8-14-09

Aza left this morning. It was sad.

My mom arrived today with our family friend HH. She brought me gifts- this chicken dish cloth, a chicken thing you hang on the wall for dried flowers, and a stained glass thing for the window in the sun room. We had a wonderful dinner- me, Dan, Squirt, Mom, and HH. My favorite part of the meal was the corn salad.

8-13-09

Today Aza and I went shopping. We got some school clothes and picked up this frame from a used furniture store for a song. I matted and framed a painting I'd done of the field where we lived in Virginia. Squirt started doing his laundry today. As I suspected he had about three loads.

8-12-09

Contest: Name this botanical feature. Go ahead. Guess.

So, we had a Popsicle Party tonight and invited all our new neighbor friends. We had 21 people show up including a bunch of adorable little kids. Here's a shot one guest took of us four. So nice to have a photo of us together. We had dinner afterwards at Winchell's. It was a GOOD day!

8-11-09

The kids woke up early this morning and we went out for a tour of campus. Here they are in my office testing out my desk chair.

After the campus tour, we went home and picked up Dan and did some sightseeing. First we checked out Keeneland and then we went on a tour of the Woodford Reserve bourbon distillery. No cell phones were allowed and my camera lens is still stuck so I had to sneak a photo with my iPhone, which was against the rules. Tonight if the weather holds out we are going to the Bluegrass Jamboree with the kids.

8-10-09

The only photo I have to show for a fantastic day is this one of Sophie the cat at the top of our stairs. You can see Aza's legs in the bedroom door. Squirt and Aza arrived safely aroung 5:30pm just before our dinner party which was at 6pm. We had 14 people eating chicken etouffee, shrimp New Orleans, spinach salad, etc.. with homemade fudge sauce on ice cream for dessert. A good time was had by all even though Squirt slept through most of the festivities. It is SO good to have them home.

8-9-09

Dang! I didn't take a single picture today. Too busy cookin' in the kitchen. Here's the picture in so many words: I'm wearing the Guinness apron Aza brought me back from Ireland. I'm making chicken etouffee and that takes lots of chopping onions, peppers and celery, picking chicken, making a stock, etc. Getting ready for the homecoming tomorrow! Oh, and I bought a new pair of shoes. I'll take a photo of the shoes and post it later. Cute shoes!

8-8-09

The Tomato Festival! We got to sample about 20 varieties of tomatoes, both hybrid and heriloom. This was my favorite by far. So much flavor and great texture. I could have eaten the whole plate.

I cleaned today while Dan went to Louisville to see his Uncle who had a car in a show there. This evening we went to see the fireworks from the arboretum. It's Fan Day at the stadium and the fireworks were loud and bright and spectacular. Two more days and I get to see Aza and Squirt. It's been over 6 weeks since I've seen them. The longest it's ever been.

8-7-09

My camera lens is jammed. Something happened to the little button that makes the pins go down so you can turn the lens and take it off. So what's stuck on there now is the macro lens. I finished the twin bedroom decor today and could only take partial pictures of what I had done. The main thing was hanging my Nana's quilt, which I did. Also hung an old mirror over the fireplace, a crosstitch and the bunny painting. Here is the quilt next to the bed.
Tonight we walked to a new BBQ restaurant nearby, came home and watched "All the King's Men" on DVD and ate chocolate bourbon balls.

8-6-09

Today I had my photo taken for the university directory. A professional photographer came to my office with the most awesome Nikon digital slr and flash setup. The picture of the day will be this photo once I have access to it!

Just got it!

8-5-09

I don't know what these flowers are, but they are blooming all over my backyard.

Today I worked at home and made a pair of curtains for the bathroom. We watched the movie, Kandahar, tonight.

I realize why I love my macro lens so much. I can see close up through it. What my eyes are failing to do now that I'm getting old, my camera lens can do for me. I would love to frame some of these amazing garden photos I've taken. If you know the name of this plant, tell me!

8-4-09

This is Lily. She lives next door, and she and her mom and her brother were our first dinner guests in our new house this evening. They brought flowers, but more than that- laughter and the joy of sharing a meal with children. Once again.

As I set the table for five, I almost counted out three small forks and two large ones like I had all those years. Lily played with Aza's beanie babies and drew me a colorful drawing with Squirt's old colored pencils. Her brother played with Squirt's Legos and asked me to set aside a special Lego person for him to play with next time.

After dinner and our guests went home, Dan and I watched the movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. As my grown children are spreading wings and flying, just as I start a new career as a junior faculty member, I can't help but think that time has done a warp on me.

I started this blog in 2007 because 2006 had been such a good year after three dreadful ones, and I hadn't much to show for such a spectacular year. So thankful I am to be able to look back at the last three fabulous years, one day at a time.

If I could put time in a bottle, would I? No, but that isn't for lack of wanting to. Watching Jes, Aza, and Squirt grow into strong, confident, capable and beautiful "grown-ups" is part of what it means to be a mother. This blog is my bottle. It will be full of photos of Aza and Squirt next week when they come "home" to visit.

8-3-09

Walked to my office and back today- 2.6 miles each way. Took 41 minutes each way. Went out to eat at Billy's BBQ and just had to have another flavor of Graeters ice cream. I'm tarred. The picture of the day is me in a skirt and blouse with sneakers, socks, a pony tail, and a black backpack with the logo Intel on the back, walking through campus to my office looking like a student with bad taste in footwear. Sorry I didn't get someone to capture it for you!

8-2-09

Today we drove out to the Kentucky Horse Park (when in Rome, you know) and tried to see a vaulting competition but it was over by the time we got there. Prior to that we went to the Sunday Farmers Market near our house. It was about a mile walk each way. We got eggplant, garlic, tomatoes, string beans, and corn.

Then later in the evening we went on an exploration of Campus. We ended up walking about 5 miles or more. This is the Memorial Hall. The top of it is embedded in the UK logo if you look closely. So all in all, I walked about 7 miles today.

See?

8-1-09

I looked out the window and saw this on the fish pond. It just opened up over night and closed at dusk today. I'd never seen anything like it. Every day here I get to see something new blooming.

7-31-09

Celebrating the end of the first migraine-free month in many many years with Graeter's Ice Cream. Oooooh it was good. We watched Breakfast at Tiffany's this evening on DVD. For once I liked the movie better than the book.

7-30-09

2002
Aza, Jes, and Squirt
(14) (15) (11)

Why didn't I realize that one day they would all be grown up and gone?
I should have hugged them more.

Feeling sad today...

7-29-09 continued

Another day lilly above... Can you guess what this one is below? You'll never guess. It's a remarkable photo. Also taken by my back door. Perhaps a certain neighbor can walk over and win the prize.

The grapevine on the trellis out back is growing and it's searching for a place to snag onto. I found this drop of water on the end of a vine thingy, you know, those curly things that wrap around stuff.

And one lone dogwood leaf turned red on this tree. Hey, it's not fall yet! I love the dark branches in the background. Taking pictures after dusk is challenging, but the rewards are rich if you know how to set an f-stop and let in lots of light. It's like painting with light instead of watercolors.

12 DAYS TILL SQUIRT AND AZA VISIT!!!!!!!!!!

7-29-09

Artist. Teacher. Scientist.
Today I got the watercolors I ordered. Can't wait to get creative and use them!
This evening I went outside after a rain and took some really cool pictures with my macro lens. The first here is a garlic blossom by the back door.

This is a naked lilly. I love the background colors on this one.

This is the unopened blossom of a daylilly. How do you spell lilly? Lily? Lillie? Lilly?

More to follow....

7-28-09

Southland Jamboree! This time we brought chairs, a picnic supper, and
Frisbee. Aza and Squirt, we will take you when you come home next
month, we promise!

7-27-09

Frisbee at the Masterson Station dog park. He liked it better than the
first one we took him to, but overall was not very social with the
canines or sapiens.

What I don't like about getting old(er):
1. I can't read maps and newspapers without glasses. Forget phonebooks
and my own handwriting.
2. My feet hurt when I get up and stand on them in the morning.
3. My knees hurt when I get up from sitting.
4. My kids grew up and moved out on their own and I miss them so much
each and every day.

What I do like about getting old(er):
1. I can start up conversations with strangers and not care whether
they "like" me or not. And I've made some great friends that way!
2. I can go almost a whole month without a headache now instead of a
week. Thank God for waning hormones.
3. I feel connected to my mother and my grandmothers when I do or say
or think or cook or look like them. Ursula, Gwen, and Big Chrissy- I
love you all. I aspire to your strength.
4. Waking up each morning with my best friend. Nooooo, not Frisbee.
The other guy!

7-26-09

I nursed a brewing headache today, taking it easy- naps and light reading in bed. By early evening I was out of the woods enough to go on an adventure. Dan and I went to the Victorian Square area of downtown and had dinner at a place called DeSha's. Crab cakes and fried green tomatoes, I had.

This was a really beautiful fountain nearby. After dinner we drove over to the Red Mile, a harness racing track. Some minor races were going on and we watched. We struck up a conversation with a couple and they ended up giving us season passes to the races which begin next month. Visitors in August and September, get ready!