11-6-11

Trees are not people, but sometimes we sure do think of them that way. We get attached. We care for them. We receive their flowers and fruit. We rake their leaves and admire them for what they do for us. I love trees, if anyone does. So it was with a heavy heart and great deliberation that we decided to kill a tree. That sounds so cruel, so heartless. Who kills trees? Tree murderers!!!  We really did love our fig tree, but like adopting a lion kitten, we found out after a few years that we could not care for a lion adult in the small space inbetween our house and studio. It was too large to transplant- we consulted an expert about that. So, I closed my eyes while Dan did the difficult work (emotionally and physically) of removing the tree and her roots. I'm sad to even blog this. The space looks cleaner and brighter, and we will try to find an adoptive family for the japanese maple we intend to remove as well. It is smaller and should be transplantable.

So we celebrate fall with the golden sight of our large ginko mother who shelters the yard and sends down millions of potential offspring each year.

11-5-11

I learned the basket weave stitch today. Worked on my IRB forms. Cooked a fabulous potato soup with jack cheese, bacon, and broccoli. Mmmm!!! And really really enjoying my new bed.

11-4-11

Writing day. View from my office.
I finished edits to a manuscript and sent it in. Felt very productive!!!

11-3-11

I am trying to crochet something really wild. It's fun! Today we got our anniversary present. Hope to sleep well in it.

11-2-11

 Fall. I woke early and went outside to see the sun rise, shining golden on the leaves.

The wood shed waits for us to build a fire. Winter can wait. Let me enjoy fall. I want to rake leaves.

11-1-11

Cool date!
Today I adjusted to Eastern Standard time by oversleeping by two hours. Worked with distractions from Frisbee who misses his daddy. Went to a meeting about the Physics Petting Zoo with Aza. Took her out to dinner... And started getting ready for another day.

10-31-11

Happy Halloween! I got home today after exhausting travel through Chicago where my bag decided to spend the afternoon while I ran a mile to catch my flight. Squirt picked me up from the airport. He grew a beard!

10-30-11

We slept in and had a late breakfast at a local diner.

Then Jes and I ran around doing some shopping for sheets so we could make a duvet cover for her bed.

Jes sewed some, but there were too many seamstresses in the living room, so Jes cooked Thai curry in her wok while I sewed.

After a full night of sewing, including altering the curtain so I could make an accent pattern on the duvet, we were done. We celebrated with Moose Tracks ice cream.

We were up quite late... good times, good times.

10-29-11

Today I cooked French Toast for breakfast for Jes and her roommate and Root. Then Jes and I went to Boulder to meet up with her friend The Zen Guy. We had lunch at a tea house that was actually shipped overseas as a gift from Tajikistan.

After that we went in search for a fabric store because I wanted to make a curtain for Jes's bedroom. We didn't get back to Denver until dinner time. Root made beef stew and an apple crisp for dessert. It was fantastic.

The "kids" went out to a Halloween concert while I stayed behind to sew.

Jes was a snow bunny. Root was a buffalo.

Here's the curtain. Simple, lined in insulating material, and practical. And easy to make on a 1964 Singer.

10-28-11

Denver with Jes and Root! First stop, Garden of the Gods.

It's their one year dating anniversary. See the heart in the rock?

This is Jes by her bike in front of her apartment.

We went to a fantastic restaurant called Duo Denver. Farm to Table, it's called. The conversation of the evening revolved around the definition of the term, "hipster."

I crocheted Jes the hipster cotton hat she's wearing. I mean, who crochets? It's so hip to do something so old style.

We saw a unicorn on 16th street. It was real.

And we finished the evening at a creperie. I had nutella, Root had Suzette, and Jes had pears with I've cream. See? It was all so delish.

I like Denver.
I love being with my daughter and Root.

10-27-11

After a day of travel I woke this morning early to a sunrise over snowy Colorado. The workshop lasted all day and I got back to the hotel around 7pm pretty exhausted, but with work to do yet.

10-23-11

Look who I ran into in the Orlando airport on our way back to Lexington? My good friend Ms. Phred!

10-22-11

The wedding day for my cousin and his bride. An excuse for a family reunion!

My dad and his two ex wives. Doesn't he look thrilled?

The wedding reception was an elaborate affair!

 Me with two of my little sisters.

 The reception tent was so luxurious!

 My beautiful 90 year old Grandma.

10-21-11

This is the view from our hotel room. Down below is my dad on a lounge chair, my Grandma sitting in a chair, my step mom and little sister over to the right, and cousins. Today the big family reunion begins!!!!

In the bar this evening guess who I see having a drink together? Mom and Dad. Looks like she's giving him a piece of her mind, and he's just off in la la land smirking.

10-21-11

This morning I woke up in Florida. Yesterday was a crazy busy day of work, meetings, packing, and it all started at 4am. We left for Florida last night and got in late, and boy was I exhausted.
So this morning Dan and I had breakfast at a cute cafe and drank the most delicious fresh squeezed Florida orange juice ever!

10-19-11

After a long day of writing I love to get in bed with my crochet projects.

10-17-11

Back at work. Ran out of my home brew and had to purchase some Kombucha.

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.