tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86179396215178806512024-02-19T02:52:12.693-05:00the gregarious homebodyjenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.comBlogger223125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-26688176578671378012014-11-14T18:23:00.000-05:002014-11-14T18:23:20.271-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When death comes to a family, to say it is hard is to say the very least. When that family is fractured, it becomes complicated.</div>
jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-11605878417670939632013-12-01T14:27:00.002-05:002013-12-01T14:27:45.772-05:005 Things I Learned in Mexico<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRN4_E48C2U5gqqzIKi6CWJfkVZ-zsTX5Fud6WkTHGLpeNyLWrG_FzW8hrobQDrmGJIqyMYzBVwOZh4lrh31x7LbfNPB3G66EHM6O9YfQMFVJpK2EqCJ5lNUO5_DYrMCFvFqG4GDlbpEQ/s1600/1461844_10202686982202320_1736523967_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRN4_E48C2U5gqqzIKi6CWJfkVZ-zsTX5Fud6WkTHGLpeNyLWrG_FzW8hrobQDrmGJIqyMYzBVwOZh4lrh31x7LbfNPB3G66EHM6O9YfQMFVJpK2EqCJ5lNUO5_DYrMCFvFqG4GDlbpEQ/s640/1461844_10202686982202320_1736523967_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I stood out more because I was wearing a <span style="font-size: xx-small;">(shudder)</span> <i>swim dress</i> than I would have if I had been wearing a bikini.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No one cares what anyone else looks like (see #1).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My kids are awesome travelers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">*Steve is replaced by Esteban as soon as he hits Mexican soil.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It doesn't have to be a romantic trip to feel the love.</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">*This is invaluable and must be tested on other soils. Does it work in Spain? Stefan in Germany? Stefano in Italy?</span></div>
jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-74829157996660430952013-11-19T22:04:00.000-05:002013-11-19T22:04:39.232-05:00Sweet are the Uses of Adversity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
When I was young, maybe in middle school, I entered a writing contest sponsored by Penn State. The prompt was the quote from Shakespeare's As You Like It and we were supposed to talk about what it meant to us. I have no bloody idea what I wrote specifically, but I do know the quote has stayed with me ever since. (For the record, I got an honorable mention and got to go to main campus for a very glamorous luncheon and received a handshake from the chair of the English department and a certificate. It was cool.)<br />
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Anyway, while packing for a trip tomorrow, a trip unlike any my little family has ever been able to take (like, a <i>fancy </i>trip), the quote came to me again. And it couldn't be more appropriate for how I feel about taking this trip at this time of year. I'm not being dramatic when I say that last year at this time was the start of a pretty horrific year for us and if someone had told me that our family would be happily taking this trip a mere 8 months later I would not have believed it. So, in short, this trip is even more precious than it would normally be. And though I am not ready to say (and will never be) that having Last Year happen was worth it because of how precious this feels, it does put things into a pretty wonderful perspective. And I am grateful.</div>
jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-22274749917401623982013-01-01T17:38:00.000-05:002013-01-01T18:12:56.070-05:00Resolute<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3q2YnJ3j9hrlWL0HWQNjnyLjXSd3rzDuEivtNsQaSRaSF0Zpo35-sSB7HX9QtYIv9RSUka-cX4i5MxxZ9sQohHtER5JkM_Z4z18k1d7xWoi2Jyzd6KWdH5SR7MLCYrvTH5rMYvrlhyk/s1600/New-Years-Resolutions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3q2YnJ3j9hrlWL0HWQNjnyLjXSd3rzDuEivtNsQaSRaSF0Zpo35-sSB7HX9QtYIv9RSUka-cX4i5MxxZ9sQohHtER5JkM_Z4z18k1d7xWoi2Jyzd6KWdH5SR7MLCYrvTH5rMYvrlhyk/s400/New-Years-Resolutions.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every year I make the same resolutions everyone else does---exercise more, lose weight, save money. Blah blah blah. This year I'm trying something new. New because it used to come easy to me but has become really really hard. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year, I will try to be positive. Positive not only in my professional life (easy) but also in my personal one (hard as of late). I will decide to not react to some things and to react in a different, more positive way to others. I will be kinder to myself and not immediately assume fault. I will look to the many wonderful things in my life when others seem not-so-great. I will try not to think of those that I love as assholes even when they are acting like one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will try.</span></div>
jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-73618074985341274712012-08-31T21:04:00.001-04:002012-08-31T21:13:38.162-04:00 French Indian Enchiladas for Dinner<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTSbTQRtD4AqatuFTnBKJuoWl6Vt_eYgRGeZ3TexQB6GxxX89ii7RoKxOM35EX4q3T0Fb2dDlaWWNmtQLmhSS0_rd72NzYE-cQaiYH5KFm4bLHWL5xcFuMiWeoJOsgrp-8DoJ6xFazjc/s1600/DSC_4428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnTSbTQRtD4AqatuFTnBKJuoWl6Vt_eYgRGeZ3TexQB6GxxX89ii7RoKxOM35EX4q3T0Fb2dDlaWWNmtQLmhSS0_rd72NzYE-cQaiYH5KFm4bLHWL5xcFuMiWeoJOsgrp-8DoJ6xFazjc/s400/DSC_4428.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I had no idea these were going to turn out so good which is why I took no pictures until <i>after </i>we'd eaten them. Notice the sawed-off ends "to make them fit." Just go with it.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This recipe's inception began like so many of mine do--from the purchase of an esoteric ingredient I thought I needed for another recipe and an overwhelming desire to not leave my house.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We went out to dinner last week to the <i>wonderful </i>new-to-us <a href="http://tazacafelv.com/directions.html"><b>little Indian joint</b></a> which lives at the back of an Indian grocery store. This is my favorite kind of place--you can eat the food they make for you and then buy the ingredients to try to recreate what you just ate at home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is my idea of fun. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So we had our wonderful food and decided to walk around the store afterwards. I wanted to buy something. Anything! Everything looked so interesting! But I've been trying to curb my impulse buying so I wanted something I <i>needed.</i> And then I saw it--the chickpea flour that I <i><b>needed</b> </i>to make the yummy-sounding flat breads Sue made on <a href="http://thequincetree65.blogspot.com/"><b>one of my favorite blogs.</b></a> Score! A justifiable purchase as making one's own flatbreads instead of purchasing them was surely a money-saving idea, right? So home we go with our little bag of flour that costs more than a large bag of regular all-purpose or wheat that I can make ANYTHING with. But I was going to make these flat breads.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I look them up on Sue's blog and....<a href="http://thequincetree65.blogspot.com/2012/03/easy-flatbreads.html"><b>they are made with what Sue calls "plain" flour</b></a> or, wait for it...................... whole wheat flour. Which I have. <b>In many forms </b>(high gluten, pastry, cake, and even whole wheat pastry). Crap.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So it sat on my counter for exactly one week, taunting me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until tonight, when I was slated to make chicken enchiladas </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for dinner</span> because they are a) a guaranteed crowd-pleaser; b) use up the rest of the roasted chicken I made earlier in the week; and c) dead easy to make with other past-their-former-glory refrigerated leftovers and vegies.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_C6NsHSMmitMAq9HrUecUpa9tDgnBFosqGEBsdMfhk5p47B3TO75aIJOk1rlvhZYqBUr4_pISYIbodD_JNCKGNUF0ZKExaP1X5fmx-8mJxrAcd0Zlzjurw2aoYVwmN2zQw771s3ZHB8/s1600/DSC_4430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5_C6NsHSMmitMAq9HrUecUpa9tDgnBFosqGEBsdMfhk5p47B3TO75aIJOk1rlvhZYqBUr4_pISYIbodD_JNCKGNUF0ZKExaP1X5fmx-8mJxrAcd0Zlzjurw2aoYVwmN2zQw771s3ZHB8/s400/DSC_4430.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">See? They really were slated. (Pay no attention to the insane arrows or the fact that today is Friday, not Thursday. It was a tough week).</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'd realized last night that I didn't have tortillas, which, hello! you need to make said enchiladas. Which there was no way in hell I was going to want to go buy <i>after work</i> today because I would immediately go home and my bra would be off once I had one foot in the door.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was that kind of week. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I'm needing these tortillas (because I was going to <span style="font-size: large;">make enchiladas</span>, damn it) and wondering what I was going to do (I briefly considered a *shiver* no-carb version with lettuce leaves but then realized I also had no lettuce). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which is when I saw the chickpea flour flirting with me. So I made crepes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And tortillas can now kiss the chickpeas' butts because wow were they good.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">----------------------------------------------------------</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Chickpea Crepe Enchiladas</b> <span style="font-size: x-small;">(which makes no sense, I know) </span></span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Chickpea flour</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> crepes</span></span></span> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">*<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/health/nutrition/14recipehealth.html?_r=1"><b>recipe</b></a>, </span></span></span>prepared and cooled </span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Filling:<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/health/nutrition/14recipehealth.html?_r=1"><b></b></a></span></span></span><br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 a leftover roasted chicken, diced<b> </b></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">one small onion that you slowly sauteed in 1tablespoon of oil </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">(I did mine in **<a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/healthy-and-flavorful-consider-141511"><b>coconut oil</b></a> which added a subtle and wonderful coconut flavor) </span></span></span>until brown and delicious)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> sprinkled with some salt</span></span></span></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">1/2 cup (or more to your liking) peach mango salsa (I used Wegmans brand which is way too sweet for anything else and was another impulse purchase) </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">A couple tablespoons of lime juice because the salsa was too damn sweet </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">4 oz. of feta cheese, crumbled</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the filling ingredients and taste often to make sure it's just right (and seasoned with enough salt and pepper).</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Coat a long casserole with oil or nonstick spray (again, I used coconut oil. It is so good). Lay out your crepes and get rolling. Place in pan, sprinkle with a teensy bit of cheddar cheese (or a lot--your call) and cover with foil. Bake in oven for 20 minutes until heated through.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy!!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*I doubled the crepe recipe and made 7 (annoying number!) crepes with the above filling amount and had 6 crepes left over which I wrapped and froze. Recipes for crepes never make the amount they say they will, in my experience. It could be my ineptness but for once I don't think so. If you've never made crepes before, don't fret when the first one (or the second) turn out terribly. Eat it and move on. Once I get a rhythm I find crepe-making oddly soothing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">**<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This shit is expensive but worth it. I recently found out that <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/pantry-staples-164034"><b>Trader Joe's</b></a> has it much cheaper than Wegmans. I have to travel almost an hour to buy it but that makes perfect sense, doesn't it, because I save $4 if I go to Trader Joe's. Right??? DON'T get anything but the virgin or extra virgin or it will have no discernible coconut flavor. Don't fear the flavor--it is subtle but delicious.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> </b></span> </span></span><br />
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jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-15043348749336749572012-08-19T16:54:00.003-04:002012-08-19T16:54:39.453-04:00Still Here<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_XkBrDu_-dRESidHVMJAjAZbvv3yG67P_Td3EU0Gjzgmw064ydZtrUoTMb__nDDC4g7qSMyHZkexNMMBOf2HNwdERWe3_JWvGeNDjJuMm_rTpIdC0iu-yD71VFsBA2R-ZCpvXvZ8zcU/s1600/DSC_4369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_XkBrDu_-dRESidHVMJAjAZbvv3yG67P_Td3EU0Gjzgmw064ydZtrUoTMb__nDDC4g7qSMyHZkexNMMBOf2HNwdERWe3_JWvGeNDjJuMm_rTpIdC0iu-yD71VFsBA2R-ZCpvXvZ8zcU/s640/DSC_4369.JPG" width="404" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Halfway into our 4-mile REALLY HARD hike, this is what we saw</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not sure anyone is reading this blog (other than Audrey...hi Aud!!) but I'm coming back to it, slowly but surely. It's been an incredibly stressful summer, starting back in May, and I made the decision to not share that because, ew... if I don't want to read my own whining who else would want to?! So, since things are on the upswing (crossing fingers!), I feel ready to be here again. Even if it's just me and Audrey.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We finally got away for the weekend! Woo-hoo! Last year's week-long trip was not to be repeated because we have a goal as a family to go to England next year and want to try very very hard to save for that. But not getting away at all is not healthy. So we packed up the van and went to <b><a href="http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/findapark/worldsend/index.htm">World's End State Park.</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was beautiful.</span> </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULVRqDHKIvHF8I7djbkMakY90S2TqCWbaRlDecj3itpms_32sHz_6z7PwXSkmIE6aEvboa_lZ5xPGYz1jiTFaG5oQbIMxi7i6VXm1haLQ1aOvWdoPDzX_IpA_4Ipz_w3ynd5T0Y687uc/s1600/DSC_4378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhULVRqDHKIvHF8I7djbkMakY90S2TqCWbaRlDecj3itpms_32sHz_6z7PwXSkmIE6aEvboa_lZ5xPGYz1jiTFaG5oQbIMxi7i6VXm1haLQ1aOvWdoPDzX_IpA_4Ipz_w3ynd5T0Y687uc/s400/DSC_4378.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Using the excuse that I was photographing beautiful fungi to catch my breath on a deadly hike</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I know a lot of people (some of them my very good friends) do not enjoy camping. Some see it as work. And it can be (putting up a tent, cooking outside without a lot of conveniences, etc.). But the homebody in me sees it as another opportunity to set up a very relaxed home. I feel a weird satisfaction in spreading out my vinyl-covered tablecloth on the picnic table, setting up the cooler and 32-year-old Coleman stove. I like making it cozy. And food tastes better outside. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIecLoTqv3t-cF4ihbVZ-493mER2vLZVt_7GGkSdyVViILHrhEPhop5Szj6ICcCq1F1s3E1v57AhRFye_xPCjUAPx-564VD77qSofzfkoqfrdCu6XVg0dgGFWHklWY7kkUUB0ua5aV7s/s1600/DSC_4400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWIecLoTqv3t-cF4ihbVZ-493mER2vLZVt_7GGkSdyVViILHrhEPhop5Szj6ICcCq1F1s3E1v57AhRFye_xPCjUAPx-564VD77qSofzfkoqfrdCu6XVg0dgGFWHklWY7kkUUB0ua5aV7s/s400/DSC_4400.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was also a lot of this</span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But what I like most is that the kids talk. Those of you with small children might see this as a deterrent because small children <i>never shut up</i>. But a lot of teenagers (especially insular ones like ours) just don't make conversation once they reach 12 3/4 years old. Unless they're camping, where the only technology is an iPod (if you remember to charge it). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suddenly, your 16 year old is talking about things he's interested in like light years and string theory. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking in full sentences!! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And though I didn't understand half of what he said (I am severely right-brained), I could have listened for another week to him talking. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnjebDBoybTGvniqix_COJFD7PzOGaI9Oqa6-em7WN9c6tsHzmD1TBVYmBYRZc-JEeUifZgrT90MyOpo6YqwKU-He_Ho2KurlX6yloq4SiNIXKofESQ2XXRaP6IXJeon30hGZxV-DRkI/s1600/DSC_4416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrnjebDBoybTGvniqix_COJFD7PzOGaI9Oqa6-em7WN9c6tsHzmD1TBVYmBYRZc-JEeUifZgrT90MyOpo6YqwKU-He_Ho2KurlX6yloq4SiNIXKofESQ2XXRaP6IXJeon30hGZxV-DRkI/s400/DSC_4416.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do not be fooled by this studiousness. This is someone who waited until the week before school to read and write about two novels.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And it was positively glorious to see the other teenager act silly and joke (with us! not just with her friend!). I can't express how wonderful it was just to see her so uncomplicatedly happy.</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uyznw0z0pcfM2EP1pCGTIA4fnICXjMl11SbtnAco0gB3oYRUhcmvkiuQDSg_HEjE0eAR90aAQfdP2qH8lGMOfYGQBWcxMjqD7iz6MwNVEIYuqobHTVBANUsD6RVjTGwkRurw9fL9hKQ/s1600/DSC_4413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8uyznw0z0pcfM2EP1pCGTIA4fnICXjMl11SbtnAco0gB3oYRUhcmvkiuQDSg_HEjE0eAR90aAQfdP2qH8lGMOfYGQBWcxMjqD7iz6MwNVEIYuqobHTVBANUsD6RVjTGwkRurw9fL9hKQ/s400/DSC_4413.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Going into the water in all your clothes and shoes. Even if it's 60 degrees. Why not?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></div>
jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-20589563022921399592012-06-11T23:30:00.001-04:002012-06-11T23:31:16.099-04:00Love<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhco-wkqSg-HY30B3pD7qeSGuFNZgLinTU0vbbiLUsxKQdvnxCfkvKQ_RGkMwSkWBpT2mOD3zxuHQowujbNT0FScsNgexjW239UaQYHYHrciLckLYrSiUAlqGpCfXrAvW-rN6_fz6mWjM0/s1600/DSC_3211.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhco-wkqSg-HY30B3pD7qeSGuFNZgLinTU0vbbiLUsxKQdvnxCfkvKQ_RGkMwSkWBpT2mOD3zxuHQowujbNT0FScsNgexjW239UaQYHYHrciLckLYrSiUAlqGpCfXrAvW-rN6_fz6mWjM0/s400/DSC_3211.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Nugget Boy</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-64423705290875392812012-05-01T15:42:00.000-04:002012-05-01T15:42:07.598-04:00Getting Closer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGmTXtPQ-LjZW3cLwyvWwQa5RMvqi-RU9D8x4vn_qFsy6yv9lrVDLgk-vfLLmpNaZV-5-aCRS92N-Lo5V44pYWA-2EDvew6nPddsIw1P_MxumCKxfOqAf1A3IqR5zfR2AQrCcK_kAtGk/s1600/lehigh2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguGmTXtPQ-LjZW3cLwyvWwQa5RMvqi-RU9D8x4vn_qFsy6yv9lrVDLgk-vfLLmpNaZV-5-aCRS92N-Lo5V44pYWA-2EDvew6nPddsIw1P_MxumCKxfOqAf1A3IqR5zfR2AQrCcK_kAtGk/s320/lehigh2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-41007681406338733582012-04-15T21:57:00.000-04:002012-04-15T21:57:02.577-04:00Sooooooo close....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i-TUoz7NC0O_JSCMigmGchXje9lf3qF35Dock3CxeVeoE4pRFFqdSuOCEAZt7r-Nk1144NeB9mdYlPBBNvatVbmkspHE6LUeMOizTnb0aihnyCrrwbCKNncfhp7pznxdZ_bkJg9RbT0/s1600/grad_captioned.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2i-TUoz7NC0O_JSCMigmGchXje9lf3qF35Dock3CxeVeoE4pRFFqdSuOCEAZt7r-Nk1144NeB9mdYlPBBNvatVbmkspHE6LUeMOizTnb0aihnyCrrwbCKNncfhp7pznxdZ_bkJg9RbT0/s400/grad_captioned.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-8304472606448101822012-03-19T21:44:00.003-04:002012-03-19T21:51:08.432-04:00Spring Break 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">On what is my last Spring Break as a student, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">here's what I did:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Laundry </b></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1nvjIPQexktUZntTcNOrEDyTnlA7JrrUtFh9OoJd2wOqPt_wda50pZJCKayFZcEWGYEvlXvfjcvY0SMsNegvxWKDHYj3vyBBhKLL0P_xI4rxUkATlX61LMwchr5agsmHq0vi4lEu_kk/s1600/laundry-basket-web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1nvjIPQexktUZntTcNOrEDyTnlA7JrrUtFh9OoJd2wOqPt_wda50pZJCKayFZcEWGYEvlXvfjcvY0SMsNegvxWKDHYj3vyBBhKLL0P_xI4rxUkATlX61LMwchr5agsmHq0vi4lEu_kk/s400/laundry-basket-web.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course the washer had "an issue" when there was a TON of laundry to do.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Went to meetings</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjb-5pValAeQvlHCW5yWkhLhyphenhyphenyGgafLuXdSA38bvY-GeQh9ETxg4jAlU3YiuFCBS98zq20L27urFKZLE5Z9acGLAUoBXtBR56oUo3jQ9Q4igNB23zXvXxJVvp2pjID8P1TPEmgv0-gBk/s1600/DSC_2894.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAjb-5pValAeQvlHCW5yWkhLhyphenhyphenyGgafLuXdSA38bvY-GeQh9ETxg4jAlU3YiuFCBS98zq20L27urFKZLE5Z9acGLAUoBXtBR56oUo3jQ9Q4igNB23zXvXxJVvp2pjID8P1TPEmgv0-gBk/s400/DSC_2894.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What does<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-la-lupita-bethlehem" style="color: blue;"><u><b>this food </b></u></a>have to do with going to meetings? A lot. Lehigh knows how to do meetings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Applied for jobs and networked</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqzeliuL1AzVOTLhXM2XFyWB4MIno82viwjWQQj6_VU4HGGxkNHnc49WKNuc9j9fvEjRPoOI9H61Xk1hL7tUUNDqxBrg7Vy1iGZuuT9b8q-4vk_HwYbANvQRtoK5P-IVTKTL2Usml4DI/s1600/resume-tips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisqzeliuL1AzVOTLhXM2XFyWB4MIno82viwjWQQj6_VU4HGGxkNHnc49WKNuc9j9fvEjRPoOI9H61Xk1hL7tUUNDqxBrg7Vy1iGZuuT9b8q-4vk_HwYbANvQRtoK5P-IVTKTL2Usml4DI/s400/resume-tips.jpg" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This photo does not convey the mental exhaustion associated with both these activities.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Drank gallons of tea and took pictures of it</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTdyB8mZ3S_kO4FXnvK7mMaCbvxysobnT5ZwRYF16NS-0sjp4ZaA4IeSo973v6vRiL7ji6ooTCzQi-xjFU5aRoRwLbrtFA0R-J8lhyUDxLpws3-S1YymJhtWTtXZUiDi-Xv70PeBJMrU/s1600/DSC_2880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNTdyB8mZ3S_kO4FXnvK7mMaCbvxysobnT5ZwRYF16NS-0sjp4ZaA4IeSo973v6vRiL7ji6ooTCzQi-xjFU5aRoRwLbrtFA0R-J8lhyUDxLpws3-S1YymJhtWTtXZUiDi-Xv70PeBJMrU/s400/DSC_2880.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's <a href="http://www.britishdelights.com/london-cuppa-tea.asp?gclid=CPLxpf6p9K4CFUZN4AodQk1IJA" style="color: blue;"><u><b>mah faaavorite</b></u></a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Watched</b></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEfY7fgWNaEhm7OaPUO7siPBr1LoBC4kBmnX_ltcnnLeYN8SuWtzDP-elMkKZAYFP4pE4aIk3toohLqNar5pLa_x3zwzaYVaytLNMnR3BdepAHEfNaHebQldF0nyB_CfFGG3eezDWN1k/s1600/breaking-bad-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEfY7fgWNaEhm7OaPUO7siPBr1LoBC4kBmnX_ltcnnLeYN8SuWtzDP-elMkKZAYFP4pE4aIk3toohLqNar5pLa_x3zwzaYVaytLNMnR3BdepAHEfNaHebQldF0nyB_CfFGG3eezDWN1k/s640/breaking-bad-poster.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="color: blue; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.ifc.com/portlandia/videos/portlandia-battlestar-galactica"><u><b>Portlandia-style</b></u></a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Baked</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFe1SFkIWy5ejLLeQnonzIH_Jf0qd1GxyQNutRXxp0oFWGWKzhDJ5HjjAtKospjdKXA_2zUOP0_1LSxziLISfQbsxrezpdJZ8Xb7zGqE-aI6PgETjSxlKRXOJuMrQhEECOoBUppmOhNY/s1600/DSC_2893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbFe1SFkIWy5ejLLeQnonzIH_Jf0qd1GxyQNutRXxp0oFWGWKzhDJ5HjjAtKospjdKXA_2zUOP0_1LSxziLISfQbsxrezpdJZ8Xb7zGqE-aI6PgETjSxlKRXOJuMrQhEECOoBUppmOhNY/s400/DSC_2893.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2010/01/round-4-cookie-challenge-matcha.html"><u><b> Matcha</b></u></a></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="http://thegregarioushomebody.blogspot.com/2010/03/matcha.html" style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u><b>Biscotti</b></u></span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Baked</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCb7mAG3xVin8FuzmXEpdcUq7hpXGyorcF5O9QADwuYCvlJxRYiiwMlf2U3YMlRvypS-zC7tuja_l7Ez30bhIwvEDjKjc0cDz3jpXpcVnmzTnWLqj8a2c-_6gz5Ni0F7OTBAcipLtpc8/s1600/DSC_2899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVCb7mAG3xVin8FuzmXEpdcUq7hpXGyorcF5O9QADwuYCvlJxRYiiwMlf2U3YMlRvypS-zC7tuja_l7Ez30bhIwvEDjKjc0cDz3jpXpcVnmzTnWLqj8a2c-_6gz5Ni0F7OTBAcipLtpc8/s400/DSC_2899.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The best thing you've made in a long time" --HH</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Baked</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO23GP4z9lOP1undbjanF-TVJb1yaAKM_XAdfXT0LBXZ3xBkB_SZhDLOgEAPygvJcOhrEfZn3HjyF47iV5P0DaRZzlmykwxXzYryrWbrNOD3ZUYXItUb_QYHxdQbiUYVYRBA25bbeYR7U/s1600/DSC_2902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO23GP4z9lOP1undbjanF-TVJb1yaAKM_XAdfXT0LBXZ3xBkB_SZhDLOgEAPygvJcOhrEfZn3HjyF47iV5P0DaRZzlmykwxXzYryrWbrNOD3ZUYXItUb_QYHxdQbiUYVYRBA25bbeYR7U/s400/DSC_2902.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You need to make <span style="color: blue; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.sprinklebakes.com/2012/03/sweet-and-salty-guinness-chocolate-pie.html"><u><b>this</b></u></a></span><span style="color: blue;"> </span>now. Really. Go. I'll wait.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Ate</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span> <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0sraym0oZZsvmRIFTUWfQ-y7Vp0bfUKGX6TZ_SFHd_CjTPVAys5CulKrET94RHpqaCr1QKLsBnC0NFl8ITP0Bb5OBYpKq_JnG1XtDP07qL-NVCrD1ISowf0MD1i78Qc6zOue2X99h8U/s1600/DSC_2906.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ0sraym0oZZsvmRIFTUWfQ-y7Vp0bfUKGX6TZ_SFHd_CjTPVAys5CulKrET94RHpqaCr1QKLsBnC0NFl8ITP0Bb5OBYpKq_JnG1XtDP07qL-NVCrD1ISowf0MD1i78Qc6zOue2X99h8U/s400/DSC_2906.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unbelievably good. Guiness and chocolate go together like...pie and a fat ass.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And shredded.</span></b><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpke1AvXcOPQgvift57wrL7cVXF174uox7Y9a1eXiE453C-w0Dr8DiqNKt3D7efl8XVejVhDL6GmmtxkjMea4MX5tg4kUWsbY6rvMzoae7S2QDvECmATAUEBddo0qPp6SPfSkuTP3F4rQ/s1600/jillian-shredworkout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpke1AvXcOPQgvift57wrL7cVXF174uox7Y9a1eXiE453C-w0Dr8DiqNKt3D7efl8XVejVhDL6GmmtxkjMea4MX5tg4kUWsbY6rvMzoae7S2QDvECmATAUEBddo0qPp6SPfSkuTP3F4rQ/s400/jillian-shredworkout.jpg" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See the pictures above for why I am NOT on my way to losing up to 20 pounds in 30 days!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: large;">The break, it was good.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-32569662691562947412012-02-29T10:00:00.001-05:002012-02-29T10:00:41.537-05:00Trying Not to Freak Out<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwpYDOnCZd4WweC5wFR5a3Fwmfblb5tr9K6Ms8JLHG9VayvOVH9cyonMaL1VQtp3DiQ3eZ7efNWJ1XDFbVChSTEk96-X6yhDIFpehL5Y05od6XnAkCPbnZ9Ooc84Fev3dPM8nd3miq1I/s1600/iStock_Job-Hunting-XSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikwpYDOnCZd4WweC5wFR5a3Fwmfblb5tr9K6Ms8JLHG9VayvOVH9cyonMaL1VQtp3DiQ3eZ7efNWJ1XDFbVChSTEk96-X6yhDIFpehL5Y05od6XnAkCPbnZ9Ooc84Fev3dPM8nd3miq1I/s400/iStock_Job-Hunting-XSmall.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-48660028880590475752012-02-25T17:24:00.003-05:002012-02-25T17:29:56.432-05:00Cliche<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I have been many sizes in my life: normal, healthy little girl, baby fat teen, thin young adult, and uncomfortable-for-me overweight. Anyone with half a brain (and eyesight if you look at me) can tell which one I am now. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And I'm not happy about it and haven't been in a long time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I've been too lazy, and nervous, to do anything about it. The lazy part isn't unusual for the average American but the nervous requires a little explaining. I know it's a cliche--it seems everyone around me is constantly "dieting." Just like everyone else, I've talked about starting an exercise program <a href="http://thegregarioushomebody.blogspot.com/2008/06/drama.html"><u><b>(here </b></u></a>and <a href="http://thegregarioushomebody.blogspot.com/2011/04/burn.html"><b><u>here</u></b></a></span>) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">but I don't think I've said why dieting, exercising, etc. makes me nervous. It's because for about 7 years I was bulimic, starting in college. It was awful, disgusting, shameful, all-encompassing. I equate it to being alcoholic (one day and a time and all that) except with the added challenge of the simple fact that one can live without alcohol. Not food (and who would want to?).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So anyway, I've tried to lose weight later after getting "better" and after having slowly packed on weight after each kid, but each time I felt myself slipping into the crazy. The obsessive. The frightened. So I'd stop. And crawl into a tubby cocoon. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But I think I'm finally getting to a point in my life (hello, 40's!) in which I'd like to be as healthy inside and out as I can. I'm going to exercise, watch what I eat (without avoiding fun stuff like birthdays, nights out with friends, etc. for fear of taking one bite/drink and sliding into The Crazy.).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I want to be healthy and not tired all the time. I want to sweat only when it's actually hot. I want to be strong. I want to be a role model for my kids in every way I can. And for some reason, I want to do <a href="http://thecolorrun.com/"><u><b>this</b></u></a> without passing out. Wish me luck.</span></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-50491723901738608372012-01-22T13:53:00.002-05:002012-03-06T08:29:18.829-05:00Happy New Year!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One of the best things about my new career is learning something new every single day. I love that. And the fact that the things I learn are so interesting certainly helps. I've always considered myself a pretty open-minded (though opinionated) person but working with international students has opened my mind in ways I never could have imagined.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mmw4w9Xflwm-xPFh58n48TY8x5NTuWUm2fzE5emdsreR6CiXlB_Ud8XFPoFE31H9YBIXMl53v6koxZ7x6ljuRqxHN8LBSMLyWKJBpKSpL0rTB088TP5PZUMf38euwFoxbMt9qU-OW6c/s1600/Anthoni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9mmw4w9Xflwm-xPFh58n48TY8x5NTuWUm2fzE5emdsreR6CiXlB_Ud8XFPoFE31H9YBIXMl53v6koxZ7x6ljuRqxHN8LBSMLyWKJBpKSpL0rTB088TP5PZUMf38euwFoxbMt9qU-OW6c/s400/Anthoni.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The two portraits below were taken by Anthoni, who is graduating in May. I miss him already! Look at him--is he not the cutest??</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">One culture I thought I knew pretty well from books/movies,etc. was Chinese culture. I've always loved Chinese literature. I love the poetry of their words. But one part that I misunderstood was that I always thought of their culture primarily as one of obedience to the state. There's much more to it than that. China is such a large country that, just like the US, there are subcultures just as there are so many dialects. I think you would have to travel to every province to begin to understand it all. But one of the best parts of their culture is shared by all Chinese and something that I share with them--a love of tradition and family (friends and blood relatives).</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdSxYawrogFgqoINJd_waExy0bzZCuRmVZpif6nnSp9r9pVR-jztHF8ucKJLOqoXRgl7Qohw52dfbFNI0qBUVEH2jXZuBIw-OPOIPTKM00s0nAvZHLB0_HIHMNDcBsBGOFN15dY13SrE/s1600/Qin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdSxYawrogFgqoINJd_waExy0bzZCuRmVZpif6nnSp9r9pVR-jztHF8ucKJLOqoXRgl7Qohw52dfbFNI0qBUVEH2jXZuBIw-OPOIPTKM00s0nAvZHLB0_HIHMNDcBsBGOFN15dY13SrE/s400/Qin.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Qin is an artist and as lovely as she is quirky. Those glasses have no lenses but they look cool!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filial_piety"><u><b>Filial piety</b></u></a> is an important part of that. Sometimes, in books and movies, the respect for elders can seem binding and restraining, but I've seen the other side of it in these students--a genuine love (and like!) of their parents and a desire to make them proud. It's not something I consciously thought about when I was their age. I wanted my parents to be proud, sure, but mostly I was all about me me me. The balance can be delicate between making themselves happy and their parents proud but at its heart it is, for lack of a better word, very very nice to see.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B3p4oVITpGpp22Tlu_qa4hnTW-EMXo3XJUacEehE_UWQAsDYVy1V8QFL3EruAY8U_lIqXxPDdbA5LH1p0lP0q85hyphenhyphen9Bf0jUvUqrFZRZCACY7UGjcBsdMyN0Nh09WLdxwB50spBHEaI0/s1600/chenkai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9B3p4oVITpGpp22Tlu_qa4hnTW-EMXo3XJUacEehE_UWQAsDYVy1V8QFL3EruAY8U_lIqXxPDdbA5LH1p0lP0q85hyphenhyphen9Bf0jUvUqrFZRZCACY7UGjcBsdMyN0Nh09WLdxwB50spBHEaI0/s400/chenkai.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chenkai had the nerve to go back to China after getting his MBA because he didn't want his mother to miss him too much. <i><b> </b></i>I miss making him blush by telling him about his awesomeness.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And the food! I love the symbolism of almost everything they eat and the attention to detail in a simple dish. HH would love to eat Chinese food every night but what is served to us Americans, so I've learned, is a bastardized version of the authentic dishes served in China. When I asked what the difference was between what we have and "real" Chinese, my friend Chenkai said "Sugar. Everything you eat is so sweet." And I get that. As I get older, I'm finding I like things less sweet and more savory or tangy. I can't wait to go to China to taste the difference. Until then, I'll just have to make my own. Here's what I made for our Chinese New Year dinner--a new tradition!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-QxM776poLn6i8j3tRTjdIq0wFLNqU0ycmuxJL5YBB-SUfCKKLRRi66vxdC_QJDVn6NCDSt1eq22chk8qZRWrY_W4sXmNUWfhIb3Qi4ZpBpzWBuZ52dZlxlHbKJ36fwLLRSAYzhGRxE/s1600/DSC_2849.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu-QxM776poLn6i8j3tRTjdIq0wFLNqU0ycmuxJL5YBB-SUfCKKLRRi66vxdC_QJDVn6NCDSt1eq22chk8qZRWrY_W4sXmNUWfhIb3Qi4ZpBpzWBuZ52dZlxlHbKJ36fwLLRSAYzhGRxE/s640/DSC_2849.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back to front: <a href="http://chinesefood.about.com/od/foodfestivals/tp/foodsymbolism.htm"><u><b>Noodles for long life</b></u></a>, <a href="http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesenewyear/a/symbolicnewyear_2.htm"><u><b>spring rolls for family reunion</b></u></a>, and crab dumplings for wealth. (Edamame was there because we like them)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-AoUDz9im8cEX6b2Wh7I9NP3ZeEJUzcbS0I2tck_tPbItAwfH1vJafzxO33OtAUeDR-Idlh5IJ5Xp29FVqbGgmOKxuc6PoueFK0GivTzYXmNHTrMnEPWNJWnCRaahT-eG1Eq1QQU-lk/s1600/DSC_2850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm-AoUDz9im8cEX6b2Wh7I9NP3ZeEJUzcbS0I2tck_tPbItAwfH1vJafzxO33OtAUeDR-Idlh5IJ5Xp29FVqbGgmOKxuc6PoueFK0GivTzYXmNHTrMnEPWNJWnCRaahT-eG1Eq1QQU-lk/s400/DSC_2850.JPG" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://chinesefood.about.com/od/foodfestivals/tp/foodsymbolism.htm"><u><b>Tangerines for luck</b></u></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgq3MQwiz1_20WDuCq9hiQg-sySe8oIcshxUcFXZPK758CsS-Lp-N0lQ6P0cqrMbI-sUYCAy5QQXy-RwycsaaPvU39ksK-xqIm25Q_WTEA0gQZpzLTvSNWaeZdWZeyeLRQUlGyzK1Abk/s1600/DSC_2852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgq3MQwiz1_20WDuCq9hiQg-sySe8oIcshxUcFXZPK758CsS-Lp-N0lQ6P0cqrMbI-sUYCAy5QQXy-RwycsaaPvU39ksK-xqIm25Q_WTEA0gQZpzLTvSNWaeZdWZeyeLRQUlGyzK1Abk/s400/DSC_2852.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almond cookies for a sweet life</td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-57697513244605747392011-12-31T15:00:00.001-05:002011-12-31T15:03:06.752-05:0010 Wishes for 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFgiA5kcPL_QdhHuofPtAdRrxzVRFPoU-7ZOXOYUmidZ64z_IWHv_P_fXypxUj9Oxu50qTjGOqxBnoHfLJedyFL_tiRe90nmRYrwgaGb96magYinTfgg2xYFcz0JGlx71T7COWvUBcKQ/s1600/2011-new-years-eve-party-redding-california.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpFgiA5kcPL_QdhHuofPtAdRrxzVRFPoU-7ZOXOYUmidZ64z_IWHv_P_fXypxUj9Oxu50qTjGOqxBnoHfLJedyFL_tiRe90nmRYrwgaGb96magYinTfgg2xYFcz0JGlx71T7COWvUBcKQ/s1600/2011-new-years-eve-party-redding-california.jpg" />1</a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Let's not call them resolutions because then there's so much pressure. </span></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table><ol style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: left;"><ol><li>See a friend find her feet again </li>
<li>Graduate with a 3.9 cum GPA (I can't help it, I'm a dork) </li>
<li>Crack The Boy's teenage veneer to get to know the <i>new</i> him better</li>
<li>Not react (negatively/personally) when The Girl is being 13</li>
<li>Hold HH's hand more</li>
<li>Get a better grip on a few things</li>
<li>Get a new <strike>job</strike> career</li>
<li>More patience for #'s 3 and 4</li>
<li>More patience in general</li>
<li style="color: #a64d79;"><b>Health, happiness and all the rest for all I love </b></li>
</ol></ol><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><ol style="text-align: left;"></ol></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-58677588568345982662011-12-14T21:24:00.002-05:002011-12-14T21:29:36.996-05:00Simply Blown Away<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="color: #444444; text-align: center;"><a href="http://bethlehempolice.blogspot.com/2011/12/patrick-ytsma-ride-of-respect.html"><b><u style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">WOW</span></u></b></a></div></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-52038288902244827832011-12-08T10:50:00.000-05:002011-12-08T10:50:22.576-05:00<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWczYC2XhW1JuHT2YrHcsfWB0mW5cXYv6tgbMq3BktjkAXZhVw9wpS8jsB4yHuzMlucnFrIonozsdZEv3jqZI9y_EE6GSudZJbDbxGUsUrNez9okfXdBVpqxUiMeiwIbDTduFgtuJSJmc/s1600/patjudy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWczYC2XhW1JuHT2YrHcsfWB0mW5cXYv6tgbMq3BktjkAXZhVw9wpS8jsB4yHuzMlucnFrIonozsdZEv3jqZI9y_EE6GSudZJbDbxGUsUrNez9okfXdBVpqxUiMeiwIbDTduFgtuJSJmc/s640/patjudy.jpg" width="425" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I remember the first time I met Pat. I had mooched an invitation from Lynn to join her on a Girl Scout trip to Ringing Rocks in Bucks County. I was still in the part of my life when I didn't feel like I had the good good friends that I wanted. So much of having small children and staying home with them is comprised of joining play groups and talking to mothers and fathers and hoping to get a connection but sometimes that connection is only made up of the tenuous strings of both of you having small children. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was so hoping for some <b><i>real </i></b>friends.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">So we got to Ringing Rocks when everyone from her troop was already there. I had a vague recollection that the tow-headed girl with the Dutch boy haircut was little Caroline Ytsma because Lynn's daughter was in kindergarten with her. I climbed over towards her and heard her talking to "Pat," the man next to her with the same-colored hair.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Pat! Look at what this rock looks like! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pat! Listen to what this rock sounds like when I bash it in! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pat! LOOK!!" </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I asked Lynn who "Pat" was. "That's Caroline's father. She calls him Pat." </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I considered myself open-minded, hip, even mildly sophisticated in my early 30's. But it would never ever cross my mind to "allow" a child to call their father by his first name, thinking it seemed....disrespectful somehow. Once I got to know Pat, I understood Judy's reasoning for "allowing" it. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"There is no question of who the children's father is and how they respect him. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">They just call him Pat."</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And she 's right. Pat is one of the best fathers I know. Pat's children had the best of him---teaching, snuggling, teasing, loving. That first meeting was an indication of the level of involvement, genuine liking of his children and his wife that Pat had. In a sea of Girl Scouts that first time we met, he was the one dad banging on those rocks with his girl. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And loving every minute of it. </span></div><br />
</div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-23731537101171331252011-11-29T10:23:00.001-05:002011-11-29T10:24:53.201-05:00Dying from the Cuteness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've become a knitter!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCjr4xpPyXsw-X5zIQSXfOTS8w-ew-Do4chfMfPSVF5o7b4SFz2tGM5ldj4XtV4JaCgT_h9OFdY8v7LzBc8Frz_vlFFqsH_MUfybFjk5YNNBjUVcpfaXW5BPsjP8Iafa6mGHL_vuwUi8/s1600/DSC_2781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVCjr4xpPyXsw-X5zIQSXfOTS8w-ew-Do4chfMfPSVF5o7b4SFz2tGM5ldj4XtV4JaCgT_h9OFdY8v7LzBc8Frz_vlFFqsH_MUfybFjk5YNNBjUVcpfaXW5BPsjP8Iafa6mGHL_vuwUi8/s400/DSC_2781.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raveled <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/jentopp/knitting-bag-ornament"><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><u>here</u></b></span></a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-80590022920476105042011-11-22T09:44:00.001-05:002011-11-22T16:16:53.970-05:00Oh My God a Post!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZF3WAYDWgk9wFywsAE3c5sK7d8px_mzUugvr0zARc68tZMBgY8snsG0fGrDv2tJOqCXhbtLgMA83JN5EgNFM_KpORWB7sMvTDvZHIxCjs7OJdwoKv82_rjAGd78RfNZcUHkPDA9TGYk/s1600/moi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuZF3WAYDWgk9wFywsAE3c5sK7d8px_mzUugvr0zARc68tZMBgY8snsG0fGrDv2tJOqCXhbtLgMA83JN5EgNFM_KpORWB7sMvTDvZHIxCjs7OJdwoKv82_rjAGd78RfNZcUHkPDA9TGYk/s1600/moi.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This woman is smiling because her house is clean and she had nothing to do with it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Becoming a grad student after working for 16 years in a completely different field as well as having two babies and raising them up was, in two words, an adjustment. For the first time in a long <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">long</i> time, I began to focus on myself. That sounds like a good thing—a relief—to someone who isn’t a mom and, in a lot of ways, it was. But the guilt is never far behind when a mom gives a few brain cells over to things other than house and home. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But, after wrestling with all the child-related what if’s and getting over the fear that I would be the oldest person in the room—including the professor—I began to have an amazing time as a student again. And the guilt began to fade away as I saw my husband (always a great father but a man with a full time job) take the reins with all the little tasks that make up a day in a family with children. The kids began to look to him for help with things when in the past, no matter what I was doing (making dinner, taking a shower!), they would ask me even if he was sitting there, doing nothing. He began to know their schedule probably better than I ever did, helping them with homework, signing permission forms, etc., while I could devote myself to reading for class and working on papers. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">He even CLEANED THE HOUSE.</div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, nearing the end of a three-year grad program, I’m now not only more educated and (hopefully!) a better candidate for a better job, I’m also a woman in a better marriage. I never imagined that would be one of the perks of going back to school. And while I still have some guilt that I don’t remember when my son’s history paper is due (or, honestly, what his History teacher’s name is), my kids have learned two things from their mom putting them second for the first time ever: education, at any age, is important (and do-able!) and a good marriage truly is a partnership. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sometimes it’s 50/50. Most of the time it’s not. </div></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-87919684176913924252011-08-20T13:03:00.001-04:002011-08-20T13:04:32.990-04:00Corners of My Home<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBB4PLo4k15VlxQ0h1H7Osoz9Hx4G8jiIrnaMJL3oiOBLCCFYkKN-YRdA13th-XGFDwyjY4WOdwz5RVCj_uwj7t9DdfK9LyhllYV83w_g-FTkFoQEMK6Kmupe32bS6l413rVQB4KuuqY/s1600/DSC_2628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguBB4PLo4k15VlxQ0h1H7Osoz9Hx4G8jiIrnaMJL3oiOBLCCFYkKN-YRdA13th-XGFDwyjY4WOdwz5RVCj_uwj7t9DdfK9LyhllYV83w_g-FTkFoQEMK6Kmupe32bS6l413rVQB4KuuqY/s400/DSC_2628.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcIsccTDWfgDPnrCrhJGVB36aFbXxskxJXpqDy2tQbvey8-t-2KgnIwQhlv9Y6SuxZBwmSy2pfBvljVJCe_wS6_L6crjZtGG3rd3x39wgNIMVmrDFkBiGPqQUWOibY39VyXzzmZXr5w0/s1600/DSC_2627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcIsccTDWfgDPnrCrhJGVB36aFbXxskxJXpqDy2tQbvey8-t-2KgnIwQhlv9Y6SuxZBwmSy2pfBvljVJCe_wS6_L6crjZtGG3rd3x39wgNIMVmrDFkBiGPqQUWOibY39VyXzzmZXr5w0/s400/DSC_2627.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR06nDd3GrG8xyKJZo6Vuze4eMDDo_udLuxrqtPlWM3ZivQoJFP6EscxpPv4t5QaZ9Xv9nGsXJZjGvnO8kdAzH6qvNiKOqbxJ75KXv-tDsfz1bN2i9vnPfV-w0KiPxi9W9t1pFDLd45w/s1600/DSC_2631.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUR06nDd3GrG8xyKJZo6Vuze4eMDDo_udLuxrqtPlWM3ZivQoJFP6EscxpPv4t5QaZ9Xv9nGsXJZjGvnO8kdAzH6qvNiKOqbxJ75KXv-tDsfz1bN2i9vnPfV-w0KiPxi9W9t1pFDLd45w/s640/DSC_2631.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceIxfA3BZfEk2lCM798tTrsSTLY2Eew7t_Q0vhD9zx3QntXvTG5-cV7TfrVNbcEykHG8jBqGn8m5aq60LaB5jtBLUCP-Ju79p6a_UT1IlB36gRKJP-UCR4ZBK0NNSr4O87YDlzxWytTw/s1600/DSC_2635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiceIxfA3BZfEk2lCM798tTrsSTLY2Eew7t_Q0vhD9zx3QntXvTG5-cV7TfrVNbcEykHG8jBqGn8m5aq60LaB5jtBLUCP-Ju79p6a_UT1IlB36gRKJP-UCR4ZBK0NNSr4O87YDlzxWytTw/s640/DSC_2635.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonTM0_bw0GSV5yMZmZDFhOWedbAjTbAvZSmBNxDPkWcSysR3QkUk8pOx48C3PHTPvVrOvj59jfwyIHgraBQDCOV7c4EyCFZLxkSzKwREODLcynbtrStdyRKAIeK2ddBRa9cjHfLoVNr8/s1600/DSC_2629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjonTM0_bw0GSV5yMZmZDFhOWedbAjTbAvZSmBNxDPkWcSysR3QkUk8pOx48C3PHTPvVrOvj59jfwyIHgraBQDCOV7c4EyCFZLxkSzKwREODLcynbtrStdyRKAIeK2ddBRa9cjHfLoVNr8/s640/DSC_2629.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuFYRn_OQQG0dWQnlsNO8iR43C_9rYuu6nwfAUNy81J9IfXMOrQVuG_M4wWA7Vn4JOfcatLGNA9LaW2s6U7wcvKR883rcu2HN0SmpuRY82ZrPy7OEfq3EUmVf2mTQ6L01E1PXkxKvNDc/s1600/DSC_2634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJuFYRn_OQQG0dWQnlsNO8iR43C_9rYuu6nwfAUNy81J9IfXMOrQVuG_M4wWA7Vn4JOfcatLGNA9LaW2s6U7wcvKR883rcu2HN0SmpuRY82ZrPy7OEfq3EUmVf2mTQ6L01E1PXkxKvNDc/s640/DSC_2634.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I can't be the only one </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">who is looking forward to the house not being </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>so full of humans</b> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">all day.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nine more days... </span></span></div></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-8476778742313779142011-08-12T13:43:00.004-04:002011-08-12T18:29:37.129-04:00*Vermont, It Is<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaX1563EPMDhTdSbczfkXozg0aSImAl8XvHYf2xU4q0jxDY3KtXtZWdcgQyXLCUAa3ogbZ8mDrId_AQVi-bkcaGV5DezWTOcxGatCygsdFTkEimES23v43fJO9XNXLRLMVEnf3yCKUwQ/s1600/DSC_2373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJaX1563EPMDhTdSbczfkXozg0aSImAl8XvHYf2xU4q0jxDY3KtXtZWdcgQyXLCUAa3ogbZ8mDrId_AQVi-bkcaGV5DezWTOcxGatCygsdFTkEimES23v43fJO9XNXLRLMVEnf3yCKUwQ/s400/DSC_2373.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.chelsearoyaldiner.com/home.php"><b><u>Diners</u></b></a> that serve eggs from their own chickens</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6cfsTsxAJKumBATiOENAPkEnZmLJvq9r9NrY8ExFor1E56k-ZSE7NToqvUbMkOEEoNSYLPOSmQAn1CMafDbw6_DaKE4gznQGcdgG3xQi_kTXB3DKojEF-PKFAJV23RyQACQwaL1i2jw/s1600/DSC_2378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6cfsTsxAJKumBATiOENAPkEnZmLJvq9r9NrY8ExFor1E56k-ZSE7NToqvUbMkOEEoNSYLPOSmQAn1CMafDbw6_DaKE4gznQGcdgG3xQi_kTXB3DKojEF-PKFAJV23RyQACQwaL1i2jw/s640/DSC_2378.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Supermarkets that sell<b> <i>all</i> </b>the necessities</span><br />
<br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0cNEbDFcyiE_9iSqmRaKxvjlU7RJKgpASrNMYvYb80cVVfPquqxmil4lSKrNVA0GXolLonuePoAZSfFtLytFMe5l8P1gvj4-mjO3-LsPFuoozbnVOwZv-QGDw1sa9TqSNgpzCpicFjk/s1600/DSC_2379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0cNEbDFcyiE_9iSqmRaKxvjlU7RJKgpASrNMYvYb80cVVfPquqxmil4lSKrNVA0GXolLonuePoAZSfFtLytFMe5l8P1gvj4-mjO3-LsPFuoozbnVOwZv-QGDw1sa9TqSNgpzCpicFjk/s400/DSC_2379.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Cool enough temperatures to enjoy a drink by the fire</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjO8Ae67-2cb6YzC4ASE4tywR6MV9zxf0t7walgWCR7_3YtLv63_JYGQz5cwU7kIIFVEmIFn853V8hU27OeldDTGEcGumA_uKj0hqAR2aFtnX0THyeY2R2hD-FFMcGufXOE10VX3dP9Q/s1600/DSC_2381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDjO8Ae67-2cb6YzC4ASE4tywR6MV9zxf0t7walgWCR7_3YtLv63_JYGQz5cwU7kIIFVEmIFn853V8hU27OeldDTGEcGumA_uKj0hqAR2aFtnX0THyeY2R2hD-FFMcGufXOE10VX3dP9Q/s640/DSC_2381.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Time to enjoy it</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFYbhQc2DKpdg4dDihf4ze0B9ur6KL_ksFq5zSAXfCt4iflkaPG3rjNNkzsoN_BljwbCAkhul2gvtlIacIkPaOlhjuwpkXoLEt596HFip_1cxLskeGy27FkjzuNxAehUUFXHB4eLrMGQ/s1600/DSC_2389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFYbhQc2DKpdg4dDihf4ze0B9ur6KL_ksFq5zSAXfCt4iflkaPG3rjNNkzsoN_BljwbCAkhul2gvtlIacIkPaOlhjuwpkXoLEt596HFip_1cxLskeGy27FkjzuNxAehUUFXHB4eLrMGQ/s640/DSC_2389.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cool <a href="http://www.vermont.org/visiting/index.aspx"><b><u>college towns</u></b></a></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGswvhr-tX8XNuBOioj-cDhipOmbgT8p1LNs5FMLAYlLFckXykeNT2SuIk5BlQvOYl-aauTv6bUD3fDHLYlv6SeOGsYXWiZrPNbJ31ImIMjwHzvGGfzaEdQafhhxgtxPk5L_nFLII7cnA/s1600/DSC_2395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGswvhr-tX8XNuBOioj-cDhipOmbgT8p1LNs5FMLAYlLFckXykeNT2SuIk5BlQvOYl-aauTv6bUD3fDHLYlv6SeOGsYXWiZrPNbJ31ImIMjwHzvGGfzaEdQafhhxgtxPk5L_nFLII7cnA/s640/DSC_2395.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Even cooler <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloodhound"><b><u>dogs</u></b></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeqSmkhyphenhyphenIx2DGJpu1NrmL0pskbOn9Ifp6Xj9uL7A9G9rDrWe7ffQn3LqsyhpqyCIV7BQsMubQ3GRRotZuf_1i5NGTv78G6xfwi_DQjYmy5M3D9MLV36cdjJ_zB6n7aYq4-PR0jTYKjNQ/s1600/DSC_2397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaeqSmkhyphenhyphenIx2DGJpu1NrmL0pskbOn9Ifp6Xj9uL7A9G9rDrWe7ffQn3LqsyhpqyCIV7BQsMubQ3GRRotZuf_1i5NGTv78G6xfwi_DQjYmy5M3D9MLV36cdjJ_zB6n7aYq4-PR0jTYKjNQ/s400/DSC_2397.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Delicious factory <a href="http://www.benjerry.com/scoop-shops/factory-tours/?refcd=GO000000516855322s_ben_and_jerryQZs_factory_tour&tsacr=GO12339971152&gclid=CLuc8OenyqoCFc1_5Qod4V5C0w"><b><u>tours</u></b></a></span><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8u__G9lFM7YGxonV7Jjm6M9_-akHjQXfbAQ0WZ5PetEy2AGNN9pp7bkPk1nLlEb89_it7NxO67H7eqHBtrswMgChjOtuNqfhYZsSBfHZcqW4dkpB-mfbV4WfHEoWAKJGNvDjZwMFgic/s1600/DSC_2444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8u__G9lFM7YGxonV7Jjm6M9_-akHjQXfbAQ0WZ5PetEy2AGNN9pp7bkPk1nLlEb89_it7NxO67H7eqHBtrswMgChjOtuNqfhYZsSBfHZcqW4dkpB-mfbV4WfHEoWAKJGNvDjZwMFgic/s640/DSC_2444.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> So many <a href="http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/quechee.htm"><b><u>places</u></b></a> to swim</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhir6iVUUzPWTPgmIm9c3emUGswOYgEEK2EoftEvxRXnctzPuWMChM2ARnWjFmWX_ejigfxCCYKHhBXzJDy7hR5ADYiDSm5ZeI06tylqaaqFSUS7Vm0mIAfjL9hzvlLWr0xT-KpYb0CA1A/s1600/DSC_2450.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhir6iVUUzPWTPgmIm9c3emUGswOYgEEK2EoftEvxRXnctzPuWMChM2ARnWjFmWX_ejigfxCCYKHhBXzJDy7hR5ADYiDSm5ZeI06tylqaaqFSUS7Vm0mIAfjL9hzvlLWr0xT-KpYb0CA1A/s640/DSC_2450.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> And cute <a href="http://www.woodstockvt.com/"><b><u>places</u></b></a> to window shop</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yDl1xgNVf4omhuBRrHj7iFXAnjQSdlygChyphenhyphenVMJ0tUxryNZky_7HOnef4_M8W3i1AAn9bMPRLEiTLYYBkBD05ZwTryWXEoMx8yuAZefpJdnYXPAeSlF-A_Q1vJKSut5BVYgq9NuclWJs/s1600/DSC_2477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9yDl1xgNVf4omhuBRrHj7iFXAnjQSdlygChyphenhyphenVMJ0tUxryNZky_7HOnef4_M8W3i1AAn9bMPRLEiTLYYBkBD05ZwTryWXEoMx8yuAZefpJdnYXPAeSlF-A_Q1vJKSut5BVYgq9NuclWJs/s400/DSC_2477.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Beautiful wildflowers</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNqSjl22L8XvvDxoMevQXKoJ6iW2GjkE-ined4tgTyh_r87ERZGMgtGs1WKfCKu4IKpVvOvIcx4qZGDbvY5sZ6HQj8ZAGCK4FGzoEvNvwKDJvbVzylB1OIINpgRx7DKG5-J0_B0burl0/s1600/DSC_2457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaNqSjl22L8XvvDxoMevQXKoJ6iW2GjkE-ined4tgTyh_r87ERZGMgtGs1WKfCKu4IKpVvOvIcx4qZGDbvY5sZ6HQj8ZAGCK4FGzoEvNvwKDJvbVzylB1OIINpgRx7DKG5-J0_B0burl0/s640/DSC_2457.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Once internet friends, now <a href="http://adozeneggs.com/wordpress/"><b><u>friends</u></b></a> IRL</span><br />
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</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxXF4B6HLDu_KOgH4RCMcgb2mVK1CPL8KyvOmb27YETrNA26fTnQKPggPbDX57V0UAWV1To6cV7Dmd_2KrS1Rkh3AXF7SPosSVxro73m4QbBnR3nvhKOP1e6kkpBerwpLVeT4cPyzr6g/s1600/DSC_2469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxXF4B6HLDu_KOgH4RCMcgb2mVK1CPL8KyvOmb27YETrNA26fTnQKPggPbDX57V0UAWV1To6cV7Dmd_2KrS1Rkh3AXF7SPosSVxro73m4QbBnR3nvhKOP1e6kkpBerwpLVeT4cPyzr6g/s640/DSC_2469.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> And <a href="http://www.lakerescue.org/LRA/Home.html"><b><u>lakeside</u></b></a>, wood-canopied lanes</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">*Thank goodness there were no <a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?q=bigfoot+howard+stern&um=1&hl=en&safe=off&client=firefox-a&sa=N&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1252&bih=548&tbm=isch&tbnid=XlijTgca3UkmRM:&imgrefurl=http://www.hark.com/clips/tjfhbdqkch-04-19-10-little-lupe-calls-bigfoot-the-howard-stern-show&docid=nj1NAW-UsCgNgM&w=480&h=360&ei=0KhFTrCSNsa3tweHv4DWBQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=449&vpy=117&dur=618&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=138&ty=94&page=1&tbnh=114&tbnw=155&start=0&ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:2,s:0"><u><b>Bigfoot</b></u></a> sightings. I was hoping for some moose though.</span> </span></div></div></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-12185255907786544662011-08-10T15:02:00.003-04:002011-08-10T22:46:14.555-04:00Finally<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Greetings from overcast, sunny, humid, cool, beautiful Vermont. It's a complex state and I love it. I've always loved New England. Although, truth be told, I'm not known for being objective--I tend to want to move to every place I've ever vacationed and Vermont is no exception.</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOttNmujmMzpkXukBvN3QeM5H_vw5xuJ0lbfV00c9nEfZPUvAJqiC7cqaQGagxz2xYapKhYuka9nddUsycaxZI_nVpK5ApT8mvOOD7TwRjxOq_CRpE0IklwnVZ9oOmpOJfcDGIdteFzk/s1600/IMG_0555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOttNmujmMzpkXukBvN3QeM5H_vw5xuJ0lbfV00c9nEfZPUvAJqiC7cqaQGagxz2xYapKhYuka9nddUsycaxZI_nVpK5ApT8mvOOD7TwRjxOq_CRpE0IklwnVZ9oOmpOJfcDGIdteFzk/s400/IMG_0555.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quechee Gorge</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, I think that this vacation is especially sweet because we've waited so long for it. Three years without a vacation may not sound like so much to loads of hard working people who are just happy to make enough money to pay the bills but because of The Economy (for a word with seven letters, it sure feels like a 4-letter one), these past three years have been a real challenge.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkUfgb6qvwZ5kxvfSDxXdwKBMVfn8V-BuacpQkVClkVjPK9TxDxxo3hEoubLBvoKTaj2sJmiAjiO4RC0gWg2hoekssXeSMWS0lZoL2D-zf13Gk1_WIn8pvpHWlyL851KEPjx43AYnAWo/s1600/IMG_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkUfgb6qvwZ5kxvfSDxXdwKBMVfn8V-BuacpQkVClkVjPK9TxDxxo3hEoubLBvoKTaj2sJmiAjiO4RC0gWg2hoekssXeSMWS0lZoL2D-zf13Gk1_WIn8pvpHWlyL851KEPjx43AYnAWo/s400/IMG_0471.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Only The Girl thought to bring her bathing suit</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">HH has always worked hard. He's always worked like every job was the most important one he's ever had. Getting laid off twice from two separate jobs in the past two summers has sucked way more than I could have imagined. Like many men, he took it personally, and I think, measured his personal worth by it. Which isn't fair at all.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaV85ciH4TKGl-InvX8wM2xPyFRSG0bNI4pLfHcNC8hwfMFH_335MBG4PToyLeHVKRBTiPrvzZInxbThk4nJS0vYJrKCLpo0BVgchWb2a4-r8OjBRh5BMFKSZCoKOyVU3UUYJQjZz3gY/s1600/IMG_0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWaV85ciH4TKGl-InvX8wM2xPyFRSG0bNI4pLfHcNC8hwfMFH_335MBG4PToyLeHVKRBTiPrvzZInxbThk4nJS0vYJrKCLpo0BVgchWb2a4-r8OjBRh5BMFKSZCoKOyVU3UUYJQjZz3gY/s400/IMG_0475.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boy, more animated than usual!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">HH has also always lived by the clock. It takes a looooooong time for him to relax. He's always looking at what time it is to measure how long he has at a certain task until he gets to the next one. And that includes when he's having fun! So this vacation has been a real gift. Time to spend with his kids. Time to take pictures. Time to just be.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73MTTwnQ9q1sG82CL1EtgATWMl2gxVNxSVVvCVQPI5rafAoEx96KvcP_VKqdBpihXtYBiHH9PQaAoNKQL1vwzfc9oZKGn-UMv5rw_FOcCzbidQ2Yi8bh_Sd7jIpmQMex20yz4JY-aIZU/s1600/IMG_0512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73MTTwnQ9q1sG82CL1EtgATWMl2gxVNxSVVvCVQPI5rafAoEx96KvcP_VKqdBpihXtYBiHH9PQaAoNKQL1vwzfc9oZKGn-UMv5rw_FOcCzbidQ2Yi8bh_Sd7jIpmQMex20yz4JY-aIZU/s400/IMG_0512.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pretty</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I want to thank HH right here for making it possible. He works so hard and all I can do (until I graduate and get a JOB) is try to make the off times good for him.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8N-492fB3P1EGjZ9RwzQB2mejo0YcS-dRHtzFg6-2wDV3rpCxovk8pv1W2RDvmnDdwRceILu30-Td2ROWBtgFb_sDlmD51eIn5A62DZdMTqE_ihw8IPc9T5clSPURWiJ7xrf7raxibU/s1600/IMG_0415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8N-492fB3P1EGjZ9RwzQB2mejo0YcS-dRHtzFg6-2wDV3rpCxovk8pv1W2RDvmnDdwRceILu30-Td2ROWBtgFb_sDlmD51eIn5A62DZdMTqE_ihw8IPc9T5clSPURWiJ7xrf7raxibU/s400/IMG_0415.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade root beer, black cherry soda, and eggs from their own chickens. We recommend the Chelsea Royal Diner in West Brattleboro. So does <a href="http://www.roadfood.com/"><u><b>Road Food</b></u></a>.</td></tr>
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</span></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-38663335228997129402011-07-31T11:47:00.005-04:002011-07-31T11:53:18.719-04:00I Present to You, Fern, The Wonder Glider<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Below</i></span></b><i><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> is the story I sent <a href="http://www.designsponge.com/"><u>Design Sponge</u></a> for their Before and After series (thanks for the idea, Judy!)</span></b></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Ever since I saw my friend Betsy’s red-painted metal glider that had belonged to her grandmother’s, I knew I had to have one. They’re so charming and who doesn’t want to be rocked while potentially lying down? Betsy’s was, I think, from the 40’s and solid metal with no need for cushions. While searching and searching ebay, Craigslist, and vintage glider websites, the only ones I could find like hers were not only super-rusted (I expected that) but also $400 and up (I did NOT expect that). And most of them were at least 3 hours away from my house.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Then, halleluiah, I found Fern. That’s what I call this little beauty, below: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAkcN7MXkvW5C8iYjFSPebvOOv20PsVsDUdJqB6-qlTnajfPRTn99mBryJhjCiw0OTcaNuP8T42l_xOAL8ngIaVrk8isB2XHOkq-EROBUt_LiCqdgerWKIO7P5XRuFrlarCCT7DxDx70/s1600/DSC_2299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAkcN7MXkvW5C8iYjFSPebvOOv20PsVsDUdJqB6-qlTnajfPRTn99mBryJhjCiw0OTcaNuP8T42l_xOAL8ngIaVrk8isB2XHOkq-EROBUt_LiCqdgerWKIO7P5XRuFrlarCCT7DxDx70/s640/DSC_2299.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I found her on Craiglist at a house that was right around the corner from where I work AND she was owned by fellow alumni of my grad school, AND she was $75! I’m not sure what I love more—the Bakealite handles on the ashtrays (ASHTRAYS!) or the chrome on the sides that makes her look like a ’57 Chevy. Though she was rusty, it was only surface rust. And though most of the cushion covers were in good shape, they weighed a ton so we figured there was a lot of potentially moldy cotton filler in those bad boys. Everything but the Bakealite handles had to be redone.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
<span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">Renovating her was a group effort; I decided to have her professionally sandblasted and powder-coated and then I painted her with trusty Rustoleum spray paint, my husband shined her chrome accents (with wet aluminum foil) and my friend <u style="color: #38761d;"><b><a href="http://www.onegreenpoppy.com/">Kris</a></b> </u>who owns<u style="color: #38761d;"> <b><a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/onegreenpoppy">One Green Poppy</a></b> </u>made the cushions. I even got over my own sewing fears by making some throw pillows for her! Now she looks like this:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKd6wM61xKcMIOfPcuxs0r2thyphenhyphen8eTzjwcakKzPAVo4YBN0lOP8eLLCmgoS9Uy9q8P5j5DOdJzMmHQE5ETbsRwF75WjAe7-TQ0a0D5mnRbzFFI3VQ8BMfXNQ-Aw-gB37tP6TFeEWV13KM/s1600/DSC_2357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjKd6wM61xKcMIOfPcuxs0r2thyphenhyphen8eTzjwcakKzPAVo4YBN0lOP8eLLCmgoS9Uy9q8P5j5DOdJzMmHQE5ETbsRwF75WjAe7-TQ0a0D5mnRbzFFI3VQ8BMfXNQ-Aw-gB37tP6TFeEWV13KM/s640/DSC_2357.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%;">I may never get up again.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;">Sources: Fabric: <u><b><a href="https://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=41da76bf-3e41-478b-a168-60877d1e264d">Richloom Wilder Cabana</a></b>;</u> foam/pillow inserts: Joann Fabrics; paint:<u> </u><b><a href="http://www.rustoleum.com/CBGProduct.asp?pid=404"><u>Rustoleum Ultra Cover in Satin</u> Eden</a></b>, glider: Craigslist</span></div></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-47295553723664273012011-07-08T11:40:00.008-04:002011-07-08T12:46:56.493-04:0024k<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The garden is starting to get that bursting-at-the-seams look that can excite and bewilder. Everything's growing exponentially because of a recent rain after some good hot days. The weeds too, unfortunately. But ever since I realized <a href="http://www.mysquarefootgarden.net/design-garden-beds/"><u><b>Square Foot Gardening</b></u></a> was the way to go (thanks, Mommy), weeding isn't too bad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Understand that I am a fair-weather gardener; I sweat just standing still so if it's really hot, there's no way I'm spending any real time <b>Out There</b>. I have five 4x4' boxes and I can weed all 80 square feet <b>(math!)</b></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">in about 20 minutes. Even I can deal with that. Not that I'm going to today because,<i> hello!</i> It's <b>H-U-M-I-D</b> out there which is worse than hot. Wet underwear weather, people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(too much?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">HOWEVER, I did spend 3 minutes picking today. Here's what I picked:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjby4k3riRdSKUQdYutPMjy3pW-1Bt9OwrSHBvJMYN6wQPZhimxqbDL5-O-cRFfyJOx34dY5Z_iq0FqPOViLylUseNvBY_a2_MdlbrI10mgDE970EEIlYLljuyd8QnMmQzWVEBYaQUwAyE/s1600/DSC_2308.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjby4k3riRdSKUQdYutPMjy3pW-1Bt9OwrSHBvJMYN6wQPZhimxqbDL5-O-cRFfyJOx34dY5Z_iq0FqPOViLylUseNvBY_a2_MdlbrI10mgDE970EEIlYLljuyd8QnMmQzWVEBYaQUwAyE/s400/DSC_2308.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's more than a bunch? That would be a shit ton.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> Woo-hoo!! This is the very best part of vegetable gardening, apart from the eating. Is there nothing more miraculous than planting an itty-bitty-teeny-weeny seed (and carrot seeds are even smaller than that) and getting something this big THAT YOU CAN EAT?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I know!! </span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And I haven't always had the best luck with carrots so this is even more exciting. Here are some more pictures of the beauties.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_r5fQqgLR0Sj6z2qT_hpMGDXndvEOSFNpIUXXuQZ4z2C-DdHl039bbmDqatm42yxIMlwexkf2QIsYtGyKqHsuNIAFcl1FwvQu2jQEDlgIsjUuLio-mc5xhSizPyL7QbeZpqKJLO4F4SQ/s1600/DSC_2324.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_r5fQqgLR0Sj6z2qT_hpMGDXndvEOSFNpIUXXuQZ4z2C-DdHl039bbmDqatm42yxIMlwexkf2QIsYtGyKqHsuNIAFcl1FwvQu2jQEDlgIsjUuLio-mc5xhSizPyL7QbeZpqKJLO4F4SQ/s640/DSC_2324.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small, Medium, and LARGE!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqr7EjLN87LUhuqYDx5156Zu2ZAz7QDTqTh9tP0T5dgxLPqNJUwzQLBGIaKzTwDo-7e9IFeomTsor8kNbKO6OejLJg4MYWB-WWIsH-gfHgDnDHgkIUVNxSUFX7ebYke1iOmxb8mXyNh8/s1600/DSC_2320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyqr7EjLN87LUhuqYDx5156Zu2ZAz7QDTqTh9tP0T5dgxLPqNJUwzQLBGIaKzTwDo-7e9IFeomTsor8kNbKO6OejLJg4MYWB-WWIsH-gfHgDnDHgkIUVNxSUFX7ebYke1iOmxb8mXyNh8/s400/DSC_2320.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here at Topp-Down Organic<b> </b> Farm, we specialize in <b>Saucy Mutant-Limbed Carrots</b>!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQByCOHbOL_oGj_CURFPSJ5K20njJOhCGsAgJ4PQNhlJssLMilHQTfSkAaK12uO4BZJETkX0Mixiz9xyLnWC0oY2x1lufc5I3No84GnVzSUUx8thUKMyMrKPNTap8NYJULtS0dhPvExg/s1600/DSC_2322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOQByCOHbOL_oGj_CURFPSJ5K20njJOhCGsAgJ4PQNhlJssLMilHQTfSkAaK12uO4BZJETkX0Mixiz9xyLnWC0oY2x1lufc5I3No84GnVzSUUx8thUKMyMrKPNTap8NYJULtS0dhPvExg/s640/DSC_2322.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And more demure mutant-limbed ones (who might have to go to the bathroom)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoFq5XVPIqbJ4ely-a1Q7oHheK6zj2VHfaNFsOIBF2oR5KkIfWTAHk43kVy9yois4tj2qCnQmdXvuXKVyGIviBYS3NKFSEXgKKcbGLia4B_x_fH3cIHMZ-I4pxbosY_z_TdCrWVj4kC8/s1600/DSC_2323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoFq5XVPIqbJ4ely-a1Q7oHheK6zj2VHfaNFsOIBF2oR5KkIfWTAHk43kVy9yois4tj2qCnQmdXvuXKVyGIviBYS3NKFSEXgKKcbGLia4B_x_fH3cIHMZ-I4pxbosY_z_TdCrWVj4kC8/s400/DSC_2323.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And sea creatures!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And there are still pretty many carrots still out there growing in the garden!! How will I ever be able to use this many? <i><b>HOW??!!</b></i></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UjnJMMX8_rhNsRxIqwMm5bQH2GJut-DWkr5UH-jQq67RSSshMPRxT7F2nlLXTscjn5FFLFQvgn_kOeIuuf9v7ubieSldVU9-Oo8bV2xRh9G-J51uOBJumcTAskZZjLNqixTFcr50NPE/s1600/DSC_2329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1UjnJMMX8_rhNsRxIqwMm5bQH2GJut-DWkr5UH-jQq67RSSshMPRxT7F2nlLXTscjn5FFLFQvgn_kOeIuuf9v7ubieSldVU9-Oo8bV2xRh9G-J51uOBJumcTAskZZjLNqixTFcr50NPE/s400/DSC_2329.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">SERIOUSLY??<span style="font-size: small;"> Is that ALL?? Let's break it down: $2.50 in seeds to wait 2 months to grow the amount of organic carrots I usually spend $3 on at the grocery store?! </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Clearly, not a bargain.</span></span></span> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(And how do carrot farmers make ANY money?)</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyvnF8tgZ25Fc7POYU7IOB_kZ37JBIORO1H5wGAYNGfY6ntA2PW8BqntEomUpPY-Unt_nLV2baa1PXG9snwqTLo6Zer9EfSkbWSLmws45NIJMyhhyphenhyphen5DH6nsx8K5ZFvEe-2mvJGwNmo_c/s1600/DSC_2325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyvnF8tgZ25Fc7POYU7IOB_kZ37JBIORO1H5wGAYNGfY6ntA2PW8BqntEomUpPY-Unt_nLV2baa1PXG9snwqTLo6Zer9EfSkbWSLmws45NIJMyhhyphenhyphen5DH6nsx8K5ZFvEe-2mvJGwNmo_c/s400/DSC_2325.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">SO MANY CARROTS! not really.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">However, I'm </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">also clearly </span><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">not just in it for the cheap. I love the planning, the watching-it-grow, and the harvesting. It's psychically satisfying. And I know I'll be really<b> really</b> happy when the tomatoes ripen and I'm no longer spending $2 on one decent tomato. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tomatoes <b>are</b> a bargain.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGulFDX5_VeIDHcnLUroAuUuI0mTXgh_PlS1SG5WRdWT57Pl2DysCmLNfQloHfc3SYWX0ESdqv5xM_yqqzyYGEQu3-CchkdKhfJuosLYPvutxHdgyBM2QyObgGoeut2jw3Gl1hjGgmUM/s1600/DSC_2326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbGulFDX5_VeIDHcnLUroAuUuI0mTXgh_PlS1SG5WRdWT57Pl2DysCmLNfQloHfc3SYWX0ESdqv5xM_yqqzyYGEQu3-CchkdKhfJuosLYPvutxHdgyBM2QyObgGoeut2jw3Gl1hjGgmUM/s640/DSC_2326.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And lots of ...compost material! Even Rosie looks perplexed.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <span style="font-size: large;">What's on the horizon for this garden:</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrb6VQgQ5kqHEQvKqN9Idpc3zpyBbsDSwM56QO7K53NCvhYKT4WkUuG9f9fWIPeqlqyJVUcw5AeVjesOx_JI-PehJX7RVRsRBYIrVWx9R_zEDoXVkzb1UIE_2fnLXf-sFldA9rQuHshs/s1600/DSC_2287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGrb6VQgQ5kqHEQvKqN9Idpc3zpyBbsDSwM56QO7K53NCvhYKT4WkUuG9f9fWIPeqlqyJVUcw5AeVjesOx_JI-PehJX7RVRsRBYIrVWx9R_zEDoXVkzb1UIE_2fnLXf-sFldA9rQuHshs/s400/DSC_2287.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Potatoes are located in that ka-lassy tire back there. Check out<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AajRLYJRdOc"><u><b> this space-saving technique</b></u></a>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://rareseeds.com/goldman-s-italian-american-1-4-oz.html"><u><b>Tomatoes</b></u></a>,<a href="http://stage2.smallfarmcentral.com/images/gallery/w150/variety14.jpg"><u><b> eggplant</b></u></a>, <a href="http://rareseeds.com/japanese-long-cucumber-1-oz.html"><b><u>cucumbers</u></b></a>, more arugula, more chard (and more chard, and more chard), basil, lemon thyme, <a href="http://rareseeds.com/purple-of-sicily-cauliflower.html"><u><b>cauliflower</b></u></a>, brussels sprouts, canteloupe, <a href="http://rareseeds.com/yokohama-squash.html"><u><b>pumpkins</b></u></a>, blueberries, sunflowers, asparagus (in 3 years), <u><b>potatoes</b></u>, lettuce, acorn squash, and more <a href="http://rareseeds.com/little-finger-carrot.html"><b><u>carrots</u></b></a>! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And that's just this summer! I'm determined to try my hand at some carpentry with a cold frame from old windows to grow some <a href="http://rareseeds.com/vegetables-d-o/kale/dwarf-siberian-kale.html"><b><u>winter greens</u></b></a>,<a href="http://rareseeds.com/vegetablesa-c/beetroot/golden-beet.html"><u><b> beets</b></u></a> and <a href="http://rareseeds.com/vegetablesa-c/broccoli/romanesco-italia-broccoli.html"><b><u>broccoli</u></b></a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Until then, I'll be making carrot salad, <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnA2pueP2Tnkr5areZgoijJziCWP2FaZp8wMnvR5zQkPrXgldlIrctq7NTyPHYJRIjg6of82tK3B12nuaU4xWFjOc_K6FjIw68AMBrBcvdOmoU_enFcrzQdPu4CxAMAiQi8FF-s8ukTs/s1600/DSC_2305.JPG"><u><b>arugula topped pizza</b></u></a>, <a href="http://inmykitchengarden.blogspot.com/2007/10/what-to-do-with-swiss-chard-hot-swiss.html"><u><b>artichoke and chard dip</b></u></a>, and many many platters of<a href="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUBxHVOqazO3HLezB2DCRfT-CtYcXpeRPshRQvi8b1vXaZlzAVyAV9AzKlSqtCtQDlLRArM8IC6Go5RlVnTlvNTL3Gy3Z64Ycdi91rs4-o2-S-uLbZGhkBgMHhOc9uyrHy0gSaePpTcXY/s1600/caprese+salad.jpg&imgrefurl=http://adirondackbaker.blogspot.com/2010/07/caprese-salad.html&usg=__oUKTkii8XsJ3xmgyNfOiLtABdm8=&h=274&w=350&sz=30&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=pVcvXAvQAJiAQM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=178&ei=zSEXTsaPLMTogAeJ9u33Dw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dcaprese%2Bsalad%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26sa%3DN%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D596%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=344&vpy=290&dur=1357&hovh=199&hovw=254&tx=147&ty=149&page=1&ndsp=14&ved=1t:429,r:11,s:0"><b><u> caprese</u></b></a> salad. And more things topped with chard. And arugula. And chard. You get the picture.</span>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-86388623788157008782011-07-06T16:33:00.004-04:002011-07-08T07:58:40.590-04:00Planning Our Route<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I decided to invest in a guidebook my friend Judy has been using successfully for years. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I am so happy. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Our vacation isn't until August but I am READY. And now that I have this guidebook I'm ready to go even more.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Why, you ask? Because said book offers all the great places to soak up the history of our forefathers and mothers that <b>is</b> New England? Because it divulges the places to get the best deals for antiques and folk art?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Nope....... </span></b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Because <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roadfood-Coast-Coast-Barbecue-Lobster/dp/0307591247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309984402&sr=8-1"><u><b>THIS guidebook </b></u></a>tells me where to get the best of <b><i>these</i></b>:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7Y1fIvHvnUeGw2O1C6bCmKmzCIbyBnBnp-YD0ryB3QD-LY4rDk-jxJsc2mq1nrKf-1_ZsmUDclFHQsP7c0zlwQctafnjvdS0uOhD4-IT5tnMt9lz1oIAkH6Vlc_YZPwJwm4zVQSkn1Q/s1600/P1040949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7Y1fIvHvnUeGw2O1C6bCmKmzCIbyBnBnp-YD0ryB3QD-LY4rDk-jxJsc2mq1nrKf-1_ZsmUDclFHQsP7c0zlwQctafnjvdS0uOhD4-IT5tnMt9lz1oIAkH6Vlc_YZPwJwm4zVQSkn1Q/s400/P1040949.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Dottie's Diner in Woodbury, CT</td></tr>
</tbody></table><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">or the best of <b>THIS</b>:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvdHtSmPzs2_QfVvdq4o-rqVMkQkIixtUfk2LvuDWfZxCqbuPXsV3_XrsG2Gg0cWZPFUPEnfSSNpT8khmKiMyjoOgoUTkFdMHlZLsHb4SrURzwj5uI8yk-KPJUTXTQDli-UDyFhOZjZ8/s1600/Barbecue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVvdHtSmPzs2_QfVvdq4o-rqVMkQkIixtUfk2LvuDWfZxCqbuPXsV3_XrsG2Gg0cWZPFUPEnfSSNpT8khmKiMyjoOgoUTkFdMHlZLsHb4SrURzwj5uI8yk-KPJUTXTQDli-UDyFhOZjZ8/s400/Barbecue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the 52nd Annual Hillbilly Day in Mountain Rest, SC</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Or, for all things that are holy, <span style="font-size: large;"><b>THIS!</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuLKViyuEOVr5BCfl7rorarKOWmoYAp0-J5f5ZUkuQzLSe-Fg7cqgHdfS9Mt_Tdv7W_WufO2FIs0nsFAe4OIop2EhQhH-Fk5HI4WLpeuaXMFntAT9Bk00lz5KmFgHN-2JgSke5VWU27E/s1600/mini_15921.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWuLKViyuEOVr5BCfl7rorarKOWmoYAp0-J5f5ZUkuQzLSe-Fg7cqgHdfS9Mt_Tdv7W_WufO2FIs0nsFAe4OIop2EhQhH-Fk5HI4WLpeuaXMFntAT9Bk00lz5KmFgHN-2JgSke5VWU27E/s400/mini_15921.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belt's Soft Serve in Stevens Point, WI</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Try as I might to wish myself a different person sometimes, food and the enjoyment of food is a big part of me (ha. ha. ha. Insert self-effacing joke here). I truly believe that food, the preparation of it, the serving of it, and the enjoyment of it has huge anthropological import. Really! If you look at our blended society, for example, one of the things people cling to is their culture's food. And what's more satisfying than *ahem* <b><i>learning</i></b> about a local culture by eating its food?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And, clearly, I'm no food snob. My favorite place is a Mom-and-Pop place. There's love (or something) in that food. It's real. It's friendly. And,it doesn't waste effort being fancy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, I will let <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Roadfood-Coast-Coast-Barbecue-Lobster/dp/0307591247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1309984402&sr=8-1"><b><u>Jan and Michael Stern</u></b></a> be my guides and just make sure I do lots of hiking to balance it all out. Here they are now---and don't they just <b>look</b> like fun?!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7LsQp8cBByESpusu9jKS9JlqF9i49fugtm0g4hOuLLfCc7a37vWrmhZ04TP30HbUnZZai0ISD_qVFBdZAtJBU16A39ZmmQLzArreiU2Q6KKblTRlPQRYGSdL9xVXki_iWe2jGU4g_q4/s1600/0622stern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg7LsQp8cBByESpusu9jKS9JlqF9i49fugtm0g4hOuLLfCc7a37vWrmhZ04TP30HbUnZZai0ISD_qVFBdZAtJBU16A39ZmmQLzArreiU2Q6KKblTRlPQRYGSdL9xVXki_iWe2jGU4g_q4/s400/0622stern.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And, much as I would love to have their life--Steve and I would be great at it and he would be able to talk to strangers <i><b>for a living</b></i>---me thinks the picture above foretells the tale of the inequity of life that would most definitely be my fate. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Damn men and their metabolism.</span> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">All photos from the <a href="http://www.roadfood.com/"><u><b>Roadfood</b></u></a> blog</span></span></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8617939621517880651.post-80938704644260434092011-07-02T09:15:00.003-04:002011-07-02T19:01:10.173-04:00What I've Been Up To<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Riding around in a pick-up truck with <b>these knuckleheads</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogwugIa4RKNgzhbqi_2nOGrfSGJFOpR_0L44gdWbu5luviPKMs-WRTtnUBB0OsHFNuQn4mfUC0-gtmjqH0Fg5VOfSjahojYP6pbPG8hdiIf5hDUsabI1RbV18KU6Z4XVXPrfDal63pqk/s1600/DSC_2294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogwugIa4RKNgzhbqi_2nOGrfSGJFOpR_0L44gdWbu5luviPKMs-WRTtnUBB0OsHFNuQn4mfUC0-gtmjqH0Fg5VOfSjahojYP6pbPG8hdiIf5hDUsabI1RbV18KU6Z4XVXPrfDal63pqk/s400/DSC_2294.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlsjmK2OsBNCM6KTXBDxW7DnKvDlSarWdIuZY-YRbm2Z-uMirp8BuNkFm28oyWy7ClONqDYX68FCzaOm5IxzbUrX26uIqyeu7cwWMDAA9_KaMzv05JXs-D1D1tlZTvIQS0jRQAcwJ5Iw/s1600/DSC_2293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYlsjmK2OsBNCM6KTXBDxW7DnKvDlSarWdIuZY-YRbm2Z-uMirp8BuNkFm28oyWy7ClONqDYX68FCzaOm5IxzbUrX26uIqyeu7cwWMDAA9_KaMzv05JXs-D1D1tlZTvIQS0jRQAcwJ5Iw/s400/DSC_2293.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To get <b>these</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDoCh6DTGgYp8wJgxa6D6B4VFfDWfezvqFFheo0S9HOGivt_qphcBeJpNZO0_7Vs17_hNN-9Ao6RPwVz4Dk7SoOh_bDUFrhQouYNJk4vfZv1fWz_jZS8DlMQXQ3GB4VGLmue6zQ9m0C8/s1600/DSC_2285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCDoCh6DTGgYp8wJgxa6D6B4VFfDWfezvqFFheo0S9HOGivt_qphcBeJpNZO0_7Vs17_hNN-9Ao6RPwVz4Dk7SoOh_bDUFrhQouYNJk4vfZv1fWz_jZS8DlMQXQ3GB4VGLmue6zQ9m0C8/s400/DSC_2285.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">To make <b>this</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKTT7mGUFLP6Kmn-V0eAoQ6IuwndJ10dwQ6zNisTRgsO99UGVe8BHMsvYYskG3QalqtpjZh2rBFxQU_wUpZGGYMmKD-qbFfl__M65ptC1ltzrxoBBxNvoGXg3nrWo_lZXs5CzRzMwwz8/s1600/DSC_2284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmKTT7mGUFLP6Kmn-V0eAoQ6IuwndJ10dwQ6zNisTRgsO99UGVe8BHMsvYYskG3QalqtpjZh2rBFxQU_wUpZGGYMmKD-qbFfl__M65ptC1ltzrxoBBxNvoGXg3nrWo_lZXs5CzRzMwwz8/s640/DSC_2284.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Look more like <b>this</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDoedEWMa8N7SJ3p39dRVTM7VAIE1PYBMLtvZLXCFr78Im36JxvkPgJyCZ5A5ETOx0RRqcQMVJHd9blSkWg0bT4M0-hYF04L1B-_Cha80Cq8cQbF0c_B348f_RButtpj0QsfoWcTmbMo/s1600/DSC_2297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYDoedEWMa8N7SJ3p39dRVTM7VAIE1PYBMLtvZLXCFr78Im36JxvkPgJyCZ5A5ETOx0RRqcQMVJHd9blSkWg0bT4M0-hYF04L1B-_Cha80Cq8cQbF0c_B348f_RButtpj0QsfoWcTmbMo/s640/DSC_2297.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And <b>FINALLY</b>, after much looking, finding <b>this</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAkcN7MXkvW5C8iYjFSPebvOOv20PsVsDUdJqB6-qlTnajfPRTn99mBryJhjCiw0OTcaNuP8T42l_xOAL8ngIaVrk8isB2XHOkq-EROBUt_LiCqdgerWKIO7P5XRuFrlarCCT7DxDx70/s1600/DSC_2299.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirAkcN7MXkvW5C8iYjFSPebvOOv20PsVsDUdJqB6-qlTnajfPRTn99mBryJhjCiw0OTcaNuP8T42l_xOAL8ngIaVrk8isB2XHOkq-EROBUt_LiCqdgerWKIO7P5XRuFrlarCCT7DxDx70/s640/DSC_2299.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">And making plans to turn it into an <b>Afte</b>r so we can enjoy more of <b>this</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe21AGpH-V7OZrxL5P9cox5IcIVyodKpdHeZ_hlSge5UkiEMc_mSQchcM5kXUFKwLFZIoQ47MDYZ_EcBxpJlZgVs5-h21pfoca4gu1lrgFvWQP5woYWsKJ6_n-2kRqikrF7UHpjAol0o/s1600/DSC_2288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEe21AGpH-V7OZrxL5P9cox5IcIVyodKpdHeZ_hlSge5UkiEMc_mSQchcM5kXUFKwLFZIoQ47MDYZ_EcBxpJlZgVs5-h21pfoca4gu1lrgFvWQP5woYWsKJ6_n-2kRqikrF7UHpjAol0o/s640/DSC_2288.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><b>Finally</b>, </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">tending to <b>this</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhkxbrtaneN4gjY9DqfzuXkou7GortEyXS4pVg7MI7pbPza8MXgYIYhYM6GfnMHoON05ptkaMOXfrnXMcx7u5bollyClywipFjBH_AGD6a00tjwEAX6ToR8SenrztutH4yBAnNtsogKc/s1600/DSC_2287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmhkxbrtaneN4gjY9DqfzuXkou7GortEyXS4pVg7MI7pbPza8MXgYIYhYM6GfnMHoON05ptkaMOXfrnXMcx7u5bollyClywipFjBH_AGD6a00tjwEAX6ToR8SenrztutH4yBAnNtsogKc/s400/DSC_2287.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> So I can make more of <b>these.</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnA2pueP2Tnkr5areZgoijJziCWP2FaZp8wMnvR5zQkPrXgldlIrctq7NTyPHYJRIjg6of82tK3B12nuaU4xWFjOc_K6FjIw68AMBrBcvdOmoU_enFcrzQdPu4CxAMAiQi8FF-s8ukTs/s1600/DSC_2305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMnA2pueP2Tnkr5areZgoijJziCWP2FaZp8wMnvR5zQkPrXgldlIrctq7NTyPHYJRIjg6of82tK3B12nuaU4xWFjOc_K6FjIw68AMBrBcvdOmoU_enFcrzQdPu4CxAMAiQi8FF-s8ukTs/s640/DSC_2305.JPG" width="424" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I hope your Summer is as sweet as mine is so far!</span></span></div></div>jenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10611430258874396437noreply@blogger.com7