3-7-12

The full moon was rising tonight and I looked out my office window toward my neighbor's house and this is what I saw- the moon rising out of her chimney. Way cool... I set up the f-stop and shutter speed and positioned my camera against the window for stability and got this amazing shot. That's Mars up and to the left of the moon. It's reddish to see with the naked eye, but turns out white with extended exposure.

Mmmmm... concrete sea birds!!!! Later, I went to Home Depot for some concrete mix to try and make concrete sea birds (aka ducks). Not sure it will work. Ice penguins were much simpler!

3-6-12

Today I made a snowchild. The snow was perfect for molding and I really wanted to just play in it, but I had work to do. However, I did decide to harvest some snow from the top of the boxwood bush and mix it into my kombucha, which made a lovely slushy drink. Then I harvested a Tupperware full of it for future drink concoctions. This afternoon it was lovely, warm, and sunny.

I am doing a really interesting research project and I have appointments through the day interviewing former students. I really like talking with them and finding out what they think about my topic. It's really great to re-connect. I think it's important to maintain these connections and my research is helping me do that.

3-5-12

It really snowed last night. I had no idea I'd wake up to this. Four inches of heavy white stuff all over the trees- it looked magical. White trees everywhere, like white spring blossoms. Below, a photo of the studio behind our house and the bird bath we saw a robin bathing in just a few days ago.

Looking east up our street...

Looking west down our street...

I had meetings all day and managed through them until around 2pm when a fierce migraine struck me. I went to my office and got in my Ikea chair with the lights off and after an hour or so I was well enough to drive home (barely... I don't remember the drive) and crawl in bed for the rest of the evening. Around 9pm I was able to get up and walk around the house. Oh boy, what a day. Oh, I found out today that an article I wrote for a journal about two years ago was selected for a chapter in a book. Pretty nice! I get a free copy of the book!

3-4-12

Sunday. I spent some time this afternoon out pulling weeds and thought it was becoming a nice spring day... and then this evening a cold front moved in and it started to snow. We watched a very strange movie tonight that we rented from Netflix called Departures. Oh my, it was strange, but very moving and it made me cry and really think deeply about the value of life and the sadness of death. It's the second Japanese movie we have watched this week and I think I'm developing a respect for the culture and language.

3-3-12

Saturday after the storms. My sweet husband worked all day on my solar car kits. He put together 28 car kits for me... while I decided to really get serious about developing and distributing more engineering design-based science curricular ideas in preparation for the new state and national standards.

3-2-12

March.
In like a lion.

Today we had tornado warnings all afternoon. Hail, winds, horizontal rain- and I stocked the basement with water, food, towels, medicines, first aid supplies, and a rain coat. Random things to help alleviate the anxiety of the impending storms.

The storms, they passed. The blue sky came out and the clouds blew away as the attic creaked from the wind.

2-29-12

Daffodills bloomed on Leap Day in 2012. First bloom... after a night of heavy rain, tornado watches, and a very frightened Frisbee whom Aza took into her room for his comfort.

Bowing its head under the weight of the rain, I had a busy day of meetings at school, then some grocery shopping, dinner preparation, and an evening of answering emails. I am SO glad spring is right around the corner.

2-28-12

Today I worked on lots of things... got a lot accomplished... and then took a break at 4pm to work in the garden for an hour and a half. Meanwhile, Dan finished refinishing the 20 year old patio furniture. He re-painted it all with a color called Oil Rubbed Bronze and it's just beautiful. Looks brand new!

2-27-12

We had a warm day for once, and I got to spend an hour in the yard weeding. My lily garden is almost weed free. I do hope I can keep it under control this year. It has a horseshoe shaped path of limestone pavers, as you can see and during the summer is usually gets so overgrown I can't even walk through it.

We have crocuses and a yellow flowering tree, can't think of what it's called.

2-25-12

Video production this morning, a nice walk in the arboretum this afternoon with Dan. Curry stir fry for dinner!

2-24-12

Today is my writing day but I'm waiting on a few projects to get approved before I can start writing. Soooo I worked on creating a video for the summit next week in DC where our new NSF funded grant project is presented. Also, I worked on copying a design I saw on Pinterest... and did a pretty good job of imitating the design. I think I'll turn some of these squares into a pillow. Not enough wool for a blanket.

2-23-12

My neighbor is having a baby soon, so I decided to make some booties and a bonnet. I like the braided ties on each- and the little pull tabs on the back of the booties.

Tonight it stormed really hard during my class I was teaching online and our connection was a bit bad. After a long day I enjoyed crocheting and watching TV with Aza and Dan.

2-20-12

Today is my mom's birthday. Happy birthday Mom! I met with my grad student and worked on taking some photos for the solar car curriculum. Also loaned a teaching kit to a student. Aza was home today with the Presidents' Day holiday

2-18-12

I worked in the garden for about 5-6 hours today pulling weeds, moving plants from one location to another, and clearing out dead foliage. This is my lily garden, devoid of any lillies... and still containing weeds on the right hand side.

2-17-12

Friday evening, Dan and I went to the local downtown art open houses. We went from one location to another looking at art on display and snacking on provided food and beverages.

2-15-12

I think one of my problems is that I really miss teaching my methods classes this semester. A course release is really nice for research but I miss teaching undergrads! Crazy, hu?

2-14-12

My crafty handy husband just turned our white outdated ceiling fan in the sunroom into this! One down, four to go!
Beef stew for dinner, just the four of us. Right now my son is playing Pachabel's Canon on the piano, my daughter is writing lesson plans in her room, my husband is scheming his next fixit up project and I am crocheting and thinking about the research I will be conducting on Friday.
It feels magical.

2-13-12

Happy Birthday Squirt! We celebrated your 21st birthday with a steak dinner, a gingerbread cake, and gifts from the heart.

2-11-12

We had Dr. and Mrs. Phred over for dinner this evening. Aza and Squirt played Monopoly and Scattergories on the couch afterwards by the fire. I love those kids! But why is Aza holding a big spoon, and why is Squirt holding a cooking pot?

2-10-12

Still working on my second afghan. I've made about 16 squares (9" each) and would like to have a total of 24 before I stitch it all together.

2-9-12

My office door messages. Makes me happy.

2-8-12

It snowed! Just a bit, but it was beautiful. Today was my "reading day" during which I had to review a bunch of submissions for workshops, conference proceedings, and awards. It was a good day to stay home and read.

And take pictures.

Of snow bells in the snow.

2-6-12

Bulbs are coming up all over the yard. I really need a warm day and a good mood to go out there and clean up some of the dead foliage from last fall. These will be naked lilies late in the summer well after the greenery comes up, soaks up energy from the sun, dies back, and produces beautiful pink flowers.

2-5-12

Someone is doing an egg experiment in my house and it's not me. It's the OTHER science teacher who lives here. Aza! She is student teaching in 7th grade science and preparing to do some of the same inquiry activities I used to do with middle school kids. See here and here.

2-3-12

Today was the symposium that our department sponsored. I took photos all morning but really can't post them here becuase it just doesn't seem right. However, I know that my colleague Mags won't mind if I post this lovely picture of her with baby Lex at the symposium!

And these folks... carefully examining the posters at the poster session... you can't tell who they are. My presentation was in the last session so I had to hang around all day- which wouldn't be so bad except I got a migraine around lunchtime and had to endure the side effects of the medicine.

2-2-12

Groundhog day, 2012. Maybe we'll have winter after all... Today I finished the afghan I'd been working on for a month. It turned out lovely. My first afghan!

1-29-12

Our house was in the paper today!!! The article is really good too, but it has our names in it. If you are a friend and want to read the article, leave me your email address in a comment. I won't publish the comment, but will email you the article!

1-28-12

I melted something in the dryer today. It stuck all over the back of the dryer and I had to use tongs, fingernails, and a scrub brush to get it all off. Here it is in the trash can. Prize for whoever guesses what I melted! Aza and Squirt cannot compete for a prize. And Dan definitely cannot compete because he mocked me for melting the thing while I extricated it.

1-27-12

Can you see the birds in the tree over there?
Dan and I went for a late afternoon walk after I had a productive writing day. We returned to dinner I'd started in the crock pot earlier in the day. Toast some bread on the wood stove, make some rice, and voila! Dinner!

1-26-12

I had to teach this evening so I spent the morning reading an interesting memoir, then worked some from home, then went into work after lunch for 8 hours. My students spent some time with the penguins curriculum. Below, a team was testing evaporative cooling by creating twin dwellings- with one on dry cotton balls and the other on glue soaked ones. Gluey won.