5-14-11

 

 

 

 

In the cold Kentucky rain, we took Jes to see some sights. First we went to Keeneland and pet horses and walked around the place... even tried on hats in the gift shop. Then we drove out to Woodford Reserve and did the bourbon tour. Loved the chocolate bourbon balls.

Jes and Squirt cooked dinner- and did the grocery shopping for it- and it was fantastic. Grilled chicken and vegetable paninis with hummus and cheese. And sauteed squash with caramalized onions. It was such a wonderful thing to have Aza clean for me and Jes and Squirt shop and cook for me- best Mother's Week present ever. Five around the kitchen table. Loved it.

Oh, and then we watched a documentary (thanks to Root) about the Yogis of Tibet and we laughed our heads off watching the "secret" rituals never before filmed.

This day on 5-14
2007
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5-13-11

 

 

 

Woke up, bottled a new batch of kombucha.
Wrote all morning.
Got my hair cut this afternoon.
Cooked dinner.
Waited for Jes and Dan to arrive... and they did.
Jes brought tons of samples from the vitamin store she works at. I'm eating a Cocoa Cassava bar right now and it's soooo good.
Not sure about the hair cut.

This day on 5-13
2007
2009

5-12-11

My SCOBY is growing. Starting a new batch of kombucha today. Aza came over today to visit. We sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee and I loved it. Maybe Jes will arrive tomorrow? She's stuck in C'ville with a broken car.

This day on 5-12
2007
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5-11-11

 

This photo is a surprise for my husband. Hmmmm.... what did Chrissy do today?

This day on 5-11
2007
2008
2009

5-10-11

 

 

Irises in the garden. There are at least 4 varieties. Tall big purple, short purple, tall skinny purple, and tall white and short white.

I tested the pH of my kombucha today and it's good. 3.0 is where it's supposed to be. I tested plain tea just to check and it's definitely up over 5. I love my kombucha.

This day on 5-10
2007
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5-9-11

 

 

 

 

Peonies! The peonies are here! There must be at least six varieties in the garden. I love them all.
Today I spent all day writing.
Cooked my son a nice dinner- then wrote some more.

This day on 5-9
2007
2008
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5-8-11

This Mothers Day, I went out to brunch with Dan and 2/3 of my children. Jes arrives this week, so it will really feel like Mothers Weekend then! We went to Doodles and I had the Sweet Strawberry Wine French Toast with coffee and beignets. Mmmmmm....

This day on 5-8
2007
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5-7-11

 

Perfect little Lex, baby daughter of my friend Mags-- just four days old. The first time I met this little peanut, she was only 20 weeks along and I made a video of her ultrasound with my iPhone. I've been waiting to see her in person ever since!

This day on 5-7
2007
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5-6-11

 

I went to my new favorite store today, Super Walmart. Once again, this store had everything I was looking for- even the Fisher Price puppy, which has the voice of my sister Sakura who is a voice actress. This puppy will be a gift for my friend Mags's new baby Lex whom I hope to meet tomorrow.

Today I visited a teacher and principal of a local private school because they wanted advice on integrating STEM better. It felt good to be an expert on something and share that with a school.

This day on 5-6
2007
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5-5-11

My first large batch of Kombucha ready for bottling after 8 days of fermentation. It should be ready to drink in a few days. Stop on by this weekend if you want to sample some non-alcoholic home-brewed booch!

This day on 5-5
2007
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5-4-11

May the 4th be with you! Today was a special day because my friend Mags's baby girl was born this morning. I can't wait to see them. Perhaps I'll have some new baby pictures in a day or two.

Another photo of my garden- irises, columbine, and peonies in bloom. It was cold today. It was hard to be motivated. All my joints hurt, I think, from all the lifting yesterday.

This day on 5-4
2007
2010

5-3-11

 

 

 

Got to school early to give an exam, stayed for a meeting at which I was supposed to present but we ran out of time, then rushed off to help load supplies being collected for the Alabama tornado survivors. It was the most rewarding two hours I've spent in a very long time. I was so touched and humbled and amazed at the generosity of people coming by with hundreds of dollars worth of things to donate. One man came with entire SUV full of brand new supplies. The main things people brought were diapers, toilet paper, paper towels, clothes, and food. We filled one POD with clothes (there I am inside that POD trying to organize things so we could get more room), one with paper products, and one with food. It's one small gesture of many around the country. Shipments going to Alabama from all over the country. Really truly amazing. And to think that just one county west of where my mom lives, devastation. I can't imagine if it were my home town in addition to my home state. My adopted home state.

After that I met up with some students heading up the student chapter of NSTA and treated one of them (the secretary) to dinner. OK, Aza is the secretary!

This day on 5-3
2007
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5-2-11

 

 

Monday, Monday.
Started on a book chapter. Turned in grades for one class. Wrote an exam.
Obsessed about the tornado survivors in Alabama.
Was very pleased to see the final product of Squirt's hard work on a video:Click HERE to see it.

This day on 5-2
2007
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5-1-11

 

This is an unusual photograph for me. I got the idea from a friend who knows someone in the art department here who does work like this. It's scanned with the top removed. So the background is black. This is an image of a dried daffodil. I'd picked some in April and they preserved really nicely. I suppose it can symbolize something, as all art does, but it hasn't come to me yet.

May Day
Sunday
I was deliberately lazy today just to see if I could be.
I watched the Andy Griffith Show and two episodes of House. Oh my... what indulgence!

Seven years ago today I lost my little Lily and I remember her with gratitude. Perhaps that's what the image is all about. She is preserved in my memory and heart forever.

This day on 5-1
2007
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4-30-11

 

The garden in the back yard.

 

A beautiful garlic bloom.

 

Lots of columbine in bloom too.

 

Plus lots of these small irises.

Lazy Saturday. I did a little gardening and took some photos of the back yard... nice things blooming back there. Dan and I went to dinner at a Cuban restaurant we've never been to. Old San Juan, it's called. Home cooked goodness.

The devastation in the South is really upsetting. I'm so glad it didn't affect my home town, but I feel just terrible for all the lives lost and houses destroyed and people traumatized.

This day on 4-30

2007
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4-29-11

Today was the STEM Symposium. I was at the student center for 10 hours and it was a great success. I met some fascinating people, gave a paper, participated in a round table discussion, ate three meals of university catered food, didn't get a migraine, milled around the poster session where five of my students were presenting research, and then came home and crawled into bed to recover for two hours. Here is one well done poster. This evening Dan and Squirt and I watched The King's Speech. Good movie.

This day on 4-29

2007
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4-28-11

 

Last day of class! I taught a great class this morning- a "make and take" workshop for my students. They took home four items for their classrooms. Meetings all afternoon, and then Aza came over for dinner. We each had work to do, so we worked until 9, watched Gray's Anatomy together, then worked again until 11. I don't want to tell her this, because it might scare her off, or make her think I want something for her life that she doesn't want, but I can really truly see her as a college professor like me one day. It's creepy but I can actually see her working on her dissertation, the whole 9 yards. Not now, years down the road. But I can see it. Maybe I'm just looking in a mirror. But when I was her age I couldn't imagine that I'd one day be where I am.

Full day tomorrow. Must get some rest. This weekend I'd like to do some gardening!

This day on 4-28

2007
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4-27-11

Third tornado warning in a two weeks- I'm tired of this weather. (Later I will regret whining about this considering what was happening in Alabama.)
Today I worked on an annual report most of the day, then ventured out for some supplies for my last day of class tomorrow. I discovered Super Wal-Mart. OK, this may surprise my readers, but I fell in love with Super Wal-Mart. I've never shopped in one before. Holy Cow! That place has everything! And the one I went to was so clean and bright and well organized, and they even had organic foods I like. I got a big glass jug for brewing kombucha and started my biggest batch today. Hopefully my days of buying the stuff will soon be over. Oh, and I got 14 Lays Snax for $1.00 each. I dumped out the potato chips because all I really wanted was the cans for a project. Tomorrow, my last day teaching, should be fun.

This day on 4-27

2007
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4-26-11

Miss March beat me again in scrabble. I gave an exam this morning, taught my last night class for the semester, and graded papers until late in the evening. Oh oh. I hear the alarm in the arboretum. Better check the weather.

Tornado watch until 6am. Big nasty storm approaching. I'm sick and tired of this weather.

This day on 4-26

2007
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4-25-11

Today I recovered from my travels. We had Mom's chicken enchilladas for dinner then went for a nice walk in the arboretum.

This day on 4-25

2007
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2010a
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4-24-11

Dinner on mom's back deck with friends this evening. The owner of Country's BBQ made us the best steaks ever. We have eaten like kings this weekend in beautiful Auburn.

This day on 4-24

2007
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4-23-11

Today we met up with some high school friends for lunch then got ready for the big event at the museum. Beautiful ceremony, great food and music, fabulous people, very touching. Here is a photo of the grooms with their cake.

This day on 4-23

2007
2009

4-22-11

Got to mom's house around 3 today. Party at 6pm for our friends B and M. This is a photo of me and my dad in front of a mirror where the desserts were. It was a nice party. Senator Phil from Texas was here plus just about every economist I've ever met. Aza was a hit at the party- the prettiest girl in attendance and heads were turned. Several people thought she was my sister Sta, which we found amusing.

This day on 4-22

2007
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2010

4-21-11

 

 

 

 

Today I woke up happy and excited to start my day. It's a rare thing, and I should dissect the reasons behind it. But I had a great day and now I'm exhausted. I taught a fun class, got a lot of work done in the afternoon, took the bus to school and back, visited with a student from last semester who stopped by for a visit, cooked a good dinner, saw Aza when she stopped by, and cleaned the kitchen. Now I'm ready for bed.

I just want to get in bed and read John Krakauer's Three Cups of Deceit about Greg Mortenson's lies.

This day on 4-21

2007
2010

4-20-11

 

 

 

My students presented their interdisciplinary units today. They were so good!

This day on 4-20

2007
2009

4-19-11

Class this morning- taught astronomy and Skyped with a children's science book author. Faculty meeting in the afternoon. Migraine in office for two hours. Taught evening class from 6-8:30 where each student presented their culminating design curriculum idea. Here are two students testing their water wheel.
Exhausted.
Dan got Jes a plane ticket home! She's coming home in May!

This day on 4-19

2007
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4-18-11

This morning was interesting. Our new department had a meeting with the president of the APLU and two deans, an assistant provost, and an associate provost. It felt very special, and someone even came to take a photo!

I prepared for my class tomorrow, then came home and worked with a landscape architect in the garden for FOUR hours. Boy, am I ever sore. We moved things, gave things away, weeded, and really did a number on the back garden area.

Graded papers this evening.


This day on 4-18

2007
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4-17-11

Sunday.
I graded papers.
I gardened. For four hours. In the sunshine!

I dug up a million weeds and Dan made me little cages for all my peonies. I have about 7 plants that get very top heavy with beautiful flowers, so now they will be more protected.

I will have beautiful white and pink peonies.

I hope that in 50 years after I'm gone, my grown grandchildren find this blog and feel like they are visiting with me through it.

This day on 4-17

2007
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2010