10-16-11

This morning we had our breakfast reservation at 7:30am. It was just getting light as we walked up main street to the restaurant.

The light was stunning after breakfast and I wish I'd taken more photos of the buildings lit up with the glow of the rising sun.

We went for a hike, about 2 miles, in the woods and down to a creek where a fulling mill had been. It was so peaceful and reminded me of being back in Virginia.

We left after noon, and I really didn't want to leave the beautiful, natural setting to return to the city. Aza was waiting for us with a clean house and bagels she'd bought from the new local bagel place in town. The front porch was decorated with pumpkins Squirt and Aza had carved in our absence.

10-15-11

After a hard work of teaching and writing and managing to keep up, Dan and I decided to take a little vacation. We headed on down to Shaker Village and checked into our room with a Tempurpedic mattress. We took a boat ride up and down the Kentucky River on the Dixie Belle.

This is the family dwelling where we stayed. Our room was simple, clean, and comfortable.

 We had dinner in the restaurant and it was very home-style and delicious. I had a migraine after dinner so I laid down on the Tempurpedic bed with my eye mask on and it felt like I was floating. Within an hour or so, it was better so Dan and I went for a night walk. We saw the big orange waning gibbous moon rising. Beautiful.

10-12-11

Fall walk home through the woods. I worked a 14 hour day today. Exhausted.

10-11-11

Squirt came by my office today in-between his classes. I love having visits from my family while I'm at work! My department chair came in and noticed that we were both wearing orange so she took our picture. Squirt loves that attention, dontcha know?
We went to Pazzo's for dinner with Aza. Tried to go to Sal's but it's closed for dinner Monday and Tuesday.

10-10-11

Someone has decided to do laundry. ALL his laundry. This is one small section of what has been washed, dried, folded, and put away. Yay Squirt for doing all your laundry! Grandma must have taught you well :) Now., to only get you to learn to iron!

No headache again today. I thought one was coming, but no. Still drinking my kombucha hoping it keeps the devilish sick pain away.

Today I led a study session, had a meeting with a group of students about a project, and prepared for giving an exam tomorrow. I currently have SIX writing projects underway not counting the curriculum I'm working on re-writing. This is my last week of teaching until late November. My students go out for practicum teaching, so I'll have time for writing... hopefully...

Today fall has fallen. All of a sudden, fall. The leaves are turning and falling and that special light is filtering through with an orange glow. I love love love this time of year. Good sleeping weather.

10-9-11

Today Dan and I went on a tour of old homes in Georgetown, Kentucky. Our favorite was this one. 100 acres of horse farm and a house being renovated.

We got to ride in the carriage from our car to the house.

There was a very large barn full of beautiful horses.

Afterwards, we came home and attended the annual neighborhood picnic. There was BBQ and lots of side dishes, and even two pinatas for the kids. We keep meeting more people each year, and my colleague Miss January and her family now live on our street so I got to introduce them around. NO HEADACHE all day!

10-8-11

Today was spent in bed with my enemy, migraine. Dan made a lovely dinner and by 7pm I was able to get up and have some. I also drank a glass of Kombucha and felt better after that. I haven't been imbibing in my elixir on a daily basis, so I bottled a batch and will try to drink it every day this week.

I added a slice of orange to each bottle for a new flavor.

10-7-11

This is what my eyes look like when I have a migraine.

10-6-11

CSA share today. Beets, collards, green tomatoes, oh my!

10-2-11

My Dan is home from Wisconsin and he brought cheese curds! Oh so very wonderful to have him back safely from his bike-the-Mississippi week long trip.

10-5-11

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9-28-11

It has been quite a while since I updated my blog. Things are ok, not to worry, but I'm busy with school and home life and a bit overwrought. My computer crashed again, hard drive failure. So, I'm not taking many photos and think I may have lost a couple months worth of pictures. Here are some recents from my iPhone.

Perimenopause is a strange beast. I am changing and do not like it. It worries me. I installed the PostSecret app on my phone and shared my biggest fear right now.

Here is the Squirt climbing out onto the roof. Scared the bejeebers out of me.

I made dough last week for a really cool circuits lab. It's called squishy circuits.

This is a sushi circuit, also called a parallel circuit.

Looking down.

Looking up.

9-18-11

Graded papers all day, picked flowers, cooked dinner.

9-17-11

Guess where I went for dinner? After grading papers all day long...

9-16-11

Squirt and Aza studying calculus together.
Today I graded papers, cooked dinner, watched some TV, talked with the kids... Much more grading to do this weekend. Book chapter awaits my attention too.

9-15-11

The CSA share is getting small. Summer's winding down. Gave an exam today- lots of grading to do this weekend.

9-14-11

Mr. Potato Head and his family. Prior to skinning these beauties and roasting them in the oven, I played with them. Yes, I like to play with my food.

9-12-11

Banana Muffin and Cherry Merry Muffin. I tried to entertain Lex with these today when I babysat her, but she did not go for them. They belonged to Jes and Aza when they were little.

9-11-11

It's my 48th birthday and it was a great day for me. Aza made the family a breakfast of French Toast, watermelon, bacon, and coffee. Squirt made me a pitcher carrot/lemon/ginger juice. The four of us went to see the movie, The Help, and we went out to dinner at my favorite restaurant. I also got my car cleaned out, my kitchen cleaned up, and Jes called for a nice talk. Perfect birthday. I also got my wish (for the most part) which was peace on Earth for a day. I think it was pretty peaceful, considering.

Me at 48.

I wrote this essay for my Facebook page and thought I'd share it here too. It's titled 9-11-2001

I woke up happy. It was my 38th birthday.

I was a teacher at Village School, and since we didn't start the school year until after Labor Day, we were just back in session. There was a Princess Cake from Albemarle Baking in the VS fridge. My children were ages 15, 13, and 10. Jes was in high school, Aza was with me at VS, and Squirt was at the Catholic School. I'd had a wonderful summer vacation with the highlight being a trip to Amelia Island with the extended family for my grandmother's 80th birthday. I was tan, thin, healthy, and content.

My birth father was alive and I still had hopes he would reach out to me.
I'd never had cancer and thought it impossible.
I'd never had a miscarriage, and figured that happened to "other people."
I was in a rock band.
My thyroid was in my neck and my ovaries were intact.
My marriage seemed unshakable.
I loved my job and thought it would always be mine.
My son did not have scoliosis.
I did not take any medications because I had no need for them.
My face did not hurt constantly with trigeminal neuralgia, and I'd never even heard the term.

It seems like everything changed on that day, 9-11-2001. It seems like a snowball of events were set in motion on that horrible day.

For the past 10 years I've been trying to re-claim that summer of 2001 when I was fit, tan, healthy, and content. I've been trying to unroll that snowball of bad luck, bad decisions, bad karma, and evil that had come into the world.

So, it's with great joy that I reflect on the summer of 2011 which was full of joy, reconciliation, peace and balance, health,and family unity. It's with great joy that I celebrate my 48th birthday having passed through the Decade of the Dark Night of the Soul and thrived.

No need to go back to the summer of 2001 because the fall of 2011 is looking even better. And as for those big, healing, family reunions, my grandmother's 90th birthday is next week and the reunion is in Florida. I'll be there. Not-so-tan, not-so-fit, but happy and content.

9-10-11

Squirt and I are growing wheat grass in a clay pot. Wheat grass juice is soooo gooood..

Dan was finally able to get the new piece of wood on the window frame today. It's been raining every day for a week. Next, paint the trim and re-paint the siding.

9-9-11

I got to babysit little Lex today. Such a happy baby!