8-7-11

The dishwasher stopped working last week while Dan was gone. I thought I'd fixed it, but it broke again. Today Dan got to work trying to find the problem. We discovered water in the pan and I read about a floating switch. We still don't know how water got in the pan, but suspect something serious is wrong with this 12 year old dishwasher.

Aza went to Ikea yesterday and bought herself a desk. Here she is trying to read the instructions and assemble it. We moved the other twin bed out of her room and up into the attic, and moved the hope chest over to Squirt's studio apartment. What to do with ALL those extra pillows we no longer need???

I've worked all weekend on my syllabi and Blackboard sites getting ready to teach again. I'm finally really looking forward to it, and have some fun changes planned.

8-6-11

Squirt washed all day today and got the addition and the studio all scrubbed and ready to paint. He and I went at the tough patches with bleach late in the day after the power washer was returned. It looks so much better. Dan returns home tonight from a week in Oregon- I will be asleep when he arrives, and it will be really nice to have him back home.

8-5-11

Arum italicum seed pods. Some say it's a really invasive plant- native to England. It grows in some patches of my yard and I don't mind it. beautiful seed pods late summer.

8-4-11

Today I worked on syllabi for my classes and finished one. Big accomplishment! Squirt rented a power washer for the house but it didn't work so he has to take it back tomorrow. And.... I'm trying to whiten my teeth a bit. However, I don't think it will work because I have naturally gray teeth. If it gets the coffee and tea stains off that will be ok. I made a delicious dinner this evening that all enjoyed. Green beans, sweet potato baked fries, stir fried chicken with onion and pepper. All ingredients were from the CSA except the chicken.

8-3-11

Wheat Grass! We juiced about six inches of growth and it was delicious. Today it has nearly grown back... I had a migraine today and spent a bit of time recuperating in bed. Finally got my act together late afternoon.

8-2-11

 

 

 

Yesterday I ordered a juicer and it arrived today. This is for the Squirt, as he is determined to eat more fruits and vegetables through juicing. Tonight he made several blends. First, cantaloupe+cucumber+mint. It was ok. Then he made apple+lemon+ginger+parsley+spinach+celery and it was green and spicy! A bit too much ginger, perhaps.

8-1-11

 

August. I can't believe it's here and the summer is almost over. Today I worked on school stuff, but also crocheted and watched TV with Aza in the evening. I got a whole bunch of home spun wool from Baza's mother who got it from a man who dyes the wool with natural barks and flowers. I balled it up today and crocheted a headband.

7-31-11

 

We need to paint the studio and the back of our house. Which color combination is best? I took a picture of the studio today (center photo) and used the Sherwin Williams website to try out different colors. I need to do the same with the back of the main house too.

7-30-11

 

Dove at the bird bath. We went out to dinner tonight at Masala Indian Restaurant with friends- had a lovely dinner! Afterwards we watched an episode of Mad Men. Excellent show.

7-29-11

 

This is me. I caught a glance of my image in the mirror- no make up- hair just air dried- just me. This was me (click here)when I started this blog... almost 6 years ago. I think I've aged a bit.

7-28-11

 

 

 

 

I love picking up the crop from the CSA each Thursday. Today we got even MORE squash and zucchini and cucumbers and tomatoes. Aza made a delicious salsa with all ingredients from the CSA. Here is the recipe she used: http://southernfood.about.com/od/salsarecipes/r/bl40212k.htm

7-27-11

 

 

 

 

So much has changed in the garden since I was gone. Naked lilies, Brown Eyed Susans, new hostas flowering, and new lilies.

7-26-11

Squirt cut his hair. A lot. He did this himself in Virginia. Hmmm....

7-25-11

 

We got home at 2am and I pretty much slept and crashed all day. Frisbee enjoyed his gift from Nana.

7-24-11

Driving.... arrived home around 2am....

7-23-11

 

 

 

This day was incredible. I have to write about it later after it all sinks in. What a fabulous day.

They crowned me Homecoming Queen because I brought everyone home. It was so touching.

7-22-11

 

 

 

 

Had friends over for coffee this morning. Brainstormed prizes/awards for Saturday night. Wish I'd taken photos!

Tour of school at 2pm... hot... we all stood on the hill where we used to have pep rallies and Dan took the picture.

Meeting at a restaurant/bar for the evening get-together. What fun! Here's Dan with the husband of some of my best friends from high school. We done good!

7-21-11

 

We drove all day and arrived in Auburn in the evening. Mom had this planter on the floor of her office and I knew right away it was for me. A chicken planter!

7-20-11

 

Tomorrow we leave for my 30 year high school reunion! Tonight I organized all the name tags. Aza helped me assemble them and sort them by first name into envelopes. After over five months of hard work, this is finally happening with 100 people- the exact number I'd set my mind on back when I reserved the museum for the main event. This going to be EPIC!

7-19-11

 

Having Aza at home is so wonderful. In the evenings we might watch TV or a movie together. She will be working on her cross stitch and I will be working on my crochet. Lately we've been watching the first season of Mad Men.

7-18-11

 

I bottled a batch of kombucha today. These are two bottles I purchased last week from IKEA. Makes a nice looking product, eh? Today I was awarded my first NSF grant. I am the principal investigator on a collaborative project with Virginia Tech. We will be working with kids in rural Appalachia to bring innovative STEM curriculum to them. I'm so excited to finally have this grant, and the money to continue my research!

7-17-11

 

 

Figs. We have so many figs growing on the fig tree in the back yard that I'm just going to have to do something other than eat them off the tree this year.

Here is a painting that I framed yesterday. It looks good, but I'm not sure it's in a great place.

7-16-11

 

 

 

A special day in my family history, the birth day of my birth father in 1929 and my Nana in 1908. In honor of my Nana, I pickled beets today. She used to love to pickle beets and serve them to me cold and tangy in a pale blue bowl. In one week, they will be ready to savor. Since nobody else in the family likes them, I get them all to myself.

In honor of my birth father, Dan and I went to see a movie, Midnight in Paris, at the Kentucky Theatre downtown. Afterwards, we watched the fountain in front of the court house.

Finally, Dan and I cleaned house today and he put all my stuff on our bed. That way, I had to put it all away before I could sleep. Which I did.

7-15-11

I met my sister Sta for a shopping and lunch excursion. We each had to drive two hours to get to the IKEA store in Cincinnati, but we got to spend 4 hours together. Yummy lunch at a nice Italian place. She moves to Kansas in two weeks and I won't see her again for a long time....

We were both wearing gray shirts and khakis with RayBan sunglasses.

7-14-11

 

I went to the dentist today and asked for a copy of my xrays just for fun. I have a cavity... in this view... and have to get it filled on Tuesday next week. See if you can spot it. I am NOT looking forward to Tuesday.

7-13-11

 

 

The Turk's Cap lilies are blooming, and so are the black eyed susans. Dan and Aza and I watched three more episodes of Mad Men tonight.

7-12-11

My computer is ALIVE!!! It took about a month to get it all back together, with Squirt's help. He installed all my programs again, the operating system, I got my email all set up, photos put back on, music ripped from CDs... what a lot of work. Today I worked on the reunion directory and started printing name tags.

7-11-11

 

I bought these at the Berea Craft Festival yesterday. They are made from gourds. Aren't they cute? I went to my office this morning for a meeting and some stuff, and put them on the shelf. Spent all afternoon on IRB forms. Fun fun.

7-10-11

 

This is 50% cotton, 50% poly yarn that I knitted into a half a scarf to find out if I liked the color and texture for an afghan. I do!

 

The Turk's Cap lily should bloom soon. I thought they were weeds the first year we lived here, and now love them.

 

 

Lovely lilies everywhere. Today Dan and I went to the Berea Craft Festival in the woods of Berea Forest. We met Aza and Baza there, saw his mom and met some of his siblings. Baza's mom has a pottery studio and we bought one of her vases for a gift for someone special. The smell of a wood fire, the sound of fiddles, the sights of handmade things from wood and metal and fibers... a fantastic experience.