighed it all.

We were able to shelter a total of 266 men and women through the week. (That's 800 meals!)

Praises:
*The whole thing didn't crumble down around me.
*We only had to turn away a handful of people.
*We didn't run out of food.
*Spirits were high.
*I made many friends (church friends and street friends).
*No mental health issues.
*Police didn't need to be called out.

Dare I say I'm already looking forward to next year?! :) I dare.

One of my favorite parts is that since the shelter has moved onto the next church, I've run into three of my new street friends on the, well, the street. How fun it is to know them by name and hug an ol' friend.

... Molasses Goodness

2008-12-30T08:03:00.000-05:00

For Jennifer, Amy, and anyone else who's ever enjoyed the Molasses Chew cookies at Trader Joes....

I kindly give you The Pioneer Womans Spicy Molasses Cookie. Y-U-M, I tell ya!

... 87 Years

2008-12-26T08:17:00.004-05:00

My Gramma, whom I love dearly, is 87 today. Still full of energy and spunk, she's goin' strong. She jokes that she's still here 'cause they don't want her but I'm certain it's that we couldn't live without her. I love you Grams! Happy Birthday!

... Gwee is Three

2008-12-21T15:25:00.004-05:00

My sassy little friend has got some new sassy little glasses. Does she pull them off or what?!
Just look at her preciousness here. I could stare at her all day.

Note the jaw dropping excitement over a pair of socks (she obviously takes after her Aunt). You should have seen her reaction to the hanger she received. Unbelievable joy. I think we all can learn something from her example.

Happy Birthday Gwyneth. I love you!

... Munchable Michael

2008-12-13T15:01:00.002-05:00

... Fleming and John

2008-12-09T11:36:00.001-05:00

"Sing me a song without any words, and I'll pretend you wrote it just for me. Paint me a picture with images blurred, so I can see what i want to see."

-- Fleming and John

... Sneak Peak

2008-12-05T08:39:00.002-05:00

Still nothing from the official photographer. But I do have a few shots that my sister-in-law Elka took from a pretty good vantage point. (Thanks Elka!)

It was raining, did I tell you that? All week long it was perfectly lovely autumn weather then -- bang -- it got cold and rainy. Since the wedding and reception were both outside, we had to do a bit of creative shuffling that day.

I did still walk through the garden as my aisle -- though donning a spontaneous black umbrella.

I rocked the umbrella. Really, ask anyone.

Two reasons why I like this series of pictures:

1. They remind me of what was going through my mind when I was walking down. Besides thinking things like 'man, I'm cold' and 'don't trip and fall in the mud', I was focused on getting to Jeff. So it was no surprise really that I made a bee-line for him not caring (or remembering) that I was supposed to be ceremoniously standing next to him. We locked eyes, I tossed aside the umbrella,

and walked right up to my husband-to-be.

Then the officiant had to instruct me to move over. hehe

2. I also like them because they show how darn happy I am. I mean, look at that smile plastered on my face. I couldn't have been more pleased.

(You can click on the pics if you want to see them larger.)

... Thanksgiving at the Ricads

2008-12-01T11:16:00.008-05:00

You never quite know what you're going to encounter when you head over there. For example, this is Bekas interpretation of dressing the turkey.

Thanks to Jessica, Reaghan, and the rest of the fam for a great day!

... the 5 / 5 / 5 thing

2008-11-26T08:21:00.006-05:00

Well I've been meaning to show you these photo's anyhow. I just figured it would be more in the shape of a before and after post. I realize you have yet to see the before (patience people, patience), but rules are rules so here's the after - the effects of a lovely night.

Who needs to do a separate trash-the-dress session, eh?

... Pumpkin Donuts

2008-11-20T09:32:00.001-05:00

I walked into the kitchen the other day to see this in the works.

Jeff making donuts...

So I grabbed my camera and recorded the action

Check out the pumpkin flecks. He used real pumpkin, not the canned stuff.

Check out the color on these babies!

Mmmm. Don't you love fall.

... Einstein

2008-11-17T09:43:00.004-05:00

"The value of a college education is not the learning of many facts, but the training of the mind to think."
~Albert Einstein

... the Friday Dinner

2008-11-10T12:11:00.007-05:00

Friends and family from near and far came into town for our wedding.

So we decided to have a big 'ol dinner for them the night before.

We rented out the restaurant at a local fishing pier where Jeff and I like to salt-water fish.

The weather precluded us from having the party on the rooftop deck as originally planned, but it didn't put too much of a damper on the evening (thought it tried, believe me it tried).

Introductions were made. Friends and family members met. Cookies were stolen...

It was so enjoyable to see everyone talking and laughing, warming up for the next days celebration.

{ Thanks to my Uncle Marvin for taking all these pictures for me! }

... A Little Riddle

2008-11-07T09:18:00.009-05:00

Q. What do Bruce Wayne, Mary Magdalene, and Queen Elizabeth have in common? {keep reading and you'll find out}

Many of you waited in lines for hours to cast your vote this week. Yet locally it seems, a great many opted to vote absentee. That's were I come in.

Our typical team of four election officers turned into a team of 27+ this past week, yet it still took us 40+ hours to count the record breaking number of absentee ballots. Yes, one local city officially broke the record for highest number of absentee ballots in any election... over 2x the amount of the next highest city.

You can imagine the scene in there; team upon team counting, approving, opening, checking, casting, counting, counting (lots of counting), each ballot. Official looking people breathing down our necks making sure we're doing everything properly. Everyone did a wonderful job though. The mood, in spite of the situation, was good. Lots of sugar and caffeine were consumed & lots of laughter could be heard.

My team kept themselves entertained, in part, by taking note of the names of some of the votes we processed. I thought I'd share them here for you to marvel at too. Remember, these are legal names here folks:

Bruce Wayne
James Taylor
Michael Jordan
James Bond
Richard Ford
Dorian Gray
Queen Elizabeth
Mary Magdalene

A. They all voted in this years presidential election.

Who knew we had so many famous people living in our little corner of the country?! hehe

... Cycling without Borders

2008-10-31T10:06:00.002-04:00

Meet my friend Markus. I stayed with him and his family for a week or two during my first visit to Germany. They were very kind and I still have the Christmas gift they gave me that year... very pleasant memories.

Anyhow, many, many years have passed and I now find Markus cycling from the Black Forest to the Yellow Sea (see the route here... it's unbelievable!), and blogging about his experience.

Initially I was just amazed by his ability to undertake such an adventure. Taking a year out of his life to bike through 18 different countries, not knowing what he's going to encounter... Wow!

Yet daily, as I read his posts and look at his pictures, I am even more moved by the encounters he has. By the acceptance, the challenges, the kindness.

No need for me to share these stories, folks, 'cause I know when you see it for yourself you'll be instantly hooked -- this is one blog you'll want to follow.

[Photography credits belong to Markus -- he's amazing, isn't he?]

... Faith Priorities for the Election

2008-10-28T15:45:00.000-04:00

I know many of you are tuning into my blog in hopes of catching some wedding pictures and stories. And while I look forward to sharing some highlights of our special day, I feel there's something far more important on the burner right now -- the upcoming election.

Jeff and I spend much of our time discussing politics and truly desire to live our beliefs out through our political views and actions. Because of this, I feel it's all the more appropriate to post this excellent, thought-provoking article by Jim Wallis as a follow up to the wedding week posts. (Kudo's to Catherine for pointing me to this article!)

Please, if you can find a minute, read the article. It's long, yes, but it's worth it. One thing you might notice is that one of Wallis' faith priorities - consistent ethic of life - is a theme I've been touching on quite a bit here lately... very much on my mind and heart.

I'd love to hear what your "faith priorities" are too... how do you decide your vote?

My Personal ‘Faith Priorities’ for this Election
by Jim Wallis 10-23-2008

In 2004, several conservative Catholic Bishops and a few megachurch pastors like Rick Warren issued their list of “non-negotiables,” which were intended to be a voter guide for their followers. All of them were relatively the same list of issues: abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research, etc. None of them even included the word “poverty,” only one example of the missing issues which are found quite clearly in the Bible. All of them were also relatively the same as official Republican Party Web sites of “non-negotiables.” The political connections and commitments of the religious non-negotiable writers were quite clear.

I want to suggest a different approach this year and share my personal list of “faith priorities” that will guide me in making the imperfect choices that always confront us in any election year — and suggest that each of you come up with your own list of “faith” or “moral” priorities for this election year and take them into the polling place with you.

After the last election, I wrote a book titled God’s Politics. I was criticized by some for presuming to speak for God, but that wasn’t the point. I was trying to explore what issues might be closest to the heart of God and how they may be quite different from what many strident religious voices were then saying. I was also saying that “God’s Politics” will often turn our partisan politics upside down, transcend our ideological categories of Left and Right, and challenge the core values and priorities of our political culture. I was also trying to say that there is certainly no easy jump from God’s politics to either the Republicans or Democrats. God is neither. In any election, we face imperfect choices, but our choices should reflect the things we believe God cares about if we are people of faith, and our own moral sensibilities if we are not people of faith. Therefore, people of faith, and all of us, should be “values voters” but vote all our values, not just a few that can be easily manipulated for the benefit of one party or another.

In 2008, the kingdom of God is not on the ballot in any of the 50 states as far as I can see. So we can’t vote for that this year. But there are important choices in this year’s election — very important choices — which will dramatically impact what many in the religious community and outside of it call “the common good,” and the outcome could be very important, perhaps even more so than in many recent electoral contests.

I am in no position to tell anyone what is “non-negotiable,” and neither is any Bishop or megachurch pastor, but let me tell you the “faith priorities” and values I will be voting on this year:

With more than 2,000 verses in the Bible about how we treat the poor and oppressed, I will examine the record, plans, policies, and promises made by the candidates on what they will do to overcome the scandal of extreme global poverty and the shame of such unnecessary domestic poverty in the richest nation in the world. Such a central theme of the Bible simply cannot be ignored at election time, as too many Christians have done for years. And any solution to the economic crisis that simply bails out the rich, and even the middle class, but ignores those at the bottom should simply be unacceptable to people of faith.
From the biblical prophets to Jesus, there is, at least, a biblical presumption against war and the hope of beating our swords into instruments of peace. So I will choose the candidates who will be least likely to lead us into more disastrous wars and find better ways to resolve the inevitable conflicts in the world and make us all safer. I will choose the candidates who seem to best understand that our security depends upon other people’s security (everyone having “their own vine and fig tree, so no one can make them afraid,” as the prophets say) more than upon how high we can build walls or a stockpile of weapons. Christians should never expect a pacifist president, but we can insist on one who views military force only as a very last resort, when all other diplomatic and economic measures have failed, and never as a preferred or habitual response to conflict.
“Choosing life” is a constant biblical theme, so I will choose candidates who have the most consistent ethic of life, addressing all the threats to human life and dignity that we face — not just one. 30,000 children dying globally each day of preventable hunger and disease is a life issue. The genocide in Darfur is a life issue. Health care is a life issue. War is a life issue. The death penalty is a life issue. And on abortion, I will choose candidates who have the best chance to pursue the practical and proven policies which could dramatically reduce the number of abortions in America and therefore save precious unborn lives, rather than those who simply repeat the polarized legal debates and “pro-choice” and “pro-life” mantras from either side.
God’s fragile creation is clearly under assault, and I will choose the candidates who will likely be most faithful in our care of the environment. In particular, I will choose the candidates who will most clearly take on the growing threat of climate change, and who have the strongest commitment to the conversion of our economy and way of life to a cleaner, safer, and more renewable energy future. And that choice could accomplish other key moral priorities like the redemption of a dangerous foreign policy built on Middle East oil dependence, and the great prospects of job creation and economic renewal from a new “green” economy built on more spiritual values of conservation, stewardship, sustainability, respect, responsibility, co-dependence, modesty, and even humility.
Every human being is made in the image of God, so I will choose the candidates who are most likely to protect human rights and human dignity. Sexual and economic slavery is on the rise around the world, and an end to human trafficking must become a top priority. As many religious leaders have now said, torture is completely morally unacceptable, under any circumstances, and I will choose the candidates who are most committed to reversing American policy on the treatment of prisoners. And I will choose the candidates who understand that the immigration system is totally broken and needs comprehensive reform, but must be changed in ways that are compassionate, fair, just, and consistent with the biblical command to “welcome the stranger.”
Healthy families are the foundation of our community and nothing is more important than how we are raising up the next generation. As the father of two young boys, I am deeply concerned about the values our leaders model in the midst of the cultural degeneracy assaulting our children. Which candidates will best exemplify and articulate strong family values, using the White House and other offices as bully pulpits to speak of sexual restraint and integrity, marital fidelity, strong parenting, and putting family values over economic values? And I will choose the candidates who promise to really deal with the enormous economic and cultural pressures that have made parenting such a “countercultural activity” in America today, rather than those who merely scapegoat gay people for the serious problems of heterosexual family breakdown.

That is my list of personal “faith priorities” for the election year of 2008, but they are not “non-negotiables” for anyone else. It’s time for each of us to make up our own list in these next 12 days. Make your list and send this on to your friends and family members, inviting them to do the same thing.

[from God's Politics Blog]

... Boy + Girl Start Their Life Together -- Today!

2008-10-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... Boy + Girl are in Love

2008-10-17T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... Boy + Girl are Playful

2008-10-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... Boy + Girl are Thoughtful

2008-10-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... Boy + Girl are Comfy

2008-10-14T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... Boy + Girl are Happy

2008-10-13T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... Boy + Girl Notice Each Other

2008-10-12T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... Boy Notices Girl

2008-10-11T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... Girl Notices Boy

2008-10-10T08:00:00.000-04:00

Image is copyright protected and the property of Thomas Sanderson Photography.

... An Amazing Science Breakthrough

2008-10-07T14:34:00.000-04:00

Really? The toothpaste works better if you squeeze it from the bottom?!?

... the Official Stuff

2008-10-02T07:55:00.001-04:00

We had another pre-marital counseling session the other night. It was the one where we review the questionnaire (that we each answered separately and secretly) and see where we might have potential issues. Maybe I'm naive (you all can laugh at me here) but I figured he'd be like, 'wow, you guys are remarkable and sure do have a lot of this figured out already'. Ha. Isn't that funny! Who do I think I am?

I will say this though. There was one 15 question series on expectations that we both answered exactly the same. He said in all his years of doing pre-marital, he's never seen that. High-five us! hehe

No, but seriously. It was a good appointment. Nothing huge came up but it was still sobering. It's good to have someone objective to listen to us and give us things to consider. And, he actually did say that he could sense that we were very aware of how we worked together. (yesss..... I knew it!)

Also this week -- a trip to the Circuit Court to get our Marriage License. It's suddenly getting to be so official.

And, yes, for the record -- I AM excited. ;-)

... a Sick Camera

2008-09-29T09:29:00.000-04:00

My camera is sick. It's been acting up here and there for a while now & I've been trying my darndest to ignore it, thinking it'll somehow just fix itself. Yet it hasn't.

What I mean by acting up is -- it suddenly and randomly deletes my entire memory card. Yep. Kind of like a punch in the stomach really. It hurts to think of how many pictures I've lost... and how many of my memory cards I've corrupted.

So I took it to the camera store and sent it away to get fixed. I'm crossing my fingers that it isn't going to cost more to repair than the initial estimate. Sure I'd love an excuse to upgrade to a new camera (the Nikon D90 is softly whispering to me), however, I just can't see that happening any time soon. Even if I have a really good excuse.

That's all, I just wanted to share that with you.

Isn't it boring to read a post with no pictures? Yes, I agree.

... Halima Bashier

2008-09-26T11:11:00.002-04:00

If Halima Bashier meant to tell of her youth in a way that caused me to think her a kindred spirit, it worked.

If she desired to show the normalcy and happiness of her life, she did.

If she intended this in an effort to sharpen the contrast between the joyful life she lived and deep and the horrible loss she experienced, she succeeded.

Halmina grew up in Sudan, Darfur to be precise, and she's the first woman affected by the war there to share her tale. She calls it Tears of the Desert.

Did you know that there is a conflict going on in Darfur?

A friend, knowledgeable of this, saw that I was reading Halima's story and said "oh, how sad", yet the bulk of the story, honestly, was not sad. It was enjoyable, educating, & entertaining. It told of a lifetime of joy and love. I feel lucky to have been able to see that.

What is sad, however, did not take long to tell. What is sad is how all this was taken from Halima, for no real reason. What is sad is that in today's day and age, genocide continues to occur. That it is happening right now, as I type this.

Genocide: –noun The deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.

Amazingly, it can be easy to emotionally detach when we hear stories of war, pilfering, murder, & rape. It seems a world away, so simple to ignore. Yet, Halmia's story reminds us that we are all fellow human beings and what has happened to her, her family, her village, her land -- what is STILL happening -- is an atrocity and does matter, we cannot simply choose to dismiss it.

Would we sit by knowing the Holocaust was going on today? Would we, again, ignore the news reports of the extermination of the Tutsis in Rwanda? What will we do this time... today... now?

Halmia finishes her epilogue "It has now been 6 years since the conflict in Darfur began.... Time after time, the world has been alerted to the slaughter and the rape and the horror... but what has actually been done to stop the slaughter."

To learn more visit:
www.savedarfur.org
www.eyesondarfur.org

Thank you to The Random House Publishing Group who sent me an early release of this book. Copies are now available.

... the Flip Side

2008-09-23T13:26:00.004-04:00

I received a card this weekend. It said "bridesmaid...bridesmaid...bridesmaid" then when you opened the card it said "bride, woo hoo! your turn!". Actually I received two of them. And the second one had a handwritten note saying "I've had my eye on this card for a while." Thanks guys. ;-)

Well, it is true. I've been blessed to be in many friends weddings. And with that, plan many a bridal shower. This past weekend was my turn to be in the "hot seat" -- opening the gifts and having everyone look at me -- as my closest friends threw me a bridal shower.

A highlight was the gift my mother made me.
It's praying hands and she included a very sweet letter giving it even more meaning.

And this is me announcing that my intentional breaking of the ribbon was for my mom. She's never pressured me to give her grand-kids, but I know she wants them.

As I look through the pictures from the shower, one thing occurs to me. I open my mouth pretty wide and quite a bit. You know, in an animated, excited kind of way. Well, you probably do know -- if you've been around me any length of time you've probably seen it. I've just never seen it and I'm learning something new about myself here.

See- like decorative napkins. I never realized I got so excited about them!

Or BBQ Sets? Apparently they amaze me!
Well anyhow, it was a perfectly relaxing afternoon. Until someone pointed out that the wedding was in 3 weeks. Woah. Really? That got the blood pressure going a bit. How can I possibly be getting married in only 3 weeks?

ps- thanks Christen for taking the pics... wait a minute? Did you intentionally take them when my mouth was wide open? You sly dog, you?!

... Fed Ex Delivery

2008-09-20T10:05:00.000-04:00

{Knock, Knock}
{Bark, bark, bark, bark, bark....}

Oh look. It's the Fed Ex gal. What has she brought me today?

Ooohhhh. It's my new imac.

As if I weren't spending enough $ lately (I am planning a wedding after all), the screen on my MacBook Pro got all busted up. You can only see about 1/3rd of it, the rest has all these lines going through it.

I took it to the Genius Bar and they quoted me $1,240 to repair it. Jinkies! I could buy an entire new computer for that. So I did. OK, so the one I got cost a little more than $1,200 but when I calculated the cost of being off work for a week (I work out of my home and have no backup computer), it was definitely worth it.
{Sigh} Not what I was planning to spend money on but here we are none-the-less. She is pretty though, isn't she?

... Crabbing

2008-09-17T09:44:00.000-04:00

Situation: It's a beautiful sunny day. Late afternoon. You and your fiance are putzing around the house with no real aspirations. "What's for dinner" you muse aloud. "Let's have crab cakes", he answers.

A few short hours later: You're dumping the crabs you caught into a pan of boiling water and preparing the rest of the ingredients to make crab cake.

Yes folks, one of the joys of living in Hampton Roads is access to water. Lots of it. Everywhere. And Virginia is not just for lovers, but crabbers. (Agh... um... Does that even make sense?).

Many a Sunday afternoon this past summer you could find Jeff and I riverside at our special spot -- pulling string and netting crab. It's such a relaxing activity and an ideal way to spend a lazy Sunday.

Crab cakes, she crab soup, crab quiche... all things we've tried already but if you have a good recipe for crab something-or-another, please share. Our bellies are listening.

... Azalea Bushes and Whisky Sours

2008-09-14T11:45:00.005-04:00

One of the many things I love about the house I live in is the history it holds. Built in 1928, there have been numerous owners & I often wonder who they were and what type of lives they led. A number of months ago I made a trek to the courthouse to do a deed search on the house. I got back a few decades but found myself stuck, unable to determine who sold the house to Mr. and Mrs. Demma pre-1970's.

I was given a brief highlight of a few former owners when I purchased the home. For example, I heard that the original owner was the sheriff of Norfolk whose wife planted numerous azalea bushes around the home -- hence the name of the street (Azalea Ct.). But I was eager to know more.

Well yesterday, while hosting a yard sale, two gentlemen approached me and asked if I was the owner of the home. "Can we see inside?" they followed up. While I wasn't surprised at the request -- I often have strangers sheepishly knocking on the door asking if I would mind giving them a brief tour. It seems to be a well admired house. -- I did hesitate briefly, thinking of the yard sale-prep havoc inside the home. The older of the two gentlemen explained his request: "We used to live here. In fact, my son (pointing to his companion), was born here." My face lite up "Well of course you can see it, come on in!".

It appears I'd found my seller! This gentlemen, who happened to be driving by on a trip down memory lane, owned the home in the 60's. He and his wife purchased it for $11,500 and had a $79 a month mortgage! (The median price of a house in my neighborhood in 2007 was $780,000. Ha!). They lived there for a number of years, had their son followed by a daughter, and finally moved to a larger home to raise their family.

Jeff and I showed him & his son through the house as he poured forth details on how it was layed out when he was there. We shared laughs at the nearby train and how it makes the house shake. We were amazed to hear that the house was originally pink! We toured the back yard where he remembered building the fence (Jeff and I were JUST trying to figure out which fence belonged to whom!).

Then the neighborhood stories began. This man remembered the names of all his neighbors and what they did. We heard stories of their gallivanting around together and the claim bake parties they threw. How the gentleman next door would just walk up and knock on window -- two whiskey sours in hand as an invite to come over and shoot the crap. We even heard a little story about how the original owner of the home was the sheriff of the city and how his wife had planted all these beautiful azalea bushes. "That's how the street got it's name you know." I did know, and it couldn't have made me more happy to find out it was a true story and not just folk lore.

The visit was brief. We invited him to bring his wife back to visit another day and he was pleased to hear that Jeff and I were getting married and soon to be starting our own family. 50 years had passed but here we were, mirroring his life in many ways. Not the least of which is dearly loving this quaint little house we've each called home.

... Awww

2008-09-10T13:59:00.000-04:00

Little Ian and Auntie Jessica.

... My Ponderings of Late

2008-09-07T14:18:00.000-04:00

If it's unethical to end a child's life by aborting it...

isn't it unethical to end a child's life by denying it health care?

... the Many Faces of Samuel N.

2008-09-04T09:17:00.000-04:00

Hooo Hooo Hooo, Haaa Haaa Haa. This series of pictures just makes me laugh. They aren't technically good pictures (photographically speaking) but they are just so funny I had to post them.

I was watching Samuel as he was watching Cinderella. His face was changing every 3-5 seconds so this series was taken in only a minute or two. Such expression!

Is he cute or what?!

... the November Election

2008-09-01T15:04:00.000-04:00

Now that the election ticket has clear candidates for both presidential and vice-presidential candidates, we can start thinking forward to this November 4th.

You've heard me speak (more than once) about working elections over the past few years. It's something I do with pride, fulfilling my civic duty while having a very real hand in the local election results.

I, along with my team members, essentially count all the absentee ballots in Chesapeake. Our team of 4 can handle a typical election but we all know this November is not going to be a typical election. Therefore, we are currently in the process of recruiting additional team members.

What does it entail? Well let's just start off by saying it'll be a long day. Very long. We're there until each and every absentee vote is opened, counted, and certified. The more of us working, the faster it will go, but it'll still be an all day, late night event.

What do we do? We simply open the envelopes, make sure the voter did what they needed to to make their vote count, and count the votes. Not too hard, but pretty tedious. Lots of checks and balances and procedure going on.

The up side:
We do get paid... not a ton, but it's a nice little check.
We get to participate in democracy.
You get to work with me. ;-)

If you're local, would you consider joining us? If you are out of state, would you consider calling your electoral office and submitting your name as a worker? I hope to see you on November 4th!

... the Pictures of the Rock

2008-08-29T09:08:00.000-04:00

Taking pictures of your hand is awkward so you're just going to have to ignore the cartilage popping out. And I never really noticed all that fine hair on my knuckles before, is that normal? But that's not really what you're looking at, are you? You're thinking 'woah, what a lovely, elegant ring'. ;-) Well, thank you. I think so too.

I'm very please with how it turned out. Especially since I'm horrible at picturing what things will look like if I'm not, well, looking right at them.

We ended up buying the pieces of the ring at different places and having a lapidary put it together for us. I was very nervous up until the day I picked it up. Then, pure relief, I loved it. I mean, I do have to wear this thing forever so I don't really think I was over reacting when I agonized over my decision here.

The metal, in case you're wondering, is platinum. I liked the weighty feel of it and I didn't want to have to worry about re-dipping white gold the rest of my life.

Notice how the star moves around a bit? I think it makes it kind of ethereal.

Now I just have to decide what type of ring to get Jeff. I think we're leaning toward tungsten...

... the Story of the Rock

2008-08-26T09:40:00.014-04:00

So many of you were eager to see pictures of "the rock", but the thing is...

Jeff and I both felt very strongly against purchasing a diamond, or other conflict gem, as a symbol of our lifelong commitment to one another. What I'm referring to is the way that diamonds are mined, bought, and sold in many countries. While not all countries have horror stories linked to their diamonds, the way the industry is set up makes it impossible to determine the actual country of origin... thus, no way of telling if a diamond is a true conflict-free diamond.

For the record, there is one company in Canada that has chosen to remain separate from the rest of the industry and sell their diamonds directly to the public. These gems alone are the only guaranteed true conflict-fee diamonds.

So why not buy a Canadian diamond? Well, we thought about it, but we couldn't bring ourselves to spend the money on a stone so common it frequently washes up on beaches. True fact- diamonds are not rare. They are only considered so because the main diamond mining company (De Beers) holds the majority of the gems in vaults to create a false demand.

De Beers also created the 'Diamond is Forever' add in an attempt to squelch sales of pre-owned diamonds, hoping to give a tainted feel to buying or receiving a one.

In addition, they marketed the idea of even using a diamond in engagement rings by working with Hollywood in the early 1900's -- inserting the rings into movies when people got engaged. Prior to this, diamonds were not commonly used in engagement/wedding rings.

And you know how the benchmark for the price of an engagement ring is 2 months salary (or is it 3?!)... any guesses on where that came from? Yep. De Beers.

While I was impressed with their marketing genius when I studied them in college, I just didn't want to partake in the industry as a whole, which left Jeff and I starting from scratch.

So start from scratch we did... we researched and designed our own ring.

The stone I really wanted, and finally found, is called a Star Sapphire. It's a polished stone that in non-direct light looks cornflower blue. When it hits direct light, however, a white 6-pointed star appears and moves within the stone depending on where the light source is hitting.

I love it.

What to see it? OK, I'll take pictures... check back in a few days. :)

.... Shark Attacks

2008-08-12T09:00:00.000-04:00

I have a friend who won't swim in the ocean for fear of sharks.

It'd be one thing if that just meant she didn't indulge in the local beaches, however, she regularly vacations in beautiful Florida.

So it's not unusual that I thought of her when I saw this fact in the NY Times recently.

"Throughout the world last year, there was a grand total of one fatal shark attack (in the South Pacific), according to the International Shark Attack File at the University of Florida."

There you are Marie, only one fatal shark attack.

Does it make you feel any safer? :)

... Music

2008-08-06T11:27:00.006-04:00

Music can really set the mood, don't you think? I love relaxing background music during dinner... a good song that gets people up and moving at a party.

As much as I appreciate good music, I'm not so into the latest band or sound & can rarely recall a good song when I need one, so I need your help.

Pandora's great, but I know you guys area really going to come through for me. I can just feel it.

Ready for your task?

Songs. I need song suggestions for the wedding. We're going to make our own play list which means we get to pick lots of great songs.

I'm looking for good background music for the cocktail hour & dinner time. Then some rockin' music to dance into the night.

Thoughts?

... a Friends Pain

2008-07-22T07:44:00.005-04:00

I can't keep my thoughts off of it. It's such a horrible story.

A friend of mine buried her husband yesterday.
Her name is Heather, his name is Sean. They're both 23 years old with two small children.

I first met Heather in North Carolina when I interviewed her to work for me. I've never met Sean.

Sean was murdered, shot in the head, by a friend that Heather and Sean have known since High School.

It's all over the news, a media circus, and promises to be for some time as the murderer (he called 911 after he did it and waited outside for them to show up), has hired the former U.S. Attorney to defend him (apparently his grandfather has connections).

Everyone has questions, no one has answers.

But there Heather is, going through this. My heart breaks for her. She is so young, appears meek and quiet to the eye, but even before this tragedy, she has struck me as a very strong and capable girl.

If you think of them, please pray for Heather and the two children she is now raising (Matthew and Kaylie).

... Sidney's Kayaking Adventures

2008-07-15T09:37:00.006-04:00

(This is for you Kacey and Jeremy)

Sidney, our newly adopted dog, hates getting baths so I was a little unsure if our weekend would turn out quite as we planned. We'd packed the car with our camping and fishing gear, hiking attire, and - the big one - our kayaks. A trial run on dry land (trying to get her in the kayak in the driveway) didn't offer any hope. She was beyond skeptical and barely came near them. But off to the Northwest River we went, none-the-less.

Jeff had to place Sidney in my kayak as we shoved off into the water. She was nervous and refused to sit down or stay still. I too became nervous as the boat rocked back and forth and my ability to paddle and control the direction of the boat was nill with her in the way. Not 5 minutes in it happened...

Jeff turned a corner, and Sidney did not like him being out of her view. She hopped out of the cockpit and onto the front of the kayak. "Jeeeeff" my voice nervously rang out. KERSPLASH! She was in the water. I don't know who was more nervous -- me or her. She dog paddled around the boats with noticeable fear in her eyes. But that only lasted for a few seconds, the fear and nerves subsided as we both realized she did know how to swim and she was going to be ok.

She paddled to soggy land and obediently hopped right into Jeff's cockpit, staying seated this time. She'd learned her lesson. A few more minutes in, while still in the water, we were easily able to transfer her back to my kayak where she stayed the rest of the 3 hour trip.

Now here's where the fun begins. She LOVED IT! She was so observant and aware of everything we saw -- fish in the water, birds flying by, trees, wind, sun.... she was clearly having a good time which made me enjoy it all the more. After a few hours, she settled down into the kayak (by my feet) to nap, resting her head on my lap. Anyone who's met Sid knows she's not a dog to sit still for longer than a minute or two so I was happy to get so much snuggle time with her.

Over the weekend we went out a few more times experiencing many more adventures such as fishing, picnicing, hiking, and even just hopping in the warm water for a swim (yes, Sidney did get back in the water and swim around). She loved all of it! :-) The next weekend when Sidney saw that Jeff and I were loading up the kayaks again, she hopped right in the car, eager to come out with us. I'm so happy that we have such a perfect dog that loves to come on outdoor adventures with us!

As Seen Through The Eyes Of...

2010 Books

... X-Ray Vision

... Flat Stanley's Big Adventures

... Coming Home Dress

... McDonalds turns Smurf

... Our Little Girl

... The Halfway Point

... The necessities

... A Blanket for Me and Mine

... Snow

... Illogical Insanity

... Mr. Owl

... the not-so-new-anymore glasses

... the 41 of 2009

... The Reason for My Absence

... Farmers Market, Hawaiian Style

... The Things that Keep Us Here

... The Day the Falls Stood Still

... Sew Many Projects

... Kiptopeke

... Sleeping Angels

... The Uniform Project

... Judging a Book by its Cover

... Preparing for Hawaii

... Housewarming Gift

... The Vetta Collection

... Evangeline

... Our Family Secret

... Birdwatching

... Hammock Time

... Baby Adam

... Crafty + Camera

... Monticello

... a Commune

... a Chickadee

... A Taste of India

... Four

... Springy Feelings

... Josh and Kelley's Wedding

... Sidneys Adventure in the Swamp, I Mean Park

... Baby Broccoli

... The Seige of Sarajevo

... Two Year Old Tre

... Spring Training

... Our Wedding

... Abby Rose

... Sabino Canyon

... Hanging in AZ

... an American Airlines flight (or five)

... a Get-Away

... a List and a Smile

... the Meat Counter

... Watercolors

... Rachel Ray's Vodka Pasta

... A New Addition to the Family

... Martin Luther King, Jr.

... Our New Church Family, Officially

... 52 in 52

... N.E.S.T.

... Molasses Goodness

... 87 Years

... Gwee is Three

... Munchable Michael

... Fleming and John

... Sneak Peak

... Thanksgiving at the Ric*a*ds

... the 5 / 5 / 5 thing

... Pumpkin Donuts

... Einstein

... the Friday Dinner

... A Little Riddle

... Cycling without Borders

... Faith Priorities for the Election

... Boy + Girl Start Their Life Together -- Today!

... Boy + Girl are in Love

... Boy + Girl are Playful

... Boy + Girl are Thoughtful

... Boy + Girl are Comfy

... Boy + Girl are Happy

... Thanksgiving at the Ricads