tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65353188434700925172024-03-05T23:47:53.485-05:00Ohio Is My Reset ButtonWhen my husband's job moved us away from friends and family, I was disappointed, to say the least. Rather than wallow in self-pity, though, I am making a conscious decision (daily) to make the best of it! I started this blog as a way to stay motivated to 'reset' my attitude (by focusing on the good things that are happening in my life) and also to stay connected to those people we no longer see on a regular basis.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-77704190095772506062016-02-05T11:51:00.001-05:002016-02-05T11:51:26.434-05:00Traveling with Cats(This is a continuation of my travel posts from December-January.)<br />
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We arrived back in Oxford at the beginning of January after a two-day drive from New Hampshire (this after a two-day drive from Virginia to New Hampshire after Christmas). Along the way we were able to stop in New Jersey to have lunch with a close friend, and we had an awesome dinner in Danville, Pennsylvania, where we stopped for the night.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Jersey: Crowding in to catch a glimpse of the kitties in the car</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A surprisingly healthy dinner of black bean<br />
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If you ever find yourself driving across Pennsylvania on Route 80, I highly recommend getting off at Exit 224 and stopping at the <i><a href="http://www.oldforgebrewingcompany.com/" target="_blank">Old Forge Brewing Company</a></i> for lunch or dinner. We were lucky to be there on a "live music" night and enjoyed our dinner while two local guys played songs by the Eagles, Lyle Lovett, and Hall & Oates. The waiter - heavily tattooed and decked out in the hemp and glass bead necklaces popular back in the 90s - was super friendly and very attentive. The menu was extensive, with many daily specials and more options than just your usual burgers and fried bar food. It was a really nice break after a long day of driving - so nice that it actually felt kind of like a date night!<br />
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Anyway, the point of this post is that we did all this driving across ten different states in the company of our three cats, so I thought I would write a little about traveling with cats. And yes, you read that right - TEN different states: Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire (not to mention Washington, D.C.). It was a long haul, but well worth the time spent trapped in the car.</div>
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We traveled cross-country with our two older cats <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/06/road-trip.html" target="_blank">a couple summers ago</a> (from Ohio to Oregon), and we've now traveled with all three cats to the east coast and back twice. We've gotten really good at catching the cats and loading them into the car, moving them and their accessories in and out of hotel rooms, and setting them up at their vacation locations.</div>
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The first thing to keep in mind when traveling with cats is to keep them guessing about your departure date and time. We found that if we wait until the day we're leaving to get their cat carriers out of the basement, they all run and hide, and it can take up to an hour to locate and trap everyone. Additionally, the whole experience of chasing, cornering, and forcing them into a cage is rather traumatic, especially for our black cat who is a total schizo.</div>
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Instead, we make sure to get our suitcases and cat carriers out several days in advance. All the cats run and hide when we do this, but over the course of the following 2-3 days they get comfortable with the presence of the cages and subsequently let their guards down - just in time for you to make your move.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Suitcase out; Cats lulled into a false sense of security</td></tr>
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We've also learned that Minnie (the schizo black cat) needs to be caught first. At the first sign that something is amiss, she will hide - and she's a good little hider. She can roll herself into a tiny ball and hide in the shadows at the back of a closet or place herself directly in the center of the under-bed region of the California King, where you can barely hope to reach her. She's also quite a runner, and I swear she can turn her bones to liquid if you manage to grab her - it's like trying to hold soup.</div>
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Part of Minnie's usual daily routine, though, is to come up on the bed in the morning, right around the time we are waking up. She likes to settle in between us for some pets and snuggles, and we've learned that <i>this</i> is the time to grab her. One of us will hold her tight while the other runs to get the cat carrier. Before she knows what's going on, Minnie is contained and we can start loading the car. </div>
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The other two (Milo and Zelda) are easier to lure and catch, so we wait until the car is ready before catching them. All you need to do to catch Milo is pretend you are preparing some wet food for him and the fat boy comes running. And Zelda, being a kitten, is still so afraid of missing out on anything that she is pretty much underfoot the whole time and can easily be grabbed. </div>
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The second thing we've had to work out when traveling with three cats is the car arrangement. It used to be that Minnie and Milo were contained in a dog crate, with access to a covered litter box. This kept them from climbing all over the driver or shimmying under the seat to get under the driver's feet. With the addition of Zelda this year, we've had to rethink this arrangement. </div>
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Zelda is still too small and active to be trusted loose in the car, so she now rides in the dog crate with her own little litter box and food and water dishes. The big cats have graduated to free-roaming, with a litter box, food, and water available to them in the back seat. This works out well since Minnie prefers to sleep under the driver's seat and Milo likes to ride on top of Zelda's cage. Over hundreds of miles of travel, we haven't yet had a problem with them crawling on the driver. </div>
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Now, I'm not going to pretend that the cats are perfectly happy with this arrangement. Though they have become very good travelers, the first hour or two in the car is always a chorus of disturbed yowls and complaints from all corners of the car. Zelda hates to be contained in the dog crate, so she will usually flip her litter box over within the first 10 minutes, spilling litter into her food and water and into the car. It took me over an hour to vacuum up all the cat hair and litter from every crevice of the car when we got home.</div>
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That's the other thing about traveling with pets. Our car is no longer in pristine condition. The seats show signs of claw marks, there will forever be cat hair woven into the cloth surfaces of the car, and there are water bowl stains on the carpets from particularly tight turns or sudden stops. But oh well. We drive our cars until they die, so we probably won't ever try to sell this car. Side note: We drove our last car (a Jeep Cherokee Sport) until all the electronics had died enough to make the car actually unsafe to drive (aka headlights would turn off without warning while driving 60 mph on a moonless night).<br />
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Finally, stops are a necessity on all long road trips - to get gas, to get food, to go to the bathroom, and sometimes to spend the night in a hotel (be sure to book a pet-friendly hotel ahead of time, and be prepared to pay about $25 extra for your pet). My biggest fear is that one of our cats will make a run for it when we open the car doors at a rest area off the highway, so we make sure we know where each cat is in the car before opening any doors. Then we make sure we have what we need, open the door, get out as fast as we can, and close the door fast (making sure that no cats are going to get their head slammed in the door). Once we're back in the car and ready to leave the rest area, we make sure to locate all 3 cats inside the vehicle (this involves a lot of reaching under seats and poking at furry masses). So far, we've been lucky to have no escapees!<br />
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So, that has been our experience. To be clear, we are not crazy people who take our cats everywhere. We only bring them along when we are driving somewhere and will be gone for several weeks. If you've ever paid to board your animals, you know that it is pretty cost-prohibitive beyond a day or two. Also, we miss our babies when we're away! ;)<br />
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To summarize, when traveling with cats:<br />
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<li>Get the cat carriers and suitcases out well in advance so the cats get used to their presence. </li>
<li>Catch them and load them into the car in the order of "hardest to catch" down to "easiest to catch."</li>
<li>Figure out an arrangement that gives the cats access to food, water, and a litter box for long trips (a covered litter box with a door flap helps to control the smell). </li>
<li>Make sure the cats cannot crawl under the driver seat to get under the driver's feet (This has happened to me on the freeway - you do <i>not</i> want this to happen to you!). You can shove a towel under the seat from the front to close up the opening.</li>
<li>To prevent escapes, make sure you know where the cats are before opening your car doors, close the doors quickly after you exit the car, and make sure the cats are still in the car before driving away from any pit-stop areas.</li>
<li>You'd better be okay with your car getting a little trashed because cats, like dogs and kids, don't care if your car stinks, gets ripped, or has food spilled into every crevice.</li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-22051916811076150652016-02-01T11:10:00.001-05:002016-02-01T11:10:02.100-05:00Currently On My iPodWhat kind of music are you listening to these days? Lately (like, for the past 5 years) I've been into melancholy music. In January, Ted and I went to see <b>Gregory Alan Isakov</b>, whom I love. He is definitely melancholy - great background music for sitting on the porch in your rocking chair. Check him out if you've never listened to his music, especially his <i>Rust Colored Stones </i>album (which doesn't seem to be on iTunes... huh.) along with the <i>This Empty Northern Hemisphere</i> and <i>That Sea, the Gambler </i>albums.<br />
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Anyway, in the past few months I have discovered a few new favorites that I wanted to quickly share with you, in case you're in the market for some new music. Fair warning: It's all melancholy. The great thing about this kind of music is that it's appropriate to listen to whether you feel happy and carefree or sad and depressed. It's just a nice neutral backdrop.<br />
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First off: <b>Broken Social Scene</b><br />
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I discovered this band through Abigail Webster's Instagram feed (@abigailwebster). I love this girl. She is this ultra-quirky and genuine spirit who often posts videos of her yoga practice set to cool background music. My favorite songs are on the <b><i>Feel Good Lost</i></b> album and <b><i>Forgiveness Rock Record</i></b> (although that second one is a bit more upbeat). Check out the songs <i>Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl, All to All, </i>and <i>I Slept with Bonhomme at the CBC.</i><br />
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Second: <b>Angus & Julia Stone</b><br />
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I discovered this band through Pandora when I created a Broken Social Scene radio station. There is a lot of string instrumentation and guitar, which I love. I prefer the tracks sung by Julia, especially the first and third tracks on <i><b>Down the Way</b> </i>called <i>Hold On</i> and <i>For You. </i>The one track sung by Angus that I really like is <i>Draw Your Swords.</i><br />
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Third: <b>James Vincent McMorrow</b><br />
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Another Pandora discovery - you've probably heard his song <i>We Don't Eat</i> in your feed if you have any melancholy Pandora stations. I've only listened to his <i style="font-weight: bold;">Early in the Morning </i>album, and I love it as background music when I don't want to be distracted from whatever I'm doing. This album can almost be a little *too* melancholy, so it's best for something like taking a long luxurious bath or chatting with your best friend over morning coffee. In my opinion, <i>We Don't Eat</i> is the best song of the album, but I also like <i>Breaking Hearts </i>and <i>Early in the Morning, I'll Come Calling.</i></div>
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Last, but definitely not least: <b>Benjamin Francis Leftwich</b></div>
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I think this was one of those "Customers who liked this also purchased" suggestions on iTunes, and I'm really glad I checked him out! BFL is like James Vincent above, only 10 times better. He's all acoustic guitar and ethereal singing, and I love to listen to him when on a long meditative walk. I've even made a couple of short Instagram videos of these walks using riffs from this album as background music. My favorite tracks from this album are <i>Box of Stones, Atlas Hands, </i>and <i>Don't Go Slow.</i></div>
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I hope you check out one or more of these artists if you're in the market for some new music!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-15042757645473617332016-01-22T15:46:00.001-05:002016-01-22T15:46:35.190-05:00Travels in Oregon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We've finally just arrived back in Ohio after a whirlwind of travel from east coast to west coast. There were good times, there were bad times, and it's nice to be back home and get back to our routine.<br />
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I have a couple posts I'm working on about our travels, so they'll come a little out of order as I complete them. Today I'll write about our most recent trip to Oregon.<br />
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A couple years ago my grandparents moved into a retirement home/assisted living facility. Since then, my parents have been spending most of their time in my grandparents' old house in Bend, Oregon. My brother and aunt now live in the area as well, so it's easy to visit most of my family all in one place. Phew! So nice.<br />
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I grew up in the Portland area, visiting my grandparents in Bend throughout the year. Portland and Bend (both in Oregon, for those of you not in the know) are very different places. Portland is a metropolitan area, whereas Bend has more of a resort town feel. Separated by the Cascade mountain range, Portland's weather is mild and rainier while Bend's weather is dry and sunnier with more snow in the winter.<br />
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Ted and I flew into Portland because we wanted to see a concert at the <a href="http://www.portland5.com/arlene-schnitzer-concert-hall" target="_blank">Arlene Schnitzer concert hall</a>. Gregory Alan Isakov played with the Oregon symphony orchestra, and it was magical. *heart eyes emoji* </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDsJzNJw2j23gTx9VHe-7XaMbjMEtgOSsGoflfh4MOSvszGu1fq1i7QC8BM_LgfQmX5dGOy0xArMzUhnhkXGxcDF7NQyNOq_9erZANtMKwm7y-SUjOi2Vm8rXUk6sllmw3_79VTuOn0M/s1600/Arlene+Schnitzer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioDsJzNJw2j23gTx9VHe-7XaMbjMEtgOSsGoflfh4MOSvszGu1fq1i7QC8BM_LgfQmX5dGOy0xArMzUhnhkXGxcDF7NQyNOq_9erZANtMKwm7y-SUjOi2Vm8rXUk6sllmw3_79VTuOn0M/s640/Arlene+Schnitzer.jpg" width="438" /></a></div>
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Before the show, we walked around Portland in the cold rain, stopping at <a href="http://www.powells.com/" target="_blank">Powell's</a> for some book browsing and <a href="http://www.koji.com/606.html" target="_blank">Koji Osakaya</a> for a sushi dinner. We recommend both to anyone visiting the city.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bathroom graffiti at Powell's</td></tr>
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The next morning we were off to Bend! Halfway between Portland and Bend you pass Detroit Lake and can stop in the small town of Detroit for a bite to eat. This time we ate at the Cedars, but I'd have to say I prefer the other restaurant in town: the Korner Post. Our waitress was very nice, though, and when the fryer flame went out halfway through the preparation of our meal, she literally ran to the convenience store to buy a new lighter. Good thing we were the only customers at the time since she was the only waitress/hostess at the time.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detroit Dam is just down the road...</td></tr>
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Besides these down-home restaurants along the way, one of my favorite things about Bend is that almost every gas station has a drive-thru coffee shack set up nearby. You can get a latte and a muffin, and sometimes even a breakfast burrito, and you don't even have to get our of your car (you can stay in your car while you gas up, too, since Oregon is one of the two states where you don't pump your own gas). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpUOOWXYvKTjaRRnu9qtGTtCQiZccPsLjXxjpmP97orVnU7FvonTY4YRSeDe8WrTt2-5KVcGKm8LgBsEnLorumBBjZ6jbEGI-gp5JiG9Nca6gw1pVd8Yq2f5FJLfCOZNXmg2ZVs02mVQ/s1600/coffee+shack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwpUOOWXYvKTjaRRnu9qtGTtCQiZccPsLjXxjpmP97orVnU7FvonTY4YRSeDe8WrTt2-5KVcGKm8LgBsEnLorumBBjZ6jbEGI-gp5JiG9Nca6gw1pVd8Yq2f5FJLfCOZNXmg2ZVs02mVQ/s640/coffee+shack.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsdVRZjwjMfkopVky_1yrhEzjWodC_gFgDpNYkuMYCqZcXgmecFKoGbWD-3ydIhU0P-F0BwQ6jC7joDeoxnjqhUPhR6p4BXVS2Om4wnDUAVBp0YQcd6UecoZK0RaYHMi5atNaeoWqJu0/s1600/coffee+shack+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirsdVRZjwjMfkopVky_1yrhEzjWodC_gFgDpNYkuMYCqZcXgmecFKoGbWD-3ydIhU0P-F0BwQ6jC7joDeoxnjqhUPhR6p4BXVS2Om4wnDUAVBp0YQcd6UecoZK0RaYHMi5atNaeoWqJu0/s640/coffee+shack+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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While in Bend, we had lunch with my grandparents, watched football and ate several delicious meals with my aunt, skied a half day at Mt. Bachelor, and went out to eat at a couple of our favorite Bend/Redmond restaurants (eating is a big part of any family visit, you know?).</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmVizO_6PbCYozg6OwhO8l6Nkw0LukrI5t_4F4af4U0kLGhH3bkIOULA_NQ2KcR64uIlNBGfaysHJz14YhsOx_mzGbgeXTXkz6Ypo5NiPQfHUl9ITwmILidNMvXYxZa5XuBAZLZqV5t8/s1600/bachelor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUmVizO_6PbCYozg6OwhO8l6Nkw0LukrI5t_4F4af4U0kLGhH3bkIOULA_NQ2KcR64uIlNBGfaysHJz14YhsOx_mzGbgeXTXkz6Ypo5NiPQfHUl9ITwmILidNMvXYxZa5XuBAZLZqV5t8/s640/bachelor.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Bachelor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtgc84R2qfzLE9K5-JCjpEuoxFMnY047GbaUTNGvUFjoq9WCj2mNma2KKFMpwDPd61gYgG_eTH_JFt37NnL8eUCF19phvcHMk3A8q-6xLvJF2sYwb2jhTYNkNH393Mx0Wbpkrpcfb3ts/s1600/skiing1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtgc84R2qfzLE9K5-JCjpEuoxFMnY047GbaUTNGvUFjoq9WCj2mNma2KKFMpwDPd61gYgG_eTH_JFt37NnL8eUCF19phvcHMk3A8q-6xLvJF2sYwb2jhTYNkNH393Mx0Wbpkrpcfb3ts/s400/skiing1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dad and me on Canyon run for a warm-up</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZykX3X-N0hceY51y29lk9dk48oKa8qReiwZY2kJMI4iqsxXs68ZBCPqfpyhXuVVOaoZuwCQ0kkVAqWH0EVDupmAWeU9iS6OVnnqM3crqh0n37poL-NONW8g0KedUkvyUF_XsRBQSD6eE/s1600/skiing2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZykX3X-N0hceY51y29lk9dk48oKa8qReiwZY2kJMI4iqsxXs68ZBCPqfpyhXuVVOaoZuwCQ0kkVAqWH0EVDupmAWeU9iS6OVnnqM3crqh0n37poL-NONW8g0KedUkvyUF_XsRBQSD6eE/s400/skiing2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother, me, and Dad taking a break at the base</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz0x18MnlPyX6_F_HRS_k4DewWAx071ku6nm1ZXVG2oNBP0HHXM8AMRZDlQOCyvEHu5j9Vigfu9ti_w2k-NoNZSChTEgowUVjFrIaKtAJn7Xioy77JDzXZrnX_GP9AQ1fguHgDdsnD-k/s1600/skiing3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz0x18MnlPyX6_F_HRS_k4DewWAx071ku6nm1ZXVG2oNBP0HHXM8AMRZDlQOCyvEHu5j9Vigfu9ti_w2k-NoNZSChTEgowUVjFrIaKtAJn7Xioy77JDzXZrnX_GP9AQ1fguHgDdsnD-k/s640/skiing3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what you get when you say, "Ok now guys, goggles down; serious-face photo."</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoV16eEVSn_4ibQ9ADg3AyYaKSiPbMJLUlQf-6jPJYqvLy-XDIo2stoa4VHUxwXWFn1l8ZGvUs1zFJEH2jdH8iJNa6xIuiaPPk1GieIBIuhXZy27jHOmlebY85kmmkZbQFzf44V4O7skc/s1600/output_6UhnNn.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoV16eEVSn_4ibQ9ADg3AyYaKSiPbMJLUlQf-6jPJYqvLy-XDIo2stoa4VHUxwXWFn1l8ZGvUs1zFJEH2jdH8iJNa6xIuiaPPk1GieIBIuhXZy27jHOmlebY85kmmkZbQFzf44V4O7skc/s640/output_6UhnNn.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's the Three Sisters and Broken Top on the horizon</td></tr>
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I wanted to take some video and more photos of us on the slopes, but after taking the series above, I dropped and accidentally buried my phone in the snow. With ski gloves and freezing temps, it was a little hard to get all the snow off the lens and screen, so I pretty much kept my phone in my pocket after that.<div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYTQn2AHPn63DBRChJW4gbhL-jggO2jt-kRvTRm4n3Upk_d-1MDyU05oNUR3L8rxKGm8VyoX7qVQ2czIcTFe3_1iKEWfHUfxDHwdzDIH37McyRjzUW__1VKXyAjQQFSvnqWP7uJtY8Zo/s1600/TrailMap_NW.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiYTQn2AHPn63DBRChJW4gbhL-jggO2jt-kRvTRm4n3Upk_d-1MDyU05oNUR3L8rxKGm8VyoX7qVQ2czIcTFe3_1iKEWfHUfxDHwdzDIH37McyRjzUW__1VKXyAjQQFSvnqWP7uJtY8Zo/s640/TrailMap_NW.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stuck to Outback and Northwest Express chairs because <br />the other side of the mountain was a little windy. <br />Each of those runs off Northwest Express can easily take 20 minutes from top to bottom. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o7Ws51JE6zWKeua1ROMOzmXv8D-0upTJJ9kntFrxQjrfoRHGnvh0eK_Jb7ulpmDJD9IKvbR7IyorIqTAKgSzCttdLqTNXsSMeNIjT3J395XegpVqbyI6PihF66ZHGaBFnya5RP5n-HI/s1600/skiing4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8o7Ws51JE6zWKeua1ROMOzmXv8D-0upTJJ9kntFrxQjrfoRHGnvh0eK_Jb7ulpmDJD9IKvbR7IyorIqTAKgSzCttdLqTNXsSMeNIjT3J395XegpVqbyI6PihF66ZHGaBFnya5RP5n-HI/s400/skiing4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northwest chairlift - last run of the day</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHThsqx6GmmrCnPKmcQYtqGfBkraQY3B0pUA93rNo9ihU5CyLzIvuzt8d7KQrPRuXFC1eOJ-HB_M9aq9qgJCGHcqHFd6ko2bxIYKxGLZJgyIYtk9IFHbvvao8hPZF1oQMPVBPZXwG5FvM/s1600/sparks+lake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHThsqx6GmmrCnPKmcQYtqGfBkraQY3B0pUA93rNo9ihU5CyLzIvuzt8d7KQrPRuXFC1eOJ-HB_M9aq9qgJCGHcqHFd6ko2bxIYKxGLZJgyIYtk9IFHbvvao8hPZF1oQMPVBPZXwG5FvM/s640/sparks+lake.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top of Northwest Express: Sparks Lake and the Three Sisters</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJBOB9lJkEBTmAnP8IyfUwK2Fgaa9rbN4oZbGyo1JOS-8bBZddwnDt6wRZihp3iyyroG3YC5FMCwkVWeFuLx8aMNHQI-cmfqbBoEUGKX9EEbDY3gviLcZz7jSp0hg7pNZ2bftC75eojk/s1600/me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJBOB9lJkEBTmAnP8IyfUwK2Fgaa9rbN4oZbGyo1JOS-8bBZddwnDt6wRZihp3iyyroG3YC5FMCwkVWeFuLx8aMNHQI-cmfqbBoEUGKX9EEbDY3gviLcZz7jSp0hg7pNZ2bftC75eojk/s400/me.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little cold and windy at the top of the chairlift</td></tr>
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<br />In addition to skiing, I got a morning walk in with my mom and aunt. There are nice, wide paths along the canals that get a lot of use from locals. My aunt's dogs had a great time, though they had to stay on leash most of the time due to the thin ice covering the canal. Nobody wants to have to rescue a large, wet dog from freezing cold canal water.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQGH_m7VDQPMeYDhoJmE-X02vEEkP2Ib7VY5XhWIdgHtGrJnY-gETkp9vCF3OyV9E52QO25U94mPidyYC9bDfLswkq8goLHZzyXxPqF3Jrs_vR_KtGVGUX5euA3PnZ9J-FZBwkArSXP4/s1600/twins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLQGH_m7VDQPMeYDhoJmE-X02vEEkP2Ib7VY5XhWIdgHtGrJnY-gETkp9vCF3OyV9E52QO25U94mPidyYC9bDfLswkq8goLHZzyXxPqF3Jrs_vR_KtGVGUX5euA3PnZ9J-FZBwkArSXP4/s640/twins.jpg" width="410" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom and Aunt, with Roxy and Cole</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-o-lcvn617T3gRAVE81atvvGmi-LvLWwFIKWoPonNikMGBfj9bOqZA0LHLoy7zPHQk75J8IVUXmI6Qz61UXMCg7p2YS4qck7vrd-9pv12T2VqinmVX6lug4NV7jcgVoQ_pv_2qKTLHC4/s1600/goose+poop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-o-lcvn617T3gRAVE81atvvGmi-LvLWwFIKWoPonNikMGBfj9bOqZA0LHLoy7zPHQk75J8IVUXmI6Qz61UXMCg7p2YS4qck7vrd-9pv12T2VqinmVX6lug4NV7jcgVoQ_pv_2qKTLHC4/s400/goose+poop.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roxy got a little too intimate with the <br />goose poop on the trail and had to have <br />a snow scrub mid-walk.</td></tr>
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When not enjoying the outdoors, we visited with my grandpa and took my grandma to the <a href="http://www.highdesertmuseum.org/" target="_blank">High Desert Museum</a>. </div>
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The museum is pretty cool, although better during the warmer months since there are several exhibits outside. We especially enjoyed the birds of prey exhibit with bald eagles, a golden eagle, several different owls, and lots of information.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ted's wingspan is "Golden Eagle" while mine is more like "Turkey Vulture"</td></tr>
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Ted also did a weather report for my grandma:</div>
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He's standing on his knees because he was just a <i>little</i> too tall for the kids' weather station.</div>
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It was a full trip, packed into one week, and we're really glad we went. Now that we're back in Ohio we have one weekend to get ready for the Spring semester, and the college students should be returning any day now! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-24730366495036822602015-12-31T14:52:00.001-05:002015-12-31T15:28:17.796-05:00Christmas in D.C.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVxYQDMmHhYA3qOV-efldHGvzDgvGYHQbzV8GhgmsyrWttX-hB42z9aJxodvUL5TFOAt6IUfrrKY_e6McHmVsWnrzcHnJy7bI3m6tiflmNqkiQAhwVLvSUuAOVWkNru4rvYrcLCMSwPA/s1600/white+house+tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTVxYQDMmHhYA3qOV-efldHGvzDgvGYHQbzV8GhgmsyrWttX-hB42z9aJxodvUL5TFOAt6IUfrrKY_e6McHmVsWnrzcHnJy7bI3m6tiflmNqkiQAhwVLvSUuAOVWkNru4rvYrcLCMSwPA/s640/white+house+tour.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White House, Washington, D.C.<br />
That outdoor vestibule behind us was added last year after a man jumped <br />
the white house fence and made it all the way inside the front door!</td></tr>
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Ted and I are lucky to have a long break between the fall and spring semesters, so we decided to take a road trip for the holidays. Our first stop was 8.5 hours from Oxford: Washington, D.C.<br />
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Whenever we're going to be away from home for an extended period, we take the cats along for the ride. The process of corralling and catching them has become pretty routine, and they have become excellent travelers.<br />
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The first hour usually goes something like this (turn your volume up):<br />
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But once they realize that this is going to be a long haul, they settle down and the rest of the trip goes more like this:<br />
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We are also lucky to have friends and family members who will let us bring three cats into their home while we visit them (thanks, family!). It's helpful that our cats <i>always</i> use the litter box and don't (usually) scratch the furniture.</div>
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I won't summarize the whole vacation, but I will share photos from a fun event - the White House holiday tour! Our sister-in-law was able to get 4 tickets, so we joined them to see all the decorations. To get in, we had be pre-approved a couple weeks in advance and then go through 3 separate security check points, one of which involved being sniffed by a secret service dog. </div>
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Before going in, Ted and I toured the Christmas tree display behind the white house. There was one tree for each state, all decorated with ornaments made in-state (some from artists and some from schools or other programs). I snapped photos of the Ohio and Oregon trees:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Oregon ornaments were made from items found along the Oregon coast.</td></tr>
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There was also a large central tree with an electric train and village set up around the base. The ground was littered with coins from people who were trying to toss them into the train's boxcars as it passed.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can see the small state trees just beyond the people in the background.</td></tr>
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There was some added excitement when a large military helicopter took off from the White House lawn! We're pretty sure the President was not on board, though, as there had been photos published earlier that week that showed him playing golf in Hawaii.</div>
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The White House tour itself is self-guided. You are free to move along at your own pace through designated hallways and rooms. In the past, photography was not allowed, but since everyone kept sneaking photos with their camera phones anyway, the WH now allows the taking of photos. This is both exciting and annoying, as much of the tour now involves side-stepping other people's selfies.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsl9LKkeFyQoOWtZlXwo-v7iubUsr3hdQTevuqzYZ3JwPnvS3RDbitDv_vU6Ak2sYC8LRTbi3rF-IFrEIqPTQQu2uszVyY3uzVxGh5YuIpMuZXAv5yzhTq62WDehMxhdK0_BZs8EsnIE/s1600/IMG_5652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsl9LKkeFyQoOWtZlXwo-v7iubUsr3hdQTevuqzYZ3JwPnvS3RDbitDv_vU6Ak2sYC8LRTbi3rF-IFrEIqPTQQu2uszVyY3uzVxGh5YuIpMuZXAv5yzhTq62WDehMxhdK0_BZs8EsnIE/s640/IMG_5652.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each state had a personalized snowflake in this hallway display.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Obamas' dogs had their own display of tennis ball Xmas trees.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A gingerbread White House covered in chocolate</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the legs on that piano!</td></tr>
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At the end of the tour there was a White House employee ready to take our photo under the presidential seal. Unfortunately, we were photo-bombed from the adjoining room... Too bad it wasn't President Obama!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ted's twin brother and our sister-in-law who got us the tickets</td></tr>
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This is the second time we've had the privilege of touring the White House, and both times were well-orgnized and easy. The wait to get in is not too long since you are given an entry time, and the tour itself is just the right length. If you are interested in doing this the next time you're in Washington, D.C., you can find information <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/participate/tours-and-events" target="_blank">here on the White House webpage.</a> Plan ahead!! You have to request tickets at least 3 weeks in advance.<br />
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Yesterday started with Ted and I returning to bed after breakfast, which should be an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday, but instead it was because we had both lost the will to face the world. On top of news of terrorists, police brutality, and climate change, we are facing our own personal disappointments such as a dearth of academic jobs during the very time that Ted is trying to establish his career as a college professor.<br />
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We might have stayed in bed all day, had it not been for the persistent "dinging" texts of one friend who wanted us to come to the Cincinnati Zoo for the Festival of Lights and another friend informing us of the Oxford Community Arts Center Christmas craft fair.<br />
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We rather grudgingly dragged ourselves out of bed and out into the cold, foggy world. And don't you know, the longer we spent outside, the better we felt. Isn't it funny that the hardest thing to do is usually the thing that best heals you? It also didn't hurt that the sun finally came out around 1:00pm (see photo above of the sun working hard to burn off that fog).<br />
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It was those texting friends that saved us from the depths of despair. The Christmas craft fair reminded me that we live in a strong community and that most people are friendly and not psychotic killers. I got some Christmas shopping done and supported the local artisans of my community. I was uplifted by the singing of the Christmas carolers and the efforts of some young violin players. I drank a peppermint latte. And I wouldn't have gone had it not been for my friend's urging.<br />
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After the craft fair, Ted and I drove about 50 minutes to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. There we met up with my other texting friend to meander through the light displays and animal exhibits in the dwindling daylight. The weather was cold, but the company was excellent, and though Ted and I had had to mentally force ourselves to get there, we ended up staying even after our friends left. There was the smell of cookies and candied nuts (and elephants) in the air, thousands of tiny twinkling lights, Christmas trees and bows and gingerbread houses, and even Santa's reindeer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good friend</td></tr>
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My friends reminded me that there are still things left to enjoy in this world. For now, I choose to focus on that.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-29684973060629009582015-11-30T16:17:00.001-05:002015-11-30T16:17:22.070-05:00Happy Thanksgiving!Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! (a little late, I know, but photo collection and editing took a little longer than I expected...)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJfzC34DakVaNuQEsaskoLtJrnNeEpXaP0AU0fQIb1MpX0oHjVyfdIZh4E9CBqJRADjobc-DdqimkZuDRqe6dRYsxtkP-G9e3ON-XUIW6MUVR7ycGrIn3UASNDTxqpg07asKiPrB0eyA/s1600/turkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOJfzC34DakVaNuQEsaskoLtJrnNeEpXaP0AU0fQIb1MpX0oHjVyfdIZh4E9CBqJRADjobc-DdqimkZuDRqe6dRYsxtkP-G9e3ON-XUIW6MUVR7ycGrIn3UASNDTxqpg07asKiPrB0eyA/s640/turkey.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ted and I drove to Virginia for the holiday - about 8.5 hours of driving time. The kitties didn't come with us this time, but they'll travel with us for Christmas.<br />
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Thanksgiving Day was much easier than usual this year, thanks to some division of labor in the kitchen. The menu included:<br />
<ul>
<li>Organic, pre-cooked turkey (yum! and easy)</li>
<li>Sweet potato and marshmallow casserole</li>
<li>Mashed potatoes</li>
<li>Green bean casserole</li>
<li>Stuffing, stuffing, stuffing</li>
<li><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/870064/lacinato-kale-salad-roasted-squash" target="_blank">Kale salad with butternut squash</a></li>
<li>Brussels sprouts</li>
<li>And all the fixins (cranberry sauce, rolls, gravy, etc)</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_lHtxhLzsce3t87FvED1MuIc_6Ks9BDHyNmQROVhOnG_GOFbkYMPeaJJrcNN3rZR-k2pFv1u9n2VGYc-caIPStxqnXydFS47iRwQR_0T-zL0jnczQrypCEO1kBAhPfwAOqdtmdMcBso/s1600/carving.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_lHtxhLzsce3t87FvED1MuIc_6Ks9BDHyNmQROVhOnG_GOFbkYMPeaJJrcNN3rZR-k2pFv1u9n2VGYc-caIPStxqnXydFS47iRwQR_0T-zL0jnczQrypCEO1kBAhPfwAOqdtmdMcBso/s640/carving.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Try your hand at the twin game: Ted or Paul? ;)</td></tr>
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In addition to delicious food, we got lots of time with Ted's family - playing at the park, several family dinners, and sorting through the storage shed!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAG9mL8Jd2NcuefboaNMQBeQNv5B-rVqCQ4s-2WYLTgV1OTpgdEJn97VqhpkgppVwa1cmCNDbcZeOc9mRPwKSAkYmLlhjKiG_7jiygyyK4pDYgzUip2qQZuhZXsr3L1qPNy4BhPJ7UBDM/s1600/slide2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAG9mL8Jd2NcuefboaNMQBeQNv5B-rVqCQ4s-2WYLTgV1OTpgdEJn97VqhpkgppVwa1cmCNDbcZeOc9mRPwKSAkYmLlhjKiG_7jiygyyK4pDYgzUip2qQZuhZXsr3L1qPNy4BhPJ7UBDM/s640/slide2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you think it is easy to get a clear photo of a 3-year old, then you must not know any 3-year olds.</td></tr>
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And of course, what would a family gathering be without a little photo shoot?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zr8xBgYNcdv1iz1-f1myQg2vF8zN-_0uiJGtN8FwZBuyqgiF3Fehkw2EQWsbwllgt4d37aMRhMPL9ucGfCSdN-THwgvelGXrtXL9mpPkjnD03jR7o17o4Moun1ZmtMyJx00Bp4WaRQk/s1600/paige.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-zr8xBgYNcdv1iz1-f1myQg2vF8zN-_0uiJGtN8FwZBuyqgiF3Fehkw2EQWsbwllgt4d37aMRhMPL9ucGfCSdN-THwgvelGXrtXL9mpPkjnD03jR7o17o4Moun1ZmtMyJx00Bp4WaRQk/s640/paige.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the beautiful Paige</td></tr>
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We were a little sad when the time finally came to leave, but our own pets were very, very happy when we came back home:</div>
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And since we needed just a <i>little </i>more Thanksgiving turkey, I roasted a half turkey from a local farm today! These are the kinds of things you do to fill your time when you only work two days a week...</div>
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Now all we need is a little cranberry sauce, some mashed potatoes, stuffing... </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c9c8E8TUI5K4BUcyfKN1H1LJK9Njktta0UqKsqFvnUPT5COMFjQwe5agxV4Bkc7d1tabivDxgRTnXDqI54IEDN72ZqeclJjWICJndkSiri-hyO536VB8LRJWvgLe3woDX9bnPMNDng4/s1600/IMG_5284.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6c9c8E8TUI5K4BUcyfKN1H1LJK9Njktta0UqKsqFvnUPT5COMFjQwe5agxV4Bkc7d1tabivDxgRTnXDqI54IEDN72ZqeclJjWICJndkSiri-hyO536VB8LRJWvgLe3woDX9bnPMNDng4/s320/IMG_5284.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's the most wonderful time of the year! This year I am <i>feelin</i>' the Christmas spirit. I've already done most of my Christmas shopping, I listened to Christmas music BEFORE Thanksgiving (blasphemy), and I am really looking forward to some Starbucks' peppermint mochas in the upcoming weeks (despite the sinister red cup drama).</div>
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To kick off the Christmas season I got the decorations out of the basement today, including some cheap plastic ornaments I bought at the Dollar Store two years ago. I had this wreath project in mind then, but I never actually got around to doing it.</div>
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To set the mood for crafting, I put on some Christmas music and lit my new favorite <i>Bath & Body Works</i> candle, which is the "invigorating fragrance of snow-dusted balsam, fir trees and eucalyptus leaves." I highly recommend it, however it is STRONG, so you can only have it lit for short periods.</div>
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To begin, I bent a wire coat hanger into a circular shape and started threading my cheap plastic ornaments onto the wire. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeNHaG4LFFNMuNno_9mLsDvAP8xL5PO8I5UyCvb-tgJ5B57lGO0bXoeYiJ2wMUep4UUT0WG4XGoaS-1g-GdbpyTAwp7Gtc4NpbOp6MC-xcwvHm9vkQ9uvKkkzKnj5MqgrtsmIOEaGX8o/s1600/IMG_5277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZeNHaG4LFFNMuNno_9mLsDvAP8xL5PO8I5UyCvb-tgJ5B57lGO0bXoeYiJ2wMUep4UUT0WG4XGoaS-1g-GdbpyTAwp7Gtc4NpbOp6MC-xcwvHm9vkQ9uvKkkzKnj5MqgrtsmIOEaGX8o/s640/IMG_5277.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUWbt4829lQr6D5Ait8lyusMUlnNoaGFWGH4LTXNCdSLkYafy3JTzRRb8LxfxnJRSLCIx2PSnCxsXY41ADNeWnsmbudV-9RETCKSXyCb__zeobNxKO0XUhflIbs5mbRCq9YmGb7yM5kE/s1600/IMG_5276.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUWbt4829lQr6D5Ait8lyusMUlnNoaGFWGH4LTXNCdSLkYafy3JTzRRb8LxfxnJRSLCIx2PSnCxsXY41ADNeWnsmbudV-9RETCKSXyCb__zeobNxKO0XUhflIbs5mbRCq9YmGb7yM5kE/s400/IMG_5276.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Once I had them all on there, I fiddled with them til they looked pretty good and glued them to each other using a hot glue gun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroeyGpBZY2oPn9bk-Hhyx72qLP_kBQ83ZqhIukIf2ui0AW4MzGEgWFvYKN1nxmgCVs1uFSV-hUv2YiGIe_QTb9_dJqHYTLPzOGHRlDFt54c1DtcOlNB8-yPTfHs9mhnj3ZUkaDnSuOWc/s1600/IMG_5280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgroeyGpBZY2oPn9bk-Hhyx72qLP_kBQ83ZqhIukIf2ui0AW4MzGEgWFvYKN1nxmgCVs1uFSV-hUv2YiGIe_QTb9_dJqHYTLPzOGHRlDFt54c1DtcOlNB8-yPTfHs9mhnj3ZUkaDnSuOWc/s640/IMG_5280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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To finish it off I taped the two loose ends together and glued one final ornament over the gap (reserved for this purpose).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AhO4Of56Pn-jhkLvdDtSIZalJeWEb-BEjRaBn63_lVD1r2JXjly5iB2wmGhNiSdvGxj878ihJwWKKTQfSFmZYJZa-4-gXEf_ZVUe1SC1sdDDekLzdiRE8k30fPr53sD137qlb7tPhnY/s1600/IMG_5282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6AhO4Of56Pn-jhkLvdDtSIZalJeWEb-BEjRaBn63_lVD1r2JXjly5iB2wmGhNiSdvGxj878ihJwWKKTQfSFmZYJZa-4-gXEf_ZVUe1SC1sdDDekLzdiRE8k30fPr53sD137qlb7tPhnY/s640/IMG_5282.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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To cover up the few areas that were less than perfect, I glued on some gold poinsettia flowers and finished with a glittery gold star in the center of my wreath.</div>
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<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGT0u1SLtZmt0J1z5o57-YPKZRQLhJgUDfFQkHHNK_GgNni9vVbIoB8uBgwijuJrNylI4w7wirka73oqtBycJVKO5Z_tAJteboh_otBihhReV-EO6xFFCPf4Y3mdGubxMbIO1fSJJlNk/s1600/IMG_5285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFGT0u1SLtZmt0J1z5o57-YPKZRQLhJgUDfFQkHHNK_GgNni9vVbIoB8uBgwijuJrNylI4w7wirka73oqtBycJVKO5Z_tAJteboh_otBihhReV-EO6xFFCPf4Y3mdGubxMbIO1fSJJlNk/s640/IMG_5285.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Voila! My Christmas wreath is finished and hung. Even though the ornaments are cheap, they look pretty from afar (they're not even that bad close up).</div>
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Come winter, my front door will look like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSER6R3HfenygzhtSO7JfILaEbMU7qQKNUVEl4RmsPehtwd_5b1B-uD-IokiuqrQk-bSuhPySJfDhRsfEUB7q383esmKn4fHTbGowjaL8sVGzmg7O_EH93xxmWgiK3cYuc1Ims1u84l0/s1600/front+door.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirSER6R3HfenygzhtSO7JfILaEbMU7qQKNUVEl4RmsPehtwd_5b1B-uD-IokiuqrQk-bSuhPySJfDhRsfEUB7q383esmKn4fHTbGowjaL8sVGzmg7O_EH93xxmWgiK3cYuc1Ims1u84l0/s640/front+door.jpg" width="466" /></a></div>
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Actually, I probably can't leave this up in rain or snow since the ornaments are covered in glitter - I don't want it to wash away. It's a nice pop of color on our white door, though, and I hope it spreads some Christmas spirit to our neighbors!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-35004821024338358072015-11-23T16:13:00.000-05:002015-11-23T16:13:12.362-05:00Put a Bird On ItThis past weekend I had a little friend date at IKEA. When the weather turns cold, it's nice to have an "indoor hike", and IKEA is the perfect size for about 1.5 - 2.5 hours of walking (depending on how much stuff you stop to look at). One of my favorite purchases this time around was a package of wall decals. <div>
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I have been wanting to put some art on the large wall above my bed, but I am afraid to hang anything framed for fear that it will fall on my head in the middle of the night (with cats who get into everything, this is a very real fear). When I saw these <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/search/?query=decal" target="_blank">wall decals</a> at IKEA, I realized I had finally found the solution.</div>
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While fairly easy to apply, I must say that <i>Saturday Night Live</i> could probably do a pretty good skit about the experience. Once you peel the decals off the paper, they have SO MUCH static cling in them; they're like living tentacles that grab at anything within their reach - the wall, the bed frame, your arm, your hair, a cat... Trying to put the long, skinny branch stickers exactly where I wanted them on the wall was a little hilarious, but I got them up eventually.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdP7OsPgRLwkFDw1F_FUL0KBixtWnpbgRiZwy7HKxVkdC50Pfdj9xHz7tW7lq9Hv0YOsTz5iPwSxCWwFGMx7i5BaH1JS39FN824-z1iHpNh_1MO141h12zxBuCOw1eGT1QW0sQL4daz00/s1600/decals1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdP7OsPgRLwkFDw1F_FUL0KBixtWnpbgRiZwy7HKxVkdC50Pfdj9xHz7tW7lq9Hv0YOsTz5iPwSxCWwFGMx7i5BaH1JS39FN824-z1iHpNh_1MO141h12zxBuCOw1eGT1QW0sQL4daz00/s640/decals1.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiLnWqg7nISVpZCnSoMWPRFpV1ptYPXXVc-cFYpwxZYO6hTxdv2TkZf_445t-wizooOOhlGuB5NwKGaKQzejodSrkpV1gqO4Acs_fZENFqbs1CqDsRWSbQTG_qzixBc2p-5NqjPFztRU/s1600/decals2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLiLnWqg7nISVpZCnSoMWPRFpV1ptYPXXVc-cFYpwxZYO6hTxdv2TkZf_445t-wizooOOhlGuB5NwKGaKQzejodSrkpV1gqO4Acs_fZENFqbs1CqDsRWSbQTG_qzixBc2p-5NqjPFztRU/s640/decals2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Of course I couldn't have done it without the "help" of my supervisor:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3WJjNMtmMZSkeeh6f3rtK2no0SuI3DM-9aF4r5TFX7ws7xgJg6Vg61nfGk1dyyjn6FI98KHycsM1qWimP-Ti8T1HbfRI8AT0kYUKHV0YEQ8ytfE_RV8wCF5pBxm_JAajRoFcyeQo2iY/s1600/Decals_Zelda_Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3WJjNMtmMZSkeeh6f3rtK2no0SuI3DM-9aF4r5TFX7ws7xgJg6Vg61nfGk1dyyjn6FI98KHycsM1qWimP-Ti8T1HbfRI8AT0kYUKHV0YEQ8ytfE_RV8wCF5pBxm_JAajRoFcyeQo2iY/s640/Decals_Zelda_Collage.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once the branches were up, it was just a matter of laying out the bird choices and then sticking them on here and there. The small bird decals were much easier to manage than the branches, and they are easy to peel off if you need to adjust them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6kcKbWH1jVNqAW-x6t1_d9Gj46Z3WDKNs0jcFsoCTMNoOlA2w4z21yjyqz076uFWcqwT6qLFJgk9xVnh__jWfoNITOaREAIMKhskf11ojZoovU61-NKYqa7_Lh06SVOtiOdSZLFwlf4/s1600/decals3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk6kcKbWH1jVNqAW-x6t1_d9Gj46Z3WDKNs0jcFsoCTMNoOlA2w4z21yjyqz076uFWcqwT6qLFJgk9xVnh__jWfoNITOaREAIMKhskf11ojZoovU61-NKYqa7_Lh06SVOtiOdSZLFwlf4/s640/decals3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofLNTISCswXmF9olt_Nr-k2t184vbi4ShMrQccwdGc4szcqT8y6Ds1PcXAaxYBFor-9wp1wbm15hi7MylFie7xDaUkrwmrbKKIHmTQbiFFI970r3C-b-_106ak-_sytcVMd22doKxnvU/s1600/decals5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgofLNTISCswXmF9olt_Nr-k2t184vbi4ShMrQccwdGc4szcqT8y6Ds1PcXAaxYBFor-9wp1wbm15hi7MylFie7xDaUkrwmrbKKIHmTQbiFFI970r3C-b-_106ak-_sytcVMd22doKxnvU/s640/decals5.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigha4VKrJonDCS9_L3mV5k15O_Zr1oUQaOS6X1c6QsU7alQUqthhP3P9a7y9i5dqIK2KIqDwBhGxfu_d8BAt_-Ct5lpBU7s4e69Zh10qrw-IBQyN486qGlUXi1eV_YrplZplrt8__4jYQ/s1600/decals6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigha4VKrJonDCS9_L3mV5k15O_Zr1oUQaOS6X1c6QsU7alQUqthhP3P9a7y9i5dqIK2KIqDwBhGxfu_d8BAt_-Ct5lpBU7s4e69Zh10qrw-IBQyN486qGlUXi1eV_YrplZplrt8__4jYQ/s640/decals6.jpg" width="536" /></a></div>
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I didn't love all the bird designs, so I only put up the ones I liked, and there are also 3-4 branch stickers left over. You can see in some of the photos that the decals are a bit reflective when the light hits them a certain way, but for $13 I'd say I got my money's worth. I'm just hoping they still peel off easily when we're ready to move out of this rental...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-2kP28L7KSgSsT_OMZbAMOtpa5J-UJYvRYpykwcO3WNRJkIfO7Xbk0YSluYlsiOShsB06egZbZihUt17N4kifobWucgeGgxsTqP2riWH0le6myRMDbI_ij1QGzOpkj-L1GLYCasZVbQ/s1600/decals4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-2kP28L7KSgSsT_OMZbAMOtpa5J-UJYvRYpykwcO3WNRJkIfO7Xbk0YSluYlsiOShsB06egZbZihUt17N4kifobWucgeGgxsTqP2riWH0le6myRMDbI_ij1QGzOpkj-L1GLYCasZVbQ/s640/decals4.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-nX9cbrfMAnoIbVP_rLiGPngtZ1DfQloWrLhqCJ62YMlT-KOxVem4karJ_L4Gab45lcOhvAsmbkqTslKN74SktC3hxCLDBupR6OaoB-f56k8VLPw9OAhwPtmPHVdG80InyYCimYMdR4/s1600/decals7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-nX9cbrfMAnoIbVP_rLiGPngtZ1DfQloWrLhqCJ62YMlT-KOxVem4karJ_L4Gab45lcOhvAsmbkqTslKN74SktC3hxCLDBupR6OaoB-f56k8VLPw9OAhwPtmPHVdG80InyYCimYMdR4/s640/decals7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-10150828843214260172015-11-18T11:43:00.001-05:002015-11-18T11:43:16.348-05:00November UpdatesYesterday I got one of those updates from Facebook that shows me what I was posting two years ago:<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/AVvXsEjFJ3ZxPzPfeBWpPn4IE77bjj5diTV_JVHZeO8b3PutcBb_Mb3wL_GEVTnW6qHMWEcGGrBEKVFEAL4geMzDu_dNELzZRx1n_88vqiwkwM3sxchyphenhyphen3wlTsJfKR3SWEqCrdghm0qGZaKYad50/s1600/Milo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ3ZxPzPfeBWpPn4IE77bjj5diTV_JVHZeO8b3PutcBb_Mb3wL_GEVTnW6qHMWEcGGrBEKVFEAL4geMzDu_dNELzZRx1n_88vqiwkwM3sxchyphenhyphen3wlTsJfKR3SWEqCrdghm0qGZaKYad50/s320/Milo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical night in November 2013</td></tr>
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Well, here's what things looked like as I scrolled across that Facebook update:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCc6fKTH_Kx1QglGLaVh6iEfmfTsMtFEPQj9GzXdm1n4x-Yvutp2Zx8v0k8VTaCjnz4v-YVRF4SQxYHOoiqlPtKkXfZVm3lqThh2ZZ54bzmF6pfFVx1B7g_C8VLbR9n_L2CxmXdxs3y0/s1600/Milo_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpCc6fKTH_Kx1QglGLaVh6iEfmfTsMtFEPQj9GzXdm1n4x-Yvutp2Zx8v0k8VTaCjnz4v-YVRF4SQxYHOoiqlPtKkXfZVm3lqThh2ZZ54bzmF6pfFVx1B7g_C8VLbR9n_L2CxmXdxs3y0/s320/Milo_2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical night in November 2015</td></tr>
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We don't seem to be making much progress here. Or, at the least, not much has changed in two years.<div>
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I feel like I have run out of things to write about on the blog because there isn't really anything new happening. The excitement of moving to a new state is gone - of experiencing each month of the year for the first time in a new place. During the first year of the blog, each day seemed to bring something new to explore or discover in Oxford or the surrounding area. Now we have settled into a daily and weekly routine - nothing is new, exciting, or unexpected. But I still feel the urge to write, so I'm going to have to dig deep to come up with some topics (suggestions are welcome).</div>
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I <i>could</i> write about my thoughts on current events (of which I have many), but there are other writers and other blogs that do that a lot better than I ever could. Plus, I really prefer to discuss those things face-to-face rather than via the internet. On Facebook and Twitter there is too much room for misinterpretation and too much time to fume about other people's comments before responding. And I really don't need hate comments on my blog. :)</div>
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I could write about more personal aspects of my life, but I also don't really want that on the internet for all to see. I think we're living in a time of over-sharing, and I'm not really into it. My close friends and family are the only people who need to hear about my personal life, and they are the ones who know me well enough to say the right things at the right times.</div>
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So, I think I'll just have to continue on with updates from southwest Ohio. This will (hopefully) provide some motivation for trying new things around here - you know, as fodder for the blog.</div>
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So here's what we've been up to lately:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWTtsHhHYiB8Ol7a_2vsgf3VK57GqNAw-uFld1_eNx3ansvQlX3Kf5DtZYNZxXox6wXg2A7ifTEudS-QMQxPCqvSbXERImfJ0gt5PW4ZBDN47c0uhYtV9qKOwfeb-L5p1A3eA2uP1NFI/s1600/Hockey_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBWTtsHhHYiB8Ol7a_2vsgf3VK57GqNAw-uFld1_eNx3ansvQlX3Kf5DtZYNZxXox6wXg2A7ifTEudS-QMQxPCqvSbXERImfJ0gt5PW4ZBDN47c0uhYtV9qKOwfeb-L5p1A3eA2uP1NFI/s640/Hockey_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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Ted and I attended our first Miami University men's hockey game a couple weeks ago. This was my first hockey game ever, and it was SO MUCH fun! We had the "smell-o-vision" seats right next to the Miami bench, so we got the full experience - sights, sounds, and the scent of large sweaty young men.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tPcFLc-hN1B-1_XECFJhUCFn8BaZUeU7_ulol4-EBc_6DHOCUZsyIGTiFesWMLPiTq393kpyP2ZxojtqQeRXz4aD0CCshLzAkcGKcqWjHkrxdpN888GmAInHbne0-hoYLDXpqeod0FU/s1600/Hockey_Bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7tPcFLc-hN1B-1_XECFJhUCFn8BaZUeU7_ulol4-EBc_6DHOCUZsyIGTiFesWMLPiTq393kpyP2ZxojtqQeRXz4aD0CCshLzAkcGKcqWjHkrxdpN888GmAInHbne0-hoYLDXpqeod0FU/s640/Hockey_Bench.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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I was a little worried about getting hit in the face with a wayward puck, as our seats were next to the one gap in the plexiglass walls, but I just ducked whenever the coaches on the bench ducked, and I made it out with my face intact. :)</div>
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The men's hockey team is one of Miami U's strongest sports teams, so they have a really nice facility and lots of entertainment throughout the game... like parachuting gift cards during a media break:</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lMrShyX6unA/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lMrShyX6unA?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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During one of the longer breaks between periods there was a performance by Miami University's women's synchronized skating team. <i>Who knew that was a thing?!</i> They don't get as much attention as men's hockey, but Miami's figure skating team is also one of the best in the nation.</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hbz5hq_PMVU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hbz5hq_PMVU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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We have tickets for another game at the end of January, which I am really looking forward to.</div>
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Next up, Ted and I recently attended a wedding in Columbus - that of my best friend from elementary school. This girl was like my sister from 1st grade until 3rd grade when her family moved to Texas. I think my mom even called her Daughter #2. I can remember playing with barbies, sharing my crayons at school, and getting into quite a bit of trouble with this girl. Her family is Hispanic, and they are probably the reason I was so interested in learning to speak Spanish as I grew up. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIjFF1bV54QzV6hSmxFJoPt1tbrRhI0AYEKF2941QhGZC6sZAcce3cy8Ve9fCoUjAFjCOBaTHZccFEa-lD7ecH6yPVyJgpaf7AkcRA0kmHeWBd2lxROkoUl6aQS9XpitxcOJE6GAUaUg/s1600/12187974_933584126679468_6231304412446448062_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfIjFF1bV54QzV6hSmxFJoPt1tbrRhI0AYEKF2941QhGZC6sZAcce3cy8Ve9fCoUjAFjCOBaTHZccFEa-lD7ecH6yPVyJgpaf7AkcRA0kmHeWBd2lxROkoUl6aQS9XpitxcOJE6GAUaUg/s640/12187974_933584126679468_6231304412446448062_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Gregory Rodriguez, via Facebook download</td></tr>
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I did not have my phone or camera on me for most of the wedding, as I really tried to just "experience the moment", but I took a few photos (and downloaded a couple from her Facebook page). It was a beautiful wedding in a Catholic cathedral in Columbus, with the reception at the Westin Hotel in Columbus - a really cool old hotel. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUCaBWGbaUMRFqHlhH3VdJHlwaxu0cYdCBKHu4JKcZF4yx4be1NpOHiaYot-Oc2fhZO8YZwOumDrnH5sDBKLnJOr_WATHvu9nzT3bqInjnn62sheH6laXAHihjO295lHXfStoCnkDGME/s1600/hairdo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFUCaBWGbaUMRFqHlhH3VdJHlwaxu0cYdCBKHu4JKcZF4yx4be1NpOHiaYot-Oc2fhZO8YZwOumDrnH5sDBKLnJOr_WATHvu9nzT3bqInjnn62sheH6laXAHihjO295lHXfStoCnkDGME/s400/hairdo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trying to do my hair on the drive over <br />(thanks, iPhone, for being my "mirror")</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpLULnIufMoWQWHshjOo1nmL2XEKiFPXSRm_o3qTfkgvM_wKPYTeqtd5Wl4VuLZK_DR8K7z1CmjVALnFSD-njhQBiy3BOHQ2zcmbjvE5CiIdblOAKh_Z_Y3VKVnjxP7z4ZJnVAnJXScs/s1600/wedding_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxpLULnIufMoWQWHshjOo1nmL2XEKiFPXSRm_o3qTfkgvM_wKPYTeqtd5Wl4VuLZK_DR8K7z1CmjVALnFSD-njhQBiy3BOHQ2zcmbjvE5CiIdblOAKh_Z_Y3VKVnjxP7z4ZJnVAnJXScs/s640/wedding_1.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We try to look purty for special occasions.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzA0JBuec0jMnCh2-jIf0aEe6Bgo7Q1TQXR18VwnXzeXiDLrd6tlGoiMdYcC-b7zDZBE34BMvjW8aogrd4DVprsiOWt36I1G7EguWMMDpbNCQiK5i81D-aBbH_eTbhteB6zm9hfGxvfA/s1600/wedding+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwzA0JBuec0jMnCh2-jIf0aEe6Bgo7Q1TQXR18VwnXzeXiDLrd6tlGoiMdYcC-b7zDZBE34BMvjW8aogrd4DVprsiOWt36I1G7EguWMMDpbNCQiK5i81D-aBbH_eTbhteB6zm9hfGxvfA/s640/wedding+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lifelong friend, right here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfkQ5CqPs8VOTwcC86Irmisrl9JnZ9KdDcFpEPbh6jnZdiSLCa8q8Pv0zPAf2a3NSepC09XLCrNAqNOQd86bz-dtjx_7QyA3SvR2gu6tFL1Av1FLKg7vKgX3gGaYxVSFsIlW1dgzKypc/s1600/westin+hotel+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgfkQ5CqPs8VOTwcC86Irmisrl9JnZ9KdDcFpEPbh6jnZdiSLCa8q8Pv0zPAf2a3NSepC09XLCrNAqNOQd86bz-dtjx_7QyA3SvR2gu6tFL1Av1FLKg7vKgX3gGaYxVSFsIlW1dgzKypc/s640/westin+hotel+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Columbus Westin Hotel, site of the wedding reception<br />(Ted and I highly recommend this hotel)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBToasWmb4jFkChiyWYRMZx8EFbHKMjKLCpS7t9DfDjCdV5-JkRl4Bbea4cOL8kTJ0OiDM_oKpQnt0mbMGhBBNJeA7W4a-BppyiHFAgSuTcwDFFR_h2bsWEXKUrSM6qoQnUEgb0BgpwM/s1600/12191625_10153923998378646_8583327412099574110_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBToasWmb4jFkChiyWYRMZx8EFbHKMjKLCpS7t9DfDjCdV5-JkRl4Bbea4cOL8kTJ0OiDM_oKpQnt0mbMGhBBNJeA7W4a-BppyiHFAgSuTcwDFFR_h2bsWEXKUrSM6qoQnUEgb0BgpwM/s640/12191625_10153923998378646_8583327412099574110_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What did people do at weddings before photo booths?</td></tr>
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Aside from these events, we've mostly just been hanging out at home and working a lot. Well, Ted is working a lot. I've gone back to part-time employment, so I've been using my extra time to try to cook us healthy meals and keep the house clean. </div>
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This fall, it's been all about soups so far. I've particularly enjoyed a curried carrot soup from the <i><a href="http://consciouscleanse.com/book/" target="_blank">Conscious Cleanse</a></i> book, a minestrone soup adapted from Deborah Madison's <i><a href="http://deborahmadison.com/vegetarian-cooking-for-everyone/" target="_blank">Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone</a></i>, and most recently, a delicious <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2015/10/12/golden-red-lentil-dal-with-cilantro-speckled-basmati/" target="_blank">red lentil dal</a> from the <i><a href="http://ohsheglows.com/" target="_blank">Oh She Glows</a> </i>blog. I've even had the time to make my own vegetable stock. </div>
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I know. Domesticity, man.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNHben-zjSElbd528T6iZhLN7RL52xwr4Tl4fmuXH2cn9lLqiaAE6YcJfWKPxcgGBKs9FQ1Q9tPKFuUubcghQp5vi9Hm5lOVD7V5nAQjHt9_PcX4bJ67EW3yAZN1wVVl2-EiRgY-lldU/s1600/minestrone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCNHben-zjSElbd528T6iZhLN7RL52xwr4Tl4fmuXH2cn9lLqiaAE6YcJfWKPxcgGBKs9FQ1Q9tPKFuUubcghQp5vi9Hm5lOVD7V5nAQjHt9_PcX4bJ67EW3yAZN1wVVl2-EiRgY-lldU/s400/minestrone.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Homemade minestrone!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOpCnTUsgQKWcLkR6tX-5T5_BvRS1R7o6OZQCVXCE4l5vd9L2fPu8rS2RsfnKkgP0ABAEZGsUDRDYLLmqKGAXrVYazNHCH2hvJe-DcCIGjJLE37s73qgdTlzG2PFjy981Ln7_GTkqtKA/s1600/DalCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOpCnTUsgQKWcLkR6tX-5T5_BvRS1R7o6OZQCVXCE4l5vd9L2fPu8rS2RsfnKkgP0ABAEZGsUDRDYLLmqKGAXrVYazNHCH2hvJe-DcCIGjJLE37s73qgdTlzG2PFjy981Ln7_GTkqtKA/s400/DalCollage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Red lentil dal, cilantro lime rice, samosas</td></tr>
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While Ted and I aren't quite willing to commit to a vegan or even a vegetarian diet, we <i>are</i> trying to eat a lot more vegetables - at least one vegetable-based meal every day. We feel better, and I think we're starting to <i>look</i> a little better, too. <div>
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So there you have it, a really random post about some of the things we've been doing lately. I'll try to do something else that's interesting this week so I have more to write about in a few days... Until then, feel free to make post suggestions!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-89722555025055856092015-11-06T09:18:00.002-05:002015-11-06T09:18:21.158-05:00Cleaning (My Mental) HouseI just deleted over 1,800 email messages from my Gmail account... without even looking at them. Wow, it feels so good.<br />
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I mean, I had read most of them (all but 128), but for some reason they were all still sitting there, clogging up my Inbox. In the past, I would have carefully looked at the Subject line of each one and saved all of them that contained photos or nice notes or memories or receipt information, and it would have taken me hours.<br />
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But just now, as I sit in a coffee shop, trying to plan my classes for next week, I decided to just do a blanket delete. That hovering red number next to my Mail icon was just stressing me out too much! *Unread messages!* *More things to do!* *Bleh!*<br />
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Now I have 4 messages in my Inbox. ~Big, cleansing breath~ ~Big smiley face~<br />
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Does anyone else feel like their life is full of mental clutter? I try to keep my house clean and organized, but somehow my life still feels chaotic. I think most of it is mental clutter: keeping in touch with too many people, overstimulation from commercials and advertisements everywhere I look, being pulled in too many directions (and my life is not even that complicated)! Things should be a lot simpler than they are, and part of my Baby Steps program that I wrote about in the last post is to slowly clear out the mental clutter.<br />
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The next step is a technology cleanse. Wait a minute, this is sounding familiar... I feel like I've <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2013/10/stop-insanity.html" target="_blank">blogged about this before</a>... But seriously, I was laying in bed in a half-awake state yesterday morning, thinking about all the things I had to do that day, and I suddenly realized that I was organizing all these tasks in my head like a computer. My thinking was literally along the lines of swiping from one task to the next just as you would swipe between screens on an iPhone and plugging each task into a grid-type calendar in my head, adding notes, reminders, etc. Whoa! I need to lay off the iToys.<br />
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On Monday Ted and I are starting our 3rd <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-conscious-cleanse.html" target="_blank">Conscious Cleanse</a> (just on our own - not as part of the program), and I think I'm going to also consciously limit my screen time. As always, I'll let you know how it goes. ;)<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-43262667277456141652015-11-01T12:55:00.000-05:002015-11-01T12:56:01.108-05:00Baby StepsAs it turns out, I am in the worst shape of my life right now. Well, 4th grade was kind of my pudgy phase, so maybe that was slightly worse. We'll say I'm in the worst shape of my <i>adult</i> life right now.<br />
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About a year ago, my life changed a lot as I took a full-time job as director of the English language program at school (a 40-minute commute from home). This was my first desk job, and I felt a heavy weight of responsibility on my shoulders as I was in charge of not only an important university program (a BIG money-maker for our floundering regional campus), but also the lives of young adults from halfway around the globe. College is not like elementary school, I learned. You can't expect every student to succeed - after all, they're adults in charge of their own decisions at this point. But still, I tried. I tried so hard to make sure every student got exactly what they needed, passed all their classes, was happy and healthy, and felt secure so far away from home. Spoiler alert: I was not successful in saving every student. **Add more weight to shoulders**<br />
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Amidst the stress of commuting and keeping my head above water as I learned SO MUCH in my new position as director, I stopped working out and started parking my butt on the couch a lot more. And let me tell you, I am feeling it in my body.<br />
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One year of sitting at a desk for 8 hours a day has destroyed my neck, shoulders, and core muscles. I didn't realize it while it was happening, but I can feel it now.<br />
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I thought going back to teaching would feel so good, but after a couple weeks of moving around and standing for hours, my body started to ache. More than ache, actually. Some nights I have had so much pain in my neck and shoulders that I needed to take ibuprofen just to sleep. Some days I could barely lift my arms to write on the board during class.<br />
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I starting going to a massage therapist once a week, but it didn't help. In fact, it seemed to make the pain <span style="color: #990000;">worse</span> as she dug into all the knots in my shoulders (including <i>underneath</i> my shoulder blades) and tried to release the tightness in my neck. She told me my shoulder blades are sitting much too high - a result of tightness in my pectoral muscles from sitting hunched in front of a computer. My chest muscles are literally pulling my shoulder blades up - like tightening the straps on a backpack - which has caused me pain in my jaw, neck, shoulders, back, and core.<br />
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Now, I am a <b>firm</b> believer in the power of diet, exercise, and mental well-being in curing whatever ails you. So you'd think it would be easy for me to eat more vegetables, start an exercise routine, and do a little meditation in order to end this excruciating pain in my body. Another spoiler: <i>It is not easy!!!</i> I am so out of the habit of healthy living that my body and mind reject every attempt at it, despite the fact that I <i>know</i> I'll feel better.<br />
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Why is that? I'm sure everyone reading this has had a similar experience in some area of their life. Why is it so hard to do what we <i>know</i> is best for us? How do we break bad habits? Of course, I've read plenty of articles and seen enough TED talks to "know" the answers to these questions, but still. I wish it weren't so hard.<br />
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In any case, I'm ready to make a commitment to healing my body, starting with what I'd like to call my <b>Baby Steps Workout Plan</b>. I've been an athlete in one capacity or another for most of my life: ski team, volleyball, fast-pitch softball, indoor soccer, slow-pitch softball... I was always up to try anything, and I was typically able to <i>do</i> anything because I was in good shape. All these activities helped me to stay fit, sometimes without even making a conscious effort to work out.<br />
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But now I feel weak. My arms are weak. My legs get tired. Core muscles? What are those? I can't even do the lighter workouts I used to do, like jogging and yoga. I have zero stamina, and I've lost most of my flexibility. Thinking of this makes me feel very depressed, which makes me want to go lay on the couch and watch Netflix series while eating cheese.<br />
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Instead, I've decided to get back into shapes with a baby steps approach. I will do <i>something</i> every day, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, and I will record it in a journal. My hope is that all these little "workouts" will start to become longer, more challenging workouts as my motivation comes back and I build up stamina.<br />
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For example, on Tuesday of this week, I did about 2 minutes of a high intensity workout that should have taken about 15 minutes. Why did I stop? Because I literally <i>could not go on. </i>I was gasping for air, my legs felt like jello, and I just couldn't do it alone. But in my journal I dutifully recorded my two minutes of burpees and lunges, vowed to not judge myself for being SO out of shape, wrote myself a motivating message ("a little at a time"), and moved on with my day.<br />
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On Friday, I did about 6 minutes of a 30 minute yoga video (I was <i>not</i> kidding when I said I am seriously out of shape). It is recorded in my journal.<br />
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Yesterday I did a 28 minute foundational yoga video. It led me through very simple poses, mostly seated stretches - easy stuff, but hey, I did it. I'm counting it as a workout, and I proudly recorded it in my journal with another motivating message to myself ("stick with it - you'll get there").<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KSjQY1dvH5kSmims2OB2DPGH1sC6-9ISiQOUPVPoJIU3HdJbZNsbMyJYiHQanCIpKAlzflEcofy6qzVBxHPXOT-VxTSKS1MnUPAHlXUfYmWI7IrPu4ckbNUkNlSxyk8z7HEuNE2Y41s/s1600/yoga+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7KSjQY1dvH5kSmims2OB2DPGH1sC6-9ISiQOUPVPoJIU3HdJbZNsbMyJYiHQanCIpKAlzflEcofy6qzVBxHPXOT-VxTSKS1MnUPAHlXUfYmWI7IrPu4ckbNUkNlSxyk8z7HEuNE2Y41s/s640/yoga+cat.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cats are very supportive of my yoga efforts.</td></tr>
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Today, two more yoga videos. Again, they were easy, foundational videos, but they are exactly what I need to start re-building my strength and gaining confidence. I realize now that if I try to jump back into my old exercise routine, I will give up because I'm not at that fitness level any more. It's simply too hard, and it kills me to say that because I used to be in such great shape! I used to lift heavy objects without thinking twice! Now I'm that girl that asks men to carry things for me. Ugh. I <i>will</i> get my strength back.<br />
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So, that's my Baby Steps Plan. What do you think? Anyone else want to join me in a Baby Steps Plan of your own?<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-54809641562390339542015-10-30T10:20:00.005-04:002015-10-30T10:29:16.922-04:00Princess Zelda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Hi there.</div>
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I've gotten out of the habit of writing. There's been a lot going on, but I haven't really been motivated to write about any of it. But this morning I'm feelin' it. Maybe it's the morning coffee shop atmosphere. Maybe it's the episodes of <i>Jane the Virgin</i> I've been watching on Netflix (she writes on her laptop a lot). Maybe I just need a creative outlet! Whatever the reason, I'm ready to write again.<br />
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The only thing is, I don't know what to write about. I guess I could just start with reader requests (aka my family's requests). :)<br />
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By far the most frequent request is for updates about our kitten, Zelda. Most people who read this blog probably already know about her, but let me tell you her story anyway.<br />
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Zelda came to us (or maybe was sent to us?) mid-May. She was just a tiny little thing that had crawled up inside the body of our neighbor's car, and we helped to get her out (which took a few hours). We offered to take her since the neighbor's daughter is allergic to cats.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fJz55d95Dx-MOXsfEVLgd-13Fr4P4gbYrYqUueAlP90FTWeUaeCYMeBnYRcEpe3uG3xS6Fu6wLJ-h0749UCCpKN8F2Qw505M-Hvblqxt5iY-0cYTmX62qISAsGSO8DlFFzYT727-Is4/s1600/ZeldasDay1Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9fJz55d95Dx-MOXsfEVLgd-13Fr4P4gbYrYqUueAlP90FTWeUaeCYMeBnYRcEpe3uG3xS6Fu6wLJ-h0749UCCpKN8F2Qw505M-Hvblqxt5iY-0cYTmX62qISAsGSO8DlFFzYT727-Is4/s400/ZeldasDay1Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That first night...</td></tr>
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That first day/night she was really scared - hissing, spitting, and trying to bite us. I was a little worried that she was too wild to become a house cat, especially after she cried all night long (locked up in the bathroom). But on Day 2 she let us touch her, and she even purred a little, so we took her to our vet to find out if she was healthy and find out how old she was.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tZOBN3iyQkYMGAXRnFNfziTTz_rJ5jQeMd2XFxGry9fBj4pn47j_I-xcIMCnaJFe619j6utoRNO-cc_oezdpHjg_OVLJFH_e4dlPsgHeMWk6uhQn5EQRkNnk-wnukvtfBMIcSplaY2I/s1600/ZeldaDay2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3tZOBN3iyQkYMGAXRnFNfziTTz_rJ5jQeMd2XFxGry9fBj4pn47j_I-xcIMCnaJFe619j6utoRNO-cc_oezdpHjg_OVLJFH_e4dlPsgHeMWk6uhQn5EQRkNnk-wnukvtfBMIcSplaY2I/s400/ZeldaDay2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our little schmutz-ball</td></tr>
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The vet estimated that she was about 6 weeks old (although now they think she was more like 8 weeks), and she seemed really healthy! They took blood for an FIV test (we didn't want her to mix with our cats until we knew she didn't have FIV) and sent us home. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UfsKgpmNsrK3Q8wEJXpugXObM1fXx8EamHbu2x1sJs0BP3FQN1f4ivPH_ftvHKqIH58FAMMy29z4ze-CtuL1CkTNFXLNdaQHTWsnxDMZfPS4bicFdlE-5dZc3yGxuwaY64zsgDx8zDI/s1600/Peekaboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5UfsKgpmNsrK3Q8wEJXpugXObM1fXx8EamHbu2x1sJs0BP3FQN1f4ivPH_ftvHKqIH58FAMMy29z4ze-CtuL1CkTNFXLNdaQHTWsnxDMZfPS4bicFdlE-5dZc3yGxuwaY64zsgDx8zDI/s400/Peekaboo.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Well, we were very disappointed the next day to receive a call with the news that her test had come back positive. FIV, like HIV, cannot be cured, and it could spread to our healthy cats through a bite. Ted and I worried and read articles and testimonials online about healthy cats living with FIV+ cats. We didn't want to put our other two babies at risk, but we were quickly becoming attached to this tiny ball of fluff. We kept the cats separated except for monitored interactions, and finally we decided that we were going to keep the kitten. I mean, could <i>you</i> have said no?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdFq0Y8N-oDJrGQQMeb5LGzioWTu8ZguTQFyeVCyRv9XG1q6xwgRxc3OO5UIaGWch6BH7-rTg-M8mMc5qpwpmyX1te-GQtCUNlatxYkfGM1FxB-uACrKj8kGpJQRo08BIPPaGFuMh-lI/s1600/Zelda%252BMilo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisdFq0Y8N-oDJrGQQMeb5LGzioWTu8ZguTQFyeVCyRv9XG1q6xwgRxc3OO5UIaGWch6BH7-rTg-M8mMc5qpwpmyX1te-GQtCUNlatxYkfGM1FxB-uACrKj8kGpJQRo08BIPPaGFuMh-lI/s400/Zelda%252BMilo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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All the while we had been trying to think of a name... She needed something special, something that represented her wild spirit and her journey to us (we think she crawled up into our neighbor's car somewhere else in Oxford and rode home with them). One day, I was listening to a story on NPR about F. Scott Fitzgerald when his wife, Zelda, was mentioned. The name caught my attention immediately - it reminded me of the 1980s Nintendo game, <i>The Legend of Zelda</i>. This kitten was certainly becoming a legend in our household, and the name seemed to fit:<br />
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Though [Princess Zelda] is the eponymous character, her story role is often that of... <b>damsel in distress</b>... Many Zelda games adopt the classic princess-and-dragon premise of chivalric literature: Zelda is usually kidnapped or imprisoned by Ganon, prompting Link to come to <b>her rescue</b>. Some games in the series have also emphasized Zelda's magical abilities and importance to the functioning of Hyrule, demonstrating that she is <b>more than capable of taking care of herself</b>. <i>(from Wikipedia, emphasis added - I know, I know. I tell my students not to use Wikipedia, but it </i>is<i> a quick way to get information...)</i></blockquote>
"Damsel in distress"... "rescue"... "more than capable of taking care of herself"... It all fits.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zIrQ8kAVp48itgRbtn6nq3HcRug6a_rsjmIWtLVOeMz-HyXR2XwIM47ml9T-IOfZEW0ETcq1Q-b3wftwjFu1arTb9GDpRqoYEQwuSW2glBZyzR0sagQmLmdhf28FnBbf-EzqNDHL_RA/s1600/IMG_0308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zIrQ8kAVp48itgRbtn6nq3HcRug6a_rsjmIWtLVOeMz-HyXR2XwIM47ml9T-IOfZEW0ETcq1Q-b3wftwjFu1arTb9GDpRqoYEQwuSW2glBZyzR0sagQmLmdhf28FnBbf-EzqNDHL_RA/s640/IMG_0308.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 17, 2015</td></tr>
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Zelda has been with us for 5 months and is now 7 months old (we estimate). It took a while for Minnie and Milo to accept her - there was a lot of hissing and swatting in those early weeks - but now we seem to function as a 3-cat family with no issues. Well, there is one issue. All three cats have different foods, but trying to get each cat to only eat from their designated bowl is like, well, herding cats. The house can feel like a circus sometimes - especially when we have guests and the cats get overexcited - but we wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FQPDWzMca7-eBA2Bc31B6v0Yhtct5gE9kBamepcFPocmUYgDel6zQUAbEq5MHs3HkwW8P2goe7c0_CSuhkjD6cint4PTFPMLyKMfDGWDh0bi1ei1IcqXbo-ggTVRYiT8BI1BFmVSNbs/s1600/portrait.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6FQPDWzMca7-eBA2Bc31B6v0Yhtct5gE9kBamepcFPocmUYgDel6zQUAbEq5MHs3HkwW8P2goe7c0_CSuhkjD6cint4PTFPMLyKMfDGWDh0bi1ei1IcqXbo-ggTVRYiT8BI1BFmVSNbs/s640/portrait.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 1, 2015</td></tr>
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Oh, I should mention that we had Zelda retested for FIV one month after her initial blood draw, and this time the results came back negative. So Zelda doesn't have FIV after all! Our vet explained that if a pregnant cat has FIV, the kittens can be born with FIV antibodies in their system. Since the blood test measures antibodies, kittens can get a false positive in the early months. We were so relieved! I let Zelda make the announcement to our family:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUEfY5pnEvlMNJH2aF2dnzV27FpAAaO9Z2IEqoidC84Gz8dD78w1vMSCSM6CEiWiqSk8UlDLTemPzcPDSg4CwfTkYALMTrXkpUZcHEOk990ubxaroiHeMmV3HxsWfj1ysHvi6qdlphEs/s1600/FIVfree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBUEfY5pnEvlMNJH2aF2dnzV27FpAAaO9Z2IEqoidC84Gz8dD78w1vMSCSM6CEiWiqSk8UlDLTemPzcPDSg4CwfTkYALMTrXkpUZcHEOk990ubxaroiHeMmV3HxsWfj1ysHvi6qdlphEs/s640/FIVfree.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">June 27, 2105</td></tr>
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I'll write more about Zelda in future posts, but for now I'll just leave you with a current photo of our little one (not so little any more!):</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Kti5OiTF5bLgauP61bmAN7PGTMBoKzEGa8Re5FeZ47e1A4_sumXj2tHeXx0Oewvw0TtV93Hl8lYQijjUCQez_A5C691b7hGKU-IoaNwPYOw3v2iTU_rbiyRvmiiSxJsGt4q0Iq-1ZD4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2015-10-30+at+10.18.19+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Kti5OiTF5bLgauP61bmAN7PGTMBoKzEGa8Re5FeZ47e1A4_sumXj2tHeXx0Oewvw0TtV93Hl8lYQijjUCQez_A5C691b7hGKU-IoaNwPYOw3v2iTU_rbiyRvmiiSxJsGt4q0Iq-1ZD4/s400/Screen+Shot+2015-10-30+at+10.18.19+AM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zelda and Minnie <br />
October 28, 2015</td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D6535318843470092517%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D5480964156239033954%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-pIwleMamIxo%2FVjNxWi4NYbI%2FAAAAAAAAHJg%2F1VuvWyju37g%2Fs400%2FZeldaDay2.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=LxDEifHu8ytG&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1654px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D6535318843470092517%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D5480964156239033954%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-pIwleMamIxo%2FVjNxWi4NYbI%2FAAAAAAAAHJg%2F1VuvWyju37g%2Fs400%2FZeldaDay2.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.37.01&xuid=LxDEifHu8ytG&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1654px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-12506068365166769272015-09-07T15:19:00.003-04:002015-09-09T11:07:59.990-04:00A Visit to the MidwestWe just had a very nice visit from Ted's oldest brother. It almost didn't happen, as his Friday flight was cancelled due to some classic midwest thunderstorms.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">He was able to rebook, however, so we picked him up on Saturday and started the visit with lunch at <i><a href="http://www.atavolapizza.com/" target="_blank">A Tavola Bar and Trattoria</a></i> in Cincinnati's "Over the Rhine" district. This part of Cincinnati is in the throes of gentrification, however the process is not yet complete, leaving the neighborhood with lots of artistic character and verve. According to the <a href="http://www.otrfoundation.org/OTR_Architecture.htm" target="_blank">Over the Rhine Foundation</a>, it is "one of the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmd6ApMXXKDdgNwRWmZAd6Ao47sUMVS6Xk-kxhxdvEYQKCJsvaliyVYGOdpkRKWh1JIUXv9VzAyuPSWczlflDR4ugtum8lheB8TvJ9AVHvDM0DajzrnP3tqbqH0zIDGFz-kHfrbJl5Oc/s1600/Pimms_cup.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwmd6ApMXXKDdgNwRWmZAd6Ao47sUMVS6Xk-kxhxdvEYQKCJsvaliyVYGOdpkRKWh1JIUXv9VzAyuPSWczlflDR4ugtum8lheB8TvJ9AVHvDM0DajzrnP3tqbqH0zIDGFz-kHfrbJl5Oc/s320/Pimms_cup.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ted's Pimms Cup at A Tavola</td></tr>
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After a delicious lunch of wood-fired pizza and watermelon salad, we walked through Washington Park, where the neighborhood residents were trying to beat the heat with picnics in the shade and prancing in the fountain. I did a little prancing myself, actually, and was disappointed that I wasn't wearing my swimsuit.<br />
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A few blocks north of Washington Park is the well-known <a href="http://www.findlaymarket.org/" target="_blank">Findlay Market</a>, which was packed to the brim, so I didn't get any photos. There you can buy all kinds of meat, sausage, fish, cheese, pastries, ice cream, chocolate... I'm glad we ate lunch <i>before</i> walking through. :)</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every empty wall in Cincy seems to be painted</td></tr>
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I have to say, the Over the Rhine district has renewed my interest in Cincinnati as a city. Ted and I have only been down to the city 3-4 times, and we were never that impressed. Now, however, I look forward to taking future visitors to this neighborhood for shopping, food, and fun!</div>
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On Sunday, despite the lingering heat and humidity, we trekked out to <a href="http://metamoraindiana.com/index.htm" target="_blank">Metamora</a>, Indiana for the local music festival. About 45 minutes from Oxford, Metamora is a very small town (village?) with a more western feel. It is a historic site thanks to the Whitewater Canal, so many of the town's original structures have been preserved. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wXelHSjymUEnWB1lOCspZSCJFEGV_bWA8B5ExWYYhK_pzZXIqopEownASwCC7jUc7K6xExQz86WNdved1Oy6JCAyIbqXsLRFY0d0zZ3j-vGDUBapJG_FoKCipZVtNrXxgBJ8L4jPId0/s1600/IMG_4434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0wXelHSjymUEnWB1lOCspZSCJFEGV_bWA8B5ExWYYhK_pzZXIqopEownASwCC7jUc7K6xExQz86WNdved1Oy6JCAyIbqXsLRFY0d0zZ3j-vGDUBapJG_FoKCipZVtNrXxgBJ8L4jPId0/s640/IMG_4434.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7mmx5vSPRyFXl00aiW1VUcFFQq_N1NlPpumcohFA5xFXxfJ03v7ki1jFtu68MRJDryph7T34u_-XYAWMq5g4xVmy2hRr4xoIPnPOYsRvUY9DRM9F_Y05PHJTJsNkDnynmp8MVFEXwUc/s1600/IMG_4448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7mmx5vSPRyFXl00aiW1VUcFFQq_N1NlPpumcohFA5xFXxfJ03v7ki1jFtu68MRJDryph7T34u_-XYAWMq5g4xVmy2hRr4xoIPnPOYsRvUY9DRM9F_Y05PHJTJsNkDnynmp8MVFEXwUc/s640/IMG_4448.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfqiPcqbbTlM-9-F4GiwP27zW1U5Ja3qCj778IwCV5JLrRIuuTyJfA8wOQffOLeVgvr1tl1gGEYC3Pi63FtsO0Vm9xCDDAXqoIwIAI-aOnru72X_DEsptsewN11BNDTzXodLfCBGxsiU/s1600/IMG_4454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCfqiPcqbbTlM-9-F4GiwP27zW1U5Ja3qCj778IwCV5JLrRIuuTyJfA8wOQffOLeVgvr1tl1gGEYC3Pi63FtsO0Vm9xCDDAXqoIwIAI-aOnru72X_DEsptsewN11BNDTzXodLfCBGxsiU/s640/IMG_4454.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Canal boat rides are only $5 and last about 30 minutes. </td></tr>
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The interesting thing about the canal is that horses drew the boats along the water. There were two huge Clydesdales (I think) doing just that while we watched from the shore.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lTN4I9KHsi8/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lTN4I9KHsi8?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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There is also an old-fashioned train that offers scenic rides, if horse-drawn boats aren't really your thing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxdvOqIewLb8PR2Z6snPQIRoe-_Yb3JoQQK-TpWFbcEWMOVRdKPb2Hw3Bt-iPKr2Kbu0Tz0EDxbVC6nSPvRNa0fxDDQvrRrJiHZ9u5Xp4Ovszt6GGbfn4AKgAuStKHvhsTbVzOTl6-hI/s1600/IMG_4432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxdvOqIewLb8PR2Z6snPQIRoe-_Yb3JoQQK-TpWFbcEWMOVRdKPb2Hw3Bt-iPKr2Kbu0Tz0EDxbVC6nSPvRNa0fxDDQvrRrJiHZ9u5Xp4Ovszt6GGbfn4AKgAuStKHvhsTbVzOTl6-hI/s640/IMG_4432.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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One of the highlights of Metamora, though, has got to be Granny's cookie jars. You can't miss the window displays packed top to bottom with cookie jars, and the inside does <i>not</i> disappoint.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJgg8b-D_M0oeZdUYSdetpkCZmyotW3NsafbvmrFxXXybqOPP6Pw8R-01Z8f3i2m0qqrjIctZPbYzo-wBrI-YCr3bCmgqmt0tuG2Hl5nJCFPj78AzDHC3xRxXzYqtkbzMaq201ADJf0Q/s1600/IMG_4394.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYJgg8b-D_M0oeZdUYSdetpkCZmyotW3NsafbvmrFxXXybqOPP6Pw8R-01Z8f3i2m0qqrjIctZPbYzo-wBrI-YCr3bCmgqmt0tuG2Hl5nJCFPj78AzDHC3xRxXzYqtkbzMaq201ADJf0Q/s640/IMG_4394.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTuxa_YDsjwvQ8rim3-Cq0_RI9JbUG0NDq869aU_mMvYo3iw6gIm2bpMmtFHr296CZsWnhWCAMBzvU0fQVJPHzXaSNqk9SW7jYnzNrYiFPrK00bc0lzesLlt8YbgYe2Gy5a8nF_bi1JA/s1600/IMG_4395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjTuxa_YDsjwvQ8rim3-Cq0_RI9JbUG0NDq869aU_mMvYo3iw6gIm2bpMmtFHr296CZsWnhWCAMBzvU0fQVJPHzXaSNqk9SW7jYnzNrYiFPrK00bc0lzesLlt8YbgYe2Gy5a8nF_bi1JA/s640/IMG_4395.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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You can buy ice cream at the store, and all of the cookie jars (and salt and pepper shakers!) are for sale, though there were certainly cliental who entered just to gawk.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOOuMCKePxieLNpfwTp1aV9eh4FxA-kbv6myPZstpKVr9xIDIlWwovI5Yv7GcwhVND1GTHxodDSF5jMwoSt3uUBqHJB9XmaHXXahw9GUxqzNHBEHLWiCiE53SqaPEW4aa9TXT6X29bKs/s1600/IMG_4397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOOuMCKePxieLNpfwTp1aV9eh4FxA-kbv6myPZstpKVr9xIDIlWwovI5Yv7GcwhVND1GTHxodDSF5jMwoSt3uUBqHJB9XmaHXXahw9GUxqzNHBEHLWiCiE53SqaPEW4aa9TXT6X29bKs/s640/IMG_4397.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EBLURLxsXWLZE0XMyv0SnKOQxhnwHhIVQ_-Pg2ay596J0hED1IFj10xE7guitGDSaSIibRJHlVvs7WbUcoUoV7ifT9iI77l9dibyDIYBk9ovQoRe62FovSxygWpIkcdUK8lknUnTpLQ/s1600/IMG_4398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-EBLURLxsXWLZE0XMyv0SnKOQxhnwHhIVQ_-Pg2ay596J0hED1IFj10xE7guitGDSaSIibRJHlVvs7WbUcoUoV7ifT9iI77l9dibyDIYBk9ovQoRe62FovSxygWpIkcdUK8lknUnTpLQ/s640/IMG_4398.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Salt and pepper shakers</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDQQ0hc9LkA3EEs21Bzt9MBuhHfKvF3iADRzg-UxM5RQvL3ZsFZsvfyYpnOK7ASPvkJxIwoEmDkTwDQ0F0YsV5bgE5TAbPEoYTH23QCfKHqyOz4z_R-zCCsdZn_PpNtfVczMzAs2ZesY/s1600/IMG_4400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDQQ0hc9LkA3EEs21Bzt9MBuhHfKvF3iADRzg-UxM5RQvL3ZsFZsvfyYpnOK7ASPvkJxIwoEmDkTwDQ0F0YsV5bgE5TAbPEoYTH23QCfKHqyOz4z_R-zCCsdZn_PpNtfVczMzAs2ZesY/s640/IMG_4400.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Some of the cookie jars were definitely collectibles with real value, but most were for sale for around $35-$45.<br />
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As in most of the midwest, Metamora also has its fair share of antique (and junk) stores. </div>
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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/AVvXsEj31F7F0HuiHZSzpe4vE0wyZW4FXwVgF9RUIzMmkXZ7BoCxh1hlnTYwsYzlNV1jbunhRcQzLCEDK1t9__xt5TmyfAwVbR8REbmunl1P-miTLoHp6KUnXhICOL09p00kUiE5sWnstztKohg/s1600/Books_Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj31F7F0HuiHZSzpe4vE0wyZW4FXwVgF9RUIzMmkXZ7BoCxh1hlnTYwsYzlNV1jbunhRcQzLCEDK1t9__xt5TmyfAwVbR8REbmunl1P-miTLoHp6KUnXhICOL09p00kUiE5sWnstztKohg/s400/Books_Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I know some of you will recognize these!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnrPXHgrR8s1aX5GmQOsj0W5m-4BbhX2OQySEHD86tYLxMA4cg2_v2KpkGrSLTlTOZvyXs1T8JMdM0eecmrv18M3RLQiR6TmgFkFTqgAe7MK7Aj-_W5GQX7m9E4yosy_soTXwMR-Cslw/s1600/Patterns_Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPnrPXHgrR8s1aX5GmQOsj0W5m-4BbhX2OQySEHD86tYLxMA4cg2_v2KpkGrSLTlTOZvyXs1T8JMdM0eecmrv18M3RLQiR6TmgFkFTqgAe7MK7Aj-_W5GQX7m9E4yosy_soTXwMR-Cslw/s400/Patterns_Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classics.</td></tr>
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We did actually make it down to the music tent eventually. The heat was pretty oppressive, though, so we didn't stay too long under the stuffy tent. Exploring the town was the real highlight, and I'm glad Ted's brother got to see a little of our area while he was here.<br />
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So what do you say? Are <i>you</i> going to be our next visitor? :) </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-62497082946560977442015-08-20T13:49:00.000-04:002015-08-20T13:49:02.977-04:00Peach Jam<div>
When we were first planning our move out to Ohio, I envisioned myself as becoming some kind of <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2013/08/mrs-suzy-homesteader.html" target="_blank">pioneer woman</a> out here - the kind of woman who cans tomatoes and darns socks.</div>
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Well, this past week I came pretty close to making this vision a reality: I made my own jam... from fruit I picked myself. <div>
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And just to be clear, this was not from one of those U-Pick farms next to the highway. Oh no. I scavenged my fruit from the wild. Sort of.<br /><div>
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The unoccupied rental property across the street has a peach tree out front, and last week the peaches reached the point where they were ripe and actually falling off the tree. So naturally, I went ahead and helped myself (along with my neighbor who I think might actually be a real pioneer woman).</div>
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They're smaller than the peaches you find at the supermarket, and they don't taste as sweet. In fact, the first time I ate one, I thought it was an apricot. The property manager says this is because we've had so much rain this year - peaches apparently like to dry out between waterings. </div>
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Being organically grown (as about as organic as you can get since <i>nobody</i> tends to this tree), all of the peaches had spots or areas where bugs had gotten into them. We ate several of them fresh, but there were so many that I decided to try my hand at cooking them down for peach jam.</div>
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Now, these are the hot, lazy days of summer, so the only way this was actually going to happen was if I could find a simple recipe that didn't require a lot of work or a trip to the grocery store. And what do you know, I found one!</div>
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One of my favorite DIY blogs, <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/" target="_blank">A Beautiful Mess</a>, posted a recipe for <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2015/02/chia-seed-jam-3-ways.html" target="_blank">chia seed jam</a> a while back. It's a little weird, but I had everything I needed on hand, and since I got the peaches for free, I didn't really mind if it turned out to be disgusting.</div>
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Since I linked to the recipe, I'm not going to write down the whole process - you can read that on A Beautiful Mess. But I will tell you that it came out great!! </div>
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If I were to make this recipe again, I would use 2 cups of diced peaches instead of the recipe's 1 <span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span>, and/or I would use 1 <span style="font-size: x-small;">1/2</span> Tablespoons of chia seeds instead of the recipe's 2. Other than that, this was a really simple and quick way to make jam. It was delicious on multi-grain toast with goat cheese. Yum!</div>
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Next I'm going to try the blueberry lemon one; already bought the ingredients this morning! </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-84068128331090767272015-08-16T14:43:00.000-04:002015-08-16T14:43:05.557-04:00Tomato Melon Salad<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkR2ngiYcz9UsW6a7AJVng60-smK6-q6hMSjDpEUcgCJXTa0Zrt3CUs10Xup7PfJiZWpKksLK7tT8ldi3qCsPfkAXKZSk8jaHWsCO8ePbwT4HuFtvMYFmIipcQGP8UdWbSL5FpsM7clE/s1600/heirloom+tomato.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYkR2ngiYcz9UsW6a7AJVng60-smK6-q6hMSjDpEUcgCJXTa0Zrt3CUs10Xup7PfJiZWpKksLK7tT8ldi3qCsPfkAXKZSk8jaHWsCO8ePbwT4HuFtvMYFmIipcQGP8UdWbSL5FpsM7clE/s400/heirloom+tomato.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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OK, everybody. You need to get your buns to a farmer's market <i>pronto</i> and find yourself some heirloom tomatoes. I just created the most <i>delicious</i> end-of-summer tomato salad, and I think you need to do the same.<br />
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Here are the ingredients:<br />
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<ul>
<li>a really delicious and hearty <b>heirloom tomato</b> (according to our local farmer, the one I used was an old seed variety "rescued" from Ukraine during the McCarthy era)</li>
<li>ripe <b>cantaloupe</b> (usually I don't touch the stuff, but the husband bought one days ago and was having a hard time eating through the whole thing by himself...)</li>
<li>fresh <b>mozzarella </b>cheese (you could use those cute little bocatini mozzarella balls to add some interesting shape to your salad)</li>
<li>fresh <b>basil</b> leaves</li>
<li><b>balsamic vinegar</b></li>
<li><b>olive oil</b></li>
<li><b>course salt</b></li>
</ul>
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Now this couldn't be easier: Cube the tomato, cantaloupe, and mozzarella (unless you're using the bocatini) and toss them all in a bowl in whatever ratio you would like. Sprinkle with a generous pinch of course salt, drizzle on a couple tablespoons of olive oil and about half as much balsamic vinegar, and toss to coat everything. Chiffonade some basil leaves (roll the leaves up and slice them very thinly to create little basil "ribbons") and carefully stir them in. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bMWc7zsxqRCKaBZREFsUpSVkKdiw34kePhFqiy2LGUQxCSXllxAEr7cjilnBWeIFTKAwObAzozyCKnZs-4up66BEm1ZYfhssDQRmY7rB9jZjDGJu9ApxvbEr0z8o4yTvuxOEW1qTPR0/s1600/tomato+salad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1bMWc7zsxqRCKaBZREFsUpSVkKdiw34kePhFqiy2LGUQxCSXllxAEr7cjilnBWeIFTKAwObAzozyCKnZs-4up66BEm1ZYfhssDQRmY7rB9jZjDGJu9ApxvbEr0z8o4yTvuxOEW1qTPR0/s640/tomato+salad.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Voila! A sweet and juicy salad, perfect for a relaxing summer day. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-7135954539750854872015-08-08T13:43:00.001-04:002015-08-08T13:43:12.508-04:00Hello Again<br />
It's been awhile, I know. I've just been a little too scatter-brained and unmotivated to sit down and write anything for about the past year. But this is my attempt to get back into it! I have cleaned up our office and placed my laptop squarely on the now-empty desk with the intention of creating a space in which to focus and reflect.<br />
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Since this is still a warm-up post as I get back into blogging, I'll share mostly photos and write very little.<br />
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Ted and I just returned from two weeks in Bend, Oregon, and man, was it beautiful there. <i>Nothing</i> beats summer in Oregon. What also can't be beat? The flight into and out of Portland:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8ryY4FdIxfnVgNmL6NIclyd-jbWNjg35pSuWdvA4gqKXIKl25SkfMYZ5Yx2-QzJf1TV8cNMQp5-ey7tw-Lm4FPy1-2SWokV3DVVOk_EnZR4odBYEzHBi8sGK3OHiY8tGRPb8-Xq4_WU/s1600/IMG_3963.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8ryY4FdIxfnVgNmL6NIclyd-jbWNjg35pSuWdvA4gqKXIKl25SkfMYZ5Yx2-QzJf1TV8cNMQp5-ey7tw-Lm4FPy1-2SWokV3DVVOk_EnZR4odBYEzHBi8sGK3OHiY8tGRPb8-Xq4_WU/s400/IMG_3963.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAFzQyHf_bzVGKJH4S762v6zf_vf8ZNpR5SfYAW0iW_eLPykojzRFOS3GKLflclUxAPoz5X2dxnUwx-chtyGaNAwN7Dt7dIYjuSMOb0GLez3BusI6dkoPTWnd0MjxnVfnWf-w3FfjgIw/s1600/IMG_3964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAFzQyHf_bzVGKJH4S762v6zf_vf8ZNpR5SfYAW0iW_eLPykojzRFOS3GKLflclUxAPoz5X2dxnUwx-chtyGaNAwN7Dt7dIYjuSMOb0GLez3BusI6dkoPTWnd0MjxnVfnWf-w3FfjgIw/s400/IMG_3964.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt. Hood</td></tr>
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The purpose of the trip was family-oriented, but we also managed to reconnect with some old friends, kayak in a mountain lake, and tube down a lazy portion of the Deschutes river. It was a time to put away the phones and relax, so unfortunately there are not many photos of these blissful moments of peace.<br />
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However, we did get some quality time and photos with my grandparents who will each turn 90 by the time this year is through!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtygZrvk_KOjoKkfGLCDFvgIev6lFwgiuh5MkWQr_z-OwYIg7dO4Nj32-6M-6YNI3gTHE6aaN9ZynJ5314CgN1iFFOj5jC-0vOiO4hJc4Vvzxl2Z0OEyarGUy8oJDJ2HMC1qAUPEkTqhU/s1600/grandma%252Bgrandpa+with+sparkle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtygZrvk_KOjoKkfGLCDFvgIev6lFwgiuh5MkWQr_z-OwYIg7dO4Nj32-6M-6YNI3gTHE6aaN9ZynJ5314CgN1iFFOj5jC-0vOiO4hJc4Vvzxl2Z0OEyarGUy8oJDJ2HMC1qAUPEkTqhU/s400/grandma%252Bgrandpa+with+sparkle.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Married 67 years - wow</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/AVvXsEiSPNO5lbrkUM-Rjm-8lv1yPAsw7wpXdIhIBkd2t_HIhny1zHiZN4jhlkYCSjwhvb1L8-2WXup5-MRMGlz99ymvJwgQR7wWLmpSQo6p7ES9CEDX1hT5huUW4q7d40yRzQFrAfD1MDMUYrc/s1600/grampacollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPNO5lbrkUM-Rjm-8lv1yPAsw7wpXdIhIBkd2t_HIhny1zHiZN4jhlkYCSjwhvb1L8-2WXup5-MRMGlz99ymvJwgQR7wWLmpSQo6p7ES9CEDX1hT5huUW4q7d40yRzQFrAfD1MDMUYrc/s640/grampacollage.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa finally gets the idea of the "selfie".</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/AVvXsEg4cv7hJvaCLEskGdiKo1vch79dsuIEuC1JJWEuEu34BIin1C1ihaHXi381DaKYPoWjYCLDIhASJAOEUXkTJpjTBoMGlMBV0A6QcxvQAfRn2fqWHxyWedRCP56tsCJfKEAwiFHn143e5VM/s1600/grandmas+quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="505" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4cv7hJvaCLEskGdiKo1vch79dsuIEuC1JJWEuEu34BIin1C1ihaHXi381DaKYPoWjYCLDIhASJAOEUXkTJpjTBoMGlMBV0A6QcxvQAfRn2fqWHxyWedRCP56tsCJfKEAwiFHn143e5VM/s640/grandmas+quilt.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Many of grandma's quilts are on display at the senior home.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bOqMieNLVi5_DGok_5Yj5bVbPIpDdhVs1efa87AmBzr7IP8kS7FWKHVyM0TDD7ncjwXakamh_4Fge4Xb5CTU8U7KrHrOAmKO7X8u70n8yppkqceSIgzezOOqMQZgRB6JCB6P3YoeCYE/s1600/zachgrandmamom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bOqMieNLVi5_DGok_5Yj5bVbPIpDdhVs1efa87AmBzr7IP8kS7FWKHVyM0TDD7ncjwXakamh_4Fge4Xb5CTU8U7KrHrOAmKO7X8u70n8yppkqceSIgzezOOqMQZgRB6JCB6P3YoeCYE/s640/zachgrandmamom.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brother, Grandma, Mother</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqitMVzYFa5Kh-MhUXUa5tmOAO4yloHbyUNA-y4uTz_YQ-dDWoITShG4yJhMYnkKgCSxoM7YB_uCwlqBMbn9foxH_LshstSHLzoZXI0tNHUVi3z7W858NlidioRUiz9UJfgbANw8yuYE/s1600/lunch+with+grandma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqitMVzYFa5Kh-MhUXUa5tmOAO4yloHbyUNA-y4uTz_YQ-dDWoITShG4yJhMYnkKgCSxoM7YB_uCwlqBMbn9foxH_LshstSHLzoZXI0tNHUVi3z7W858NlidioRUiz9UJfgbANw8yuYE/s640/lunch+with+grandma.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma treats us to lunch</td></tr>
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Along with visiting my grandparents, we got to experience the unique scenery, artwork, and character of Bend.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjjHLIUIQe4zUKBvQ3ayqBsCRju2-3_gumAD9tBZeBORGFsFdPSqqJ-3r92NIq9DjHS5NZ8su75W4ZaSz_3PbhsSx6dxMYgXE1KyQ1rpEQKhh-ml4d6B7JTWP2U3ZhfbZhcenxp8WZZU/s1600/crux.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjjHLIUIQe4zUKBvQ3ayqBsCRju2-3_gumAD9tBZeBORGFsFdPSqqJ-3r92NIq9DjHS5NZ8su75W4ZaSz_3PbhsSx6dxMYgXE1KyQ1rpEQKhh-ml4d6B7JTWP2U3ZhfbZhcenxp8WZZU/s640/crux.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crux Fermentation Project patio</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/AVvXsEgW8LOCK4N9cSB4BmAUPnyMH4V1Hbs9bArH_ofpX0uIhT3eQX3VQ6J3Ba05QyzSrLdnmJt4wDvQH49ti8BA5fuXA2mb6v47ZNB5ki0lqgiQ4dy6kyY4o0l9GtjoeIGsBzEs_AqgzFi9jEQ/s1600/dress.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8LOCK4N9cSB4BmAUPnyMH4V1Hbs9bArH_ofpX0uIhT3eQX3VQ6J3Ba05QyzSrLdnmJt4wDvQH49ti8BA5fuXA2mb6v47ZNB5ki0lqgiQ4dy6kyY4o0l9GtjoeIGsBzEs_AqgzFi9jEQ/s400/dress.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Local "fashion"</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/AVvXsEiXzyoBzJDdDu0GRmMbyarDsGQfXmQTabo1ja_nHzWyWGTOgPmYUR6ioj-WhnSDkidJNss1GTGfetEqKk0IM06dzH893LXuWSt1q2q1Oo-f279i_xTatiXv5dtJxF4lZgb1HuZmIrA20Vg/s1600/metal+bison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXzyoBzJDdDu0GRmMbyarDsGQfXmQTabo1ja_nHzWyWGTOgPmYUR6ioj-WhnSDkidJNss1GTGfetEqKk0IM06dzH893LXuWSt1q2q1Oo-f279i_xTatiXv5dtJxF4lZgb1HuZmIrA20Vg/s640/metal+bison.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bison sculpture made entirely from recycled scrap metal</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH26GlCXIaHNpxFJc8EqJhrypRLrZ6ner6MMgB1gaWTv2L4FJODBgUv2wW2sGzeQLMHmI4DJWeqg6aIOMoaAzo5UOWSaYEiSOblA8Bs_ZZeTlK43tGpnXI8j3R6i0_C7hXygmojG3vN-k/s1600/succulents.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH26GlCXIaHNpxFJc8EqJhrypRLrZ6ner6MMgB1gaWTv2L4FJODBgUv2wW2sGzeQLMHmI4DJWeqg6aIOMoaAzo5UOWSaYEiSOblA8Bs_ZZeTlK43tGpnXI8j3R6i0_C7hXygmojG3vN-k/s400/succulents.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7CJS8TuDKimle7j9_5XNvHHDbeDeVk_h1YfdY6k_f7NcRCk2SoIpYjh_xDrZeVD2cFL2hCIDHkE9nMVw-ydvu-ykWziCHvz2x1L2pNTsbw3Kwp7VbpCfI0RezmVteCl_w6vShvqIRDc/s1600/the+kiss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW7CJS8TuDKimle7j9_5XNvHHDbeDeVk_h1YfdY6k_f7NcRCk2SoIpYjh_xDrZeVD2cFL2hCIDHkE9nMVw-ydvu-ykWziCHvz2x1L2pNTsbw3Kwp7VbpCfI0RezmVteCl_w6vShvqIRDc/s640/the+kiss.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did our own "artwork" by assembling this 1000 piece, nearly impossible puzzle!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcBQoCbYBX7vnJyozow6bGvEMj8ECkWlLvdIiGUXHucKqpOyiFaJFUATkJpcH_E2WkAOoRFULbdj0vXSxbkosnh324jox6jjS5sNrhC4iITv5DBA_0lpTSYPwOTGf9nHkDQW4jeUo3xE/s1600/tile+mural.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtcBQoCbYBX7vnJyozow6bGvEMj8ECkWlLvdIiGUXHucKqpOyiFaJFUATkJpcH_E2WkAOoRFULbdj0vXSxbkosnh324jox6jjS5sNrhC4iITv5DBA_0lpTSYPwOTGf9nHkDQW4jeUo3xE/s640/tile+mural.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHk0UrXK7gTtqRBPhSEKo9ZdFF2uAVwDyXmlM8coYWChDrT6wuGSz4QKttXDwbXZ6OLkvIol9Er9Vqss8XBLyh61SiA4FZzf3qscRoUmjGgA9_GQeyPpxSvf-nJ7tTIMFjqIVK6yR53w/s1600/IMG_4059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHk0UrXK7gTtqRBPhSEKo9ZdFF2uAVwDyXmlM8coYWChDrT6wuGSz4QKttXDwbXZ6OLkvIol9Er9Vqss8XBLyh61SiA4FZzf3qscRoUmjGgA9_GQeyPpxSvf-nJ7tTIMFjqIVK6yR53w/s640/IMG_4059.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset on the Deschutes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwb2Ne46_j7pUFXlZ92mXNyyF6eARBPrH5gkKZplqGk3nLDIJO3O7UFqJF972aYmnb-lySiIi94oLh2iKeW7olTCvEywJ6wW9BcW3kSs-R_o6tfrtX2sAtiV7P8AyO_B7rwRfovmgbkI/s1600/bike+race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPwb2Ne46_j7pUFXlZ92mXNyyF6eARBPrH5gkKZplqGk3nLDIJO3O7UFqJF972aYmnb-lySiIi94oLh2iKeW7olTCvEywJ6wW9BcW3kSs-R_o6tfrtX2sAtiV7P8AyO_B7rwRfovmgbkI/s640/bike+race.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cascade Cycling Classic</td></tr>
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Leaving Oregon was bittersweet. It's hard to leave paradise, but we missed our kitties so! </div>
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On a final note, I have left my full-time job as Associate Director of the English language program and am returning to part-time teaching this fall. Hopefully this means I will have more time, energy, and focus to resume writing weekly blog posts! Only time will tell...</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-4810480983103346742015-04-13T20:26:00.006-04:002015-04-13T20:26:49.425-04:00Month(s) in ReviewThings have generally been too busy for blogging lately, so I'm a little behind on my updates. Since I'm home "sick" this morning (it's my birthday, and I slept in) I thought I'd do a quick recap of our life events since the beginning of 2015.<br />
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January was a slog. February and March went by so fast it took my breath away. And now here we are in April, on my 34th birthday. Whoa.<br />
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February brought Chinese New Year (or <i>Spring Festival</i>, if you're Chinese). Xinnian hao! That means "Happy New Year!"<br />
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Side note: Did I mention that I'm taking a conversational Chinese class? I can say things like, "My name is Mackenzie. Are you Chinese? Nice to meet you! I like to play badminton. I have one younger brother. Do you like American food? What time is it? Jintian shi wode shangri! (<i>Today is my birthday!</i>)"<br />
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Anyway, we had a small Spring Festival gathering for our Chinese students at school:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holiday celebrations are an opportunity for American students to mingle with international students.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GL6-j8N-1yRqh9NBNFXBUxouWSXrAtLgR9OeQD4m-JkhyaHn964DSaHiNAE7JOxYyifaaiEOwuPJruNlM4VnXK2HD_64mYVcKBugQpLODRAbdxJMbI-2a4MdiF5sLzLFxAFVphWDL6Q/s1600/Garrison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9GL6-j8N-1yRqh9NBNFXBUxouWSXrAtLgR9OeQD4m-JkhyaHn964DSaHiNAE7JOxYyifaaiEOwuPJruNlM4VnXK2HD_64mYVcKBugQpLODRAbdxJMbI-2a4MdiF5sLzLFxAFVphWDL6Q/s1600/Garrison.jpg" height="400" width="380" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our awesome student worker, "Garrison". <br />
He patiently helps me with my Chinese pronunciation.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdqsE7QjaqSc6p7YglVz9c9iPNRF9yCjz981oxZ6mI6qHZ9A7EInEaMB3PlN727B5nn3EEPqHx0Hp8qP7FYFkGFU-FDbAym4V5eR9BHYgUCGDuLgKg1OHtLysYF34piEXPnsPjcUIYZs/s1600/James.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQdqsE7QjaqSc6p7YglVz9c9iPNRF9yCjz981oxZ6mI6qHZ9A7EInEaMB3PlN727B5nn3EEPqHx0Hp8qP7FYFkGFU-FDbAym4V5eR9BHYgUCGDuLgKg1OHtLysYF34piEXPnsPjcUIYZs/s1600/James.jpg" height="640" width="572" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite students, "James". He is trained as a classical singer.</td></tr>
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In March we took two short trips - one to Columbus and one to D.C. In Columbus we caught up with my childhood best friend and had a traditional St. Patrick's Day dinner with my aunt and uncle (corned beef and cabbage!).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpqfK-b6Wd6wqFmYdL5Ui0E5XxgXN8g_ohpn6oLKzzog2zFx7R09_GZHTOfGUHWHS1A55k_A9BuDquTyEFYv6l98of6hzaJzSHO91p1x_FLAVR-IIy2YGLSYwgq5wUYDjJZytKi7mA_Y/s1600/Eileen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpqfK-b6Wd6wqFmYdL5Ui0E5XxgXN8g_ohpn6oLKzzog2zFx7R09_GZHTOfGUHWHS1A55k_A9BuDquTyEFYv6l98of6hzaJzSHO91p1x_FLAVR-IIy2YGLSYwgq5wUYDjJZytKi7mA_Y/s1600/Eileen.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eileen's familia was like my 2nd family growing up. And vice versa!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMk6JfTvMCVYLjGb9NVy7x9ZLFlipujY-hMXnnyi-W8p-3Dd8wQfly7OF31knryOq-6eJFk_5eqNoonm3Xoxk4hC5SNKTUDBjo-G-bVDDN6rrD7vlFecZRLYcWsu0G43T-zvmyLwuG_o/s1600/North_Market_pastries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfMk6JfTvMCVYLjGb9NVy7x9ZLFlipujY-hMXnnyi-W8p-3Dd8wQfly7OF31knryOq-6eJFk_5eqNoonm3Xoxk4hC5SNKTUDBjo-G-bVDDN6rrD7vlFecZRLYcWsu0G43T-zvmyLwuG_o/s1600/North_Market_pastries.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If you're ever in Columbus, you MUST visit the amazing North Market. <br />Just. Look.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60aeZQ9eWpWCTv-xHYShyRWMSfcDxV352HNaKVSN8oCSA77iIdrLgU6kKNxpYUHwNc38NVptHkgagQWeIEA6sPpPfZyzbqrYK5FuaDDSuODQVMFbbgnRZ-kMFpucHgVRJVfKz5SwSIlM/s1600/Germania+Club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60aeZQ9eWpWCTv-xHYShyRWMSfcDxV352HNaKVSN8oCSA77iIdrLgU6kKNxpYUHwNc38NVptHkgagQWeIEA6sPpPfZyzbqrYK5FuaDDSuODQVMFbbgnRZ-kMFpucHgVRJVfKz5SwSIlM/s1600/Germania+Club.jpg" height="446" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ted posed for me at the Germania Club in Columbus, <br />
where my aunt and uncle took us for St. Paddy's Day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Club members' steins</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOEH0MVw_kHOo7_e5isau2Ad0gn6f-JYJuCxfVpsd7F3UCsK_VqUxwLGN10Ue1kbfMXLTN0L2ESkdIX4mYUJoytzEX3255gQrZyIRJSTusgjqAhdyugHtIWdBHFaxXoIXzgNlsNAgV2s/s1600/irish+coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOEH0MVw_kHOo7_e5isau2Ad0gn6f-JYJuCxfVpsd7F3UCsK_VqUxwLGN10Ue1kbfMXLTN0L2ESkdIX4mYUJoytzEX3255gQrZyIRJSTusgjqAhdyugHtIWdBHFaxXoIXzgNlsNAgV2s/s1600/irish+coffee.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And of course it wouldn't be an Irish family gathering <br />
without Irish coffee...</td></tr>
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...and it wouldn't be a German gathering without dancing!<br />
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Later in March Ted and I visited family and friends in the D.C. area. Ted is very popular amongst his nieces and nephews, most likely because he rolls them into "burritos" and gives them "airplane rides" whenever he's there. He's an awesome uncle.<br />
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While in DC, Ted and I took advantage of the free museums and visited the Native American Museum for a morning. If you're ever in DC, you must visit this museum - leave yourself a full day there, too.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcizAb-vvFsmXTHg4hWITAmM39-tdM-a0x3odfbdjYxZfiDp5tlL2-1_4qoa63eJIBkmKPjnOBw1-zb6naf2I0ugRQGVk8IFR21ZcEhbtmsd-SNwppScklgtPDAmKWPgCKA9a1mnWmXKk/s1600/NA+Museum3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcizAb-vvFsmXTHg4hWITAmM39-tdM-a0x3odfbdjYxZfiDp5tlL2-1_4qoa63eJIBkmKPjnOBw1-zb6naf2I0ugRQGVk8IFR21ZcEhbtmsd-SNwppScklgtPDAmKWPgCKA9a1mnWmXKk/s1600/NA+Museum3.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The museum is very interactive. Here, you could use the touch screen to learn more about the <br />artifacts inside the glass cases. </td></tr>
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Finally, back home in Ohio, we come to Easter. We were very lucky this year to be invited to a delicious brunch of ham and eggs with some new-ish friends. Then we were also invited to a potluck dinner with some creative friends who set up an Easter <i>beer</i> hunt to keep the adults busy while the kids hunted for eggs. They have a large, wooded property, and there were beers hidden all over! Weeee!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizv3VDeNv-XfZ1E2XcqUoGLkKS5klIc4N0CGtz8Xk5yfLf8bRYf14iAcQKkvp5MxZJY0D9VxoucnYZKYFjxS8WbbWgrMz81cIZafUH53OPXdTfArzPsEn4nb9mKavRKPN10j9NL-ICCpQ/s1600/EasterCollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizv3VDeNv-XfZ1E2XcqUoGLkKS5klIc4N0CGtz8Xk5yfLf8bRYf14iAcQKkvp5MxZJY0D9VxoucnYZKYFjxS8WbbWgrMz81cIZafUH53OPXdTfArzPsEn4nb9mKavRKPN10j9NL-ICCpQ/s1600/EasterCollage.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
That is all for now! I'm hoping to get back to blogging sometime around July... maybe sooner. We'll see!<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D6535318843470092517%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-YDUDYQ-5Kmo%252FVSvWNXHxpnI%252FAAAAAAAAG5k%252FPUhGWjYkwwI%252Fs1600%252FAmelia%25252BTed%25252BCollage.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 6318px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D6535318843470092517%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dheader&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F3.bp.blogspot.com%252F-YDUDYQ-5Kmo%252FVSvWNXHxpnI%252FAAAAAAAAG5k%252FPUhGWjYkwwI%252Fs1600%252FAmelia%25252BTed%25252BCollage.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 6318px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-86395060861127109862015-04-10T19:06:00.000-04:002015-04-10T19:06:00.254-04:00Tornado?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L1eZVRb6S2D-zvAhTIxSmq2pt9tt8gqYZjBQLIoeJjOj5JTR6Fc30QGgZqJvwGaessDSMMk0ViuXmTbE3bV2mTpCGsXFL0VRroW8NW5cmeQXoB6A2IdBUYrnMM8MaB23GMkYnFQIn_4/s1600/Tornado_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4L1eZVRb6S2D-zvAhTIxSmq2pt9tt8gqYZjBQLIoeJjOj5JTR6Fc30QGgZqJvwGaessDSMMk0ViuXmTbE3bV2mTpCGsXFL0VRroW8NW5cmeQXoB6A2IdBUYrnMM8MaB23GMkYnFQIn_4/s1600/Tornado_1.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Driving home from work the other day I drove through what appeared to be the wreckage of a tornado touchdown. We had been having <i>severe</i> weather that particular day, so I was pretty excited that I was witnessing the aftermath of such an awesome weather phenomenon.<br />
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When I got home, I put Ted in the car and drove him out to the scene.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbscp8vlC5ThIqoZRMU78rZ_Jhe6bi464HbZGs4QGjgFBnrUOWBxhSU6GG0SOSBBRvIQDAnjf1lWZHxn8f6HonSeMnyK8g0mmzabehXqKj7w_c1cna1eF0X40X7q7C-DQ0meI7NKaSsN8/s1600/tornado_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbscp8vlC5ThIqoZRMU78rZ_Jhe6bi464HbZGs4QGjgFBnrUOWBxhSU6GG0SOSBBRvIQDAnjf1lWZHxn8f6HonSeMnyK8g0mmzabehXqKj7w_c1cna1eF0X40X7q7C-DQ0meI7NKaSsN8/s1600/tornado_4.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
He is unconvinced that this is the work of a tornado.<br />
<br />
So, dear blog reader, we'll let you be the judge.<br />
<br />
Exhibit A:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG6ayxDa-PxnhHTaND8lwI1QABrdLn0I13sgy9e0-7eU5_uR3eZomFEXBwuB-NzN4yKzhVx0hWnopSti49AaaT_T0bRuB6nexx6Xr2Gn3kPgiiNr6ih626lFZwFpZNa6xWlIwiBSS1L4/s1600/tornado_8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxG6ayxDa-PxnhHTaND8lwI1QABrdLn0I13sgy9e0-7eU5_uR3eZomFEXBwuB-NzN4yKzhVx0hWnopSti49AaaT_T0bRuB6nexx6Xr2Gn3kPgiiNr6ih626lFZwFpZNa6xWlIwiBSS1L4/s1600/tornado_8.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Exhibit B:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3x_rIfxUCmDyRtwFGQd9g8ftSRdtwMf3Dh36QH3CI6qCzTPo0Fx3NzCyyO5rUKdunqi1ezx30kHPrd5IKumNFZsOM1PNmw2f0FIPhyphenhyphenphuN0WERpejRXcZ_5r0IIKTmldjbPsH7YxUZ8w/s1600/tornado_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3x_rIfxUCmDyRtwFGQd9g8ftSRdtwMf3Dh36QH3CI6qCzTPo0Fx3NzCyyO5rUKdunqi1ezx30kHPrd5IKumNFZsOM1PNmw2f0FIPhyphenhyphenphuN0WERpejRXcZ_5r0IIKTmldjbPsH7YxUZ8w/s1600/tornado_7.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is some perspective here that you just can't see in 2D. <br />It kind of looks like a path of debris, don't you think?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_SabsW_sGf5_peQMUhdhaCGb7BL_UpHLKFLMbb_v6yV68v4DOBKlccq-Ggp5KbIhrAgXjC9qBOpvVhyELsUkDakrNHBu-Y3ILk9gghnBk5zijyPJ8fXNVf-93lu4zIWp69cOfAA7BR4/s1600/tornado_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ_SabsW_sGf5_peQMUhdhaCGb7BL_UpHLKFLMbb_v6yV68v4DOBKlccq-Ggp5KbIhrAgXjC9qBOpvVhyELsUkDakrNHBu-Y3ILk9gghnBk5zijyPJ8fXNVf-93lu4zIWp69cOfAA7BR4/s1600/tornado_6.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtwPw3CFQq5HClGNGnf6bpgzR0eVeXR0oL6nPjvXn6G0Uqbv-Z_OSzOM7qrm8e0XaZBDY1w-hjuq-Aaud_TLSScMh_5W9KiGsgTf3AnifXriAjcpJvJxqcOCNm2qMQNIiWnyG20J7BZY/s1600/tornado_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFtwPw3CFQq5HClGNGnf6bpgzR0eVeXR0oL6nPjvXn6G0Uqbv-Z_OSzOM7qrm8e0XaZBDY1w-hjuq-Aaud_TLSScMh_5W9KiGsgTf3AnifXriAjcpJvJxqcOCNm2qMQNIiWnyG20J7BZY/s1600/tornado_5.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Exhibit C:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzd0NBpsi7rEJEmlhXWzNVymjszSnFV1kCewuD8VQsdratLMDpFBOaMj-uAc_JTWmC5P3wViYZ-EMWLw3yrMkOWHqNWZI6tCRDHiH6Qdlcw7gdEyBb0Vv36Aadl9E-RGzZCVGBId8ZKo/s1600/tornado_9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIzd0NBpsi7rEJEmlhXWzNVymjszSnFV1kCewuD8VQsdratLMDpFBOaMj-uAc_JTWmC5P3wViYZ-EMWLw3yrMkOWHqNWZI6tCRDHiH6Qdlcw7gdEyBb0Vv36Aadl9E-RGzZCVGBId8ZKo/s1600/tornado_9.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Exhibit D:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qsNCInPW1pmVXDEVZziqC-N2omG6POaun7jozz4QjyNtccLvesVhpxoTF4jbXI5_KT2JTyzW5PnAC3vo2ISs03lDROfKQOx5MQJlzMEAqJCYILHDAhif9Ubc8pyWV6EhsoE3nykPXyw/s1600/tornado_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-qsNCInPW1pmVXDEVZziqC-N2omG6POaun7jozz4QjyNtccLvesVhpxoTF4jbXI5_KT2JTyzW5PnAC3vo2ISs03lDROfKQOx5MQJlzMEAqJCYILHDAhif9Ubc8pyWV6EhsoE3nykPXyw/s1600/tornado_3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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What you can't see in these photos are the random pieces thrown onto the <i>other </i>side of that house and barn, too. Or the fact that all the debris spans the length of a football field. </div>
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Like I said, though, we'll let <i>you</i> be the judge.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-60539073193956598372015-03-08T14:53:00.004-04:002015-03-08T14:53:57.266-04:00Winter... Will It Ever End?<i>Author's Note: This post was actually written about a month ago and never published... Oops. I am happy to say, though, that the sun has now been out for two days, and the temperature has finally topped 40 degrees. </i><br />
<br />
<br />
How does one survive the gloom of a midwest winter?<br />
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...(besides online shopping)...<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxdC6F0MSam3Cs5a7OC5klgwrWGWB-xhmAkk-JLQTsqwrF1U_ipWM1keV_iWKS4H-6b-XtxAJCIjAV5Q6Y9dylBnuOGyeTIrLeEZZCaUynqCn9Q7EkJdXJGquwgXG-fIcFfGjLCA4hIc/s1600/Boden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzxdC6F0MSam3Cs5a7OC5klgwrWGWB-xhmAkk-JLQTsqwrF1U_ipWM1keV_iWKS4H-6b-XtxAJCIjAV5Q6Y9dylBnuOGyeTIrLeEZZCaUynqCn9Q7EkJdXJGquwgXG-fIcFfGjLCA4hIc/s1600/Boden.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></div>
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Well, once in a while we get a sunny day warm enough for a hike:</div>
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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/AVvXsEgMqtE8Y4gO7Tehw7aqcP2FUCrbmm9Zfe1KuliflUmRREXlg5KGSyRFdW91ACPYGxsA2uwdQ-FRfP9Ba_dns0bzgVZXfFEq8wc43G-5ncZmkdZ42_UyWNItKqtpQsj22bjupwNhuZGOxiM/s1600/IMG_2349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqtE8Y4gO7Tehw7aqcP2FUCrbmm9Zfe1KuliflUmRREXlg5KGSyRFdW91ACPYGxsA2uwdQ-FRfP9Ba_dns0bzgVZXfFEq8wc43G-5ncZmkdZ42_UyWNItKqtpQsj22bjupwNhuZGOxiM/s1600/IMG_2349.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park, Hamilton, OH</td></tr>
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<br />
And when it's too cold to be outside, we just move the walk indoors... to huge indoor warehouses like IKEA:<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/AVvXsEj4l4iJrpeq9w3676N6qt0DjTX_MHPrQtre2HO2AzzS9FLuRQiXcdDdAK3W1QmYIbzZNUTEV1skHwXrsdQXtASAtOMBWksU2xK0VhgEXDehCPigpU3N_T93xqXAJ1RpFHh8_R7SIAE9dE8/s1600/bird_pictures1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4l4iJrpeq9w3676N6qt0DjTX_MHPrQtre2HO2AzzS9FLuRQiXcdDdAK3W1QmYIbzZNUTEV1skHwXrsdQXtASAtOMBWksU2xK0VhgEXDehCPigpU3N_T93xqXAJ1RpFHh8_R7SIAE9dE8/s1600/bird_pictures1.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nine bucks, people. </td></tr>
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When it's not sunny or warm and IKEA is closed, there's plenty of snuggling:<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/AVvXsEiBAVf8im4XQ1lfKi1h-_wEQc91Ll8sgw8iXShXCXyy__HVp_VXtSl3O6Ah2H6TGjV1XbdqFQjEKa29j4nAbtE0su4ge1CS_8YzF2z4h6TfjktAqUPgTKkcBsQM5MSZPp_NsVW2EqJqgRs/s1600/snuggling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBAVf8im4XQ1lfKi1h-_wEQc91Ll8sgw8iXShXCXyy__HVp_VXtSl3O6Ah2H6TGjV1XbdqFQjEKa29j4nAbtE0su4ge1CS_8YzF2z4h6TfjktAqUPgTKkcBsQM5MSZPp_NsVW2EqJqgRs/s1600/snuggling.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please excuse the laundry piles. This is not one of those blogs that flaunts domestic perfection.</td></tr>
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<br />
But honestly, even with all that, this winter has seemed gloomier and more depressing than those in the past. Maybe it's because I sit at a desk all day, and then dream about work all night.<br />
<br />
You know your life has become a bore when you make spreadsheets in your sleep.<br />
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<br />
Anyway, today I came across this character in the Princeton Alumni Weekly magazine:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oMw99XtjJYjH2-12iBsycukKe4O4oDqF76Bh1_YBlOC6vQJhbG59Tre__2NBBqqK9I3TOKHAxPm5o9rTNbZw37LlEN8UYXUeTI0ON7S29yIw7GRXyZ04B8hYWWult77mTbJVq1beThM/s1600/BeCreative.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3oMw99XtjJYjH2-12iBsycukKe4O4oDqF76Bh1_YBlOC6vQJhbG59Tre__2NBBqqK9I3TOKHAxPm5o9rTNbZw37LlEN8UYXUeTI0ON7S29yIw7GRXyZ04B8hYWWult77mTbJVq1beThM/s1600/BeCreative.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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It occurred to me that since I started working full time, I have not done anything creative. I rarely play the piano anymore, which means I also don't sing. I haven't sewed or crocheted in months. I have several half-painted things gathering dust in the basement... </div>
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OMG, I need a project!!</div>
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A few months ago I bought myself some paints and paintbrushes online and some old framed art from the thrift store (cheap canvases). It's just been sitting in a pile on the floor of our home office. So tonight I tore off the plastic wrap, and I'm finally getting started on some homemade artwork. </div>
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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/AVvXsEjmkVyhZ-gDfBhRDLjokf0PyqSU745rhiWQsQ5SDCYCDb2IwlH-OjJVRUa1EsfaNznDDvnXnCb78P_0_lY15R5Vt8UyuaMK8J8yzv5fZ7omzRskmHg5zp023BQ6vh5YK5TENOmn2ZLRjck/s1600/IMG_2393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkVyhZ-gDfBhRDLjokf0PyqSU745rhiWQsQ5SDCYCDb2IwlH-OjJVRUa1EsfaNznDDvnXnCb78P_0_lY15R5Vt8UyuaMK8J8yzv5fZ7omzRskmHg5zp023BQ6vh5YK5TENOmn2ZLRjck/s1600/IMG_2393.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Sneak peek of a future post? You betcha.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It feels good to be making something again. My soul <i>does</i> feel better.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-81894313927584229132015-01-11T11:09:00.000-05:002015-01-11T11:09:04.504-05:00Midwest WinterThings are quiet around here. Real quiet. Our street appears to be deserted, save for the occasional glimpse of life: our neighbor pulling out of the garage every day at 6:45am... garbage cans appearing at the end of people's driveways on Tuesday evenings... tire tracks in the snow...<br />
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But other than that, everyone is hunkering down against the bitter cold. Staying inside. Drawing the blinds. This past week temps have been hovering between 0 and 15 degrees, with wind chills down to 20- and 40- below zero. Even just walking from the car into the grocery store makes your face sting and your nose run.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFw0Z1aiVvMe9vqjtK5s8eFF7PsMaZ4lfrMiDNR2dZLgc5aHWtaPdrehhniuf79fA9iU4LBaJTkGWArt2afKcb0tRL2zxHv4ReS-0kFEeG2a5Czu38mrSuP1TSunSkyUbAVMLBMkjUQpM/s1600/Jan_2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFw0Z1aiVvMe9vqjtK5s8eFF7PsMaZ4lfrMiDNR2dZLgc5aHWtaPdrehhniuf79fA9iU4LBaJTkGWArt2afKcb0tRL2zxHv4ReS-0kFEeG2a5Czu38mrSuP1TSunSkyUbAVMLBMkjUQpM/s1600/Jan_2015.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the midwest winter perma-cloud</td></tr>
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We've had a couple days of bright winter sunshine this week, but for the most part the above photo pretty accurately depicts winter in southwest Ohio.</div>
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Luckily there has been plenty of football on TV to keep us entertained while it's too cold to be outside. Milo has really been enjoying all the couch time with Ted:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhtBUmCphEMmHLzwQAocpIDyxTfj_9dUv-g7RuG-T2u4FtY1EeYE7rAIa9iLL2TRiC9yAi0pVPRA4WR1xsJ7dXiVmbFpUfUU4PWYFdXtJiEXA7dNoujEnaoU_MKwpPksWd3EUVgKLJyM/s1600/watching_football.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhtBUmCphEMmHLzwQAocpIDyxTfj_9dUv-g7RuG-T2u4FtY1EeYE7rAIa9iLL2TRiC9yAi0pVPRA4WR1xsJ7dXiVmbFpUfUU4PWYFdXtJiEXA7dNoujEnaoU_MKwpPksWd3EUVgKLJyM/s1600/watching_football.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Work has picked up with the start of the new year. My program is expecting about 30 new students to arrive at the end of this week, with international student orientation running next week. Orientation is always a whirlwind of placement testing, health checks, information sessions, and course registration. </div>
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Ted has started preparing for his job interview, which will happen mid-February. We are feeling optimistic, and we know you'll all keep your fingers crossed. He'll start teaching classes when the spring semester starts up in a couple weeks, but for now he's relishing all the time he has for reading and writing.</div>
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I wish I had more to say, but that's pretty much it around here. Thanks again to all of our friends and family that sent us Christmas cards this past month. It helps us feel connected and loved while we're so far away, and it's really livened up our kitchen photo exhibit.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(a few are on the fridge as well, so don't fret if you don't see yours!)</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-29129970004457614122015-01-01T16:19:00.000-05:002015-01-01T16:23:13.461-05:00Happy New YearLet's be honest, at this point the 2014 Christmas card is not going to happen. Even the procrastinated Christmas card, aka the "New Year's" card, is not going to happen this year...<br />
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Instead, I will reflect via blog post on the notable moments of 2014. I mean, this is the year 2015 after all. Let's get with the times.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">2014....</span></h2>
The year started not with a bang but with Ted and I most likely sleeping through New Year's Eve.<br />
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As far as my <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2013/12/new-years-resolutions.html" target="_blank">New Year's Resolutions</a> go, some were met, some things were maintained. None of them were a complete failure. It all balanced out in the end.<br />
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My only goal for <b>2015</b> is to <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>find joy</i></span>. Life ain't perfect, but I will make a conscious effort to seek out joy where I am, rather than waiting for life to begin with the attainment of some larger goal such as the perfect job or having a clean house.<br />
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The original point of this blog had to do with this very goal, but in the day-to-day doldrums of the past six months I admit that I have lost sight of it. Perhaps the blog will undergo a makeover to reflect a fresh start, a renewal of my blogging vows so to speak.<br />
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Anyway, back to 2014.<br />
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There were some wonderful moments spent traveling with friends and connecting with family. We took not one, but TWO trips with our Colorado crew - to <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/04/belize-part-i.html" target="_blank">Belize</a> in March and to <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/12/sometimes-we-vacation.html" target="_blank">Puerto Rico</a> in November. (If you missed them the first time around, be sure to read all four blog posts on Belize: <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/04/belize-part-i.html" target="_blank">I</a>, <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/04/belize-part-ii.html" target="_blank">II</a>, <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/04/belize-part-iii.html" target="_blank">III</a>, <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/04/belize-part-iv.html" target="_blank">IV</a>)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYCvZlm2mE5BtBFOQsFaK6VaWaYljkBJ_59eVmF4MevrYDiIoKO2T8gj4GzMvOBcEC3xSV-S2pdL3sCUZzg8FDZJHLPSECXj41A_9JGqx2BR14SGVpEmK2K4uzBttFyoU-ognnhydqL4/s1600/dirty+monkey+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBYCvZlm2mE5BtBFOQsFaK6VaWaYljkBJ_59eVmF4MevrYDiIoKO2T8gj4GzMvOBcEC3xSV-S2pdL3sCUZzg8FDZJHLPSECXj41A_9JGqx2BR14SGVpEmK2K4uzBttFyoU-ognnhydqL4/s1600/dirty+monkey+2.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Belize</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R8CK3u7iB_1Kr35wqrINNH8ui_ApCZoBISHIG8Rx-O-z8JRNS3forOiRDodg4vUuYnJusYwuZPrQBViJQ424xK9PWZL1jBrKvFkvnb5V25BJmrU4hmQlxukFh1OrCzN8YdvBvG78rzk/s1600/fort_t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R8CK3u7iB_1Kr35wqrINNH8ui_ApCZoBISHIG8Rx-O-z8JRNS3forOiRDodg4vUuYnJusYwuZPrQBViJQ424xK9PWZL1jBrKvFkvnb5V25BJmrU4hmQlxukFh1OrCzN8YdvBvG78rzk/s1600/fort_t.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Puerto Rico</td></tr>
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In June Ted and I (along with the cats) <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/06/road-trip.html" target="_blank">drove across the country</a> to <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/06/western-oregon.html" target="_blank">Oregon</a>, visiting family and friends along the way.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvKXp_xVchF_XAGYixQb-aXdhOVrDUFeCA_9i7LEMzxT6IXHcbvP-QDiJXv8GbnZWu7TwsoOQUpigBOkEKVzykofML5esam6u2l7Vc56Xzb3OEUXCZEYMcAcblZEVABrasli7Ws7ZOj8/s1600/Slug_Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJvKXp_xVchF_XAGYixQb-aXdhOVrDUFeCA_9i7LEMzxT6IXHcbvP-QDiJXv8GbnZWu7TwsoOQUpigBOkEKVzykofML5esam6u2l7Vc56Xzb3OEUXCZEYMcAcblZEVABrasli7Ws7ZOj8/s1600/Slug_Collage.jpg" height="320" width="640" /></a></div>
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I'm grateful that we got to spend time with my grandparents twice this year - in the <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/07/central-oregon.html" target="_blank">summer</a> and at Christmas time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7j8mFdS4cHHJt_tiNd8GohigwpYfnmwGALRwbxmE9VZBlLh9z6PD3cBiRDCQlrtmpdnljWo7BvHp8ziLx0mtg2jPOOrbEXFdwDqv_Z-hRrhNPgc7QUUCOWqlIN76chY-PjOnoQWd9Vjs/s1600/grandma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7j8mFdS4cHHJt_tiNd8GohigwpYfnmwGALRwbxmE9VZBlLh9z6PD3cBiRDCQlrtmpdnljWo7BvHp8ziLx0mtg2jPOOrbEXFdwDqv_Z-hRrhNPgc7QUUCOWqlIN76chY-PjOnoQWd9Vjs/s1600/grandma.jpg" height="400" width="322" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma at "almost 90"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsZvlnmVaFdT_GRtKk7CPlYDhntFWvXSGKYCheXmFMdDQgpq4fczLaf3aF8PNxLZ8cMy3ZWdUTxB7Xx6zLUIatYC3dSyDtR0LDApDVYQaomFwGXSqhCC_Q7P950H5S1O9EDnmNogBmJ8/s1600/grandpa_sprinkler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVsZvlnmVaFdT_GRtKk7CPlYDhntFWvXSGKYCheXmFMdDQgpq4fczLaf3aF8PNxLZ8cMy3ZWdUTxB7Xx6zLUIatYC3dSyDtR0LDApDVYQaomFwGXSqhCC_Q7P950H5S1O9EDnmNogBmJ8/s1600/grandpa_sprinkler.jpg" height="400" width="366" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandpa being put to work in the yard</td></tr>
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Other trips were noted in <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/10/resuscitation-gasp.html" target="_blank">this blog post</a> and<a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2014/12/holiday-travels.html" target="_blank"> this blog post</a>. Thank you, friends and family, for being the highlights of our year and for giving us something to look forward to.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">December visit with Ted's family - notably larger than mine...<br />
<i>Photo courtesy of C. Holland</i></td></tr>
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Vacations aside, we did actually work in 2014. In July I branched out on a new career path, taking an administrative role in an intensive English program at Miami University's regional campus. Instead of teaching, I have been hiring faculty, managing students and staff, creating the schedule of courses, and running meetings. It's been quite a change - one I'm still not quite used to.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my first office</td></tr>
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Ted finished the first year of his post-doc at Miami U and is halfway through his second. He received excellent evaluations from his students, as always. This coming semester he will be co-teaching with one of his colleagues a class on Eurasian Geopolitics as well as a class on modern conflicts in Russia. <u>In very exciting news</u>, he has an interview for a tenure-track job in Albany, NY coming up in February; we'll keep you all apprised, of course. </div>
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<i><span style="color: #999999;">*No picture of Ted's office is available, as Ted still does not own a smart phone and probably wouldn't take trivial pictures of things like his office anyway.</span></i></div>
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The cats are both happy and healthy (Milo might be a little <i>too</i> healthy these days, if you catch my drift).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweRYuptyK3KRt_WflATnYpYodBRcAyqCzt3fMghYJyD6EvMQclIuLttK-ZCIFZu9cD9n2rFgG__bb03Wb7zoFRZstkFGQYtXPLlK_nAlp6CRjG5-tqDoNtMMaQt2jRcxs1Rqk_c9pfyQ/s1600/Milo_2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhweRYuptyK3KRt_WflATnYpYodBRcAyqCzt3fMghYJyD6EvMQclIuLttK-ZCIFZu9cD9n2rFgG__bb03Wb7zoFRZstkFGQYtXPLlK_nAlp6CRjG5-tqDoNtMMaQt2jRcxs1Rqk_c9pfyQ/s1600/Milo_2014.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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He now has to be fed from an "Activity Center" called the <i>Katzenspiel</i>. It slows him down by forcing him to work for his kibble, fishing it out with his paw one morsel at a time: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUoc3RVwhKfLt4SMZCA2W2VBQS1S0DqZQ_xCuASrce81XuEWfzMUJeNspf2-TJ5pQG2J68hbv5tlOA-lha2EigyG0hdlVnBWbMeunFvigINJQ-0QV93vrQhbmsolEn1hYvgbzz01Q0M4/s1600/Katzenspiel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIUoc3RVwhKfLt4SMZCA2W2VBQS1S0DqZQ_xCuASrce81XuEWfzMUJeNspf2-TJ5pQG2J68hbv5tlOA-lha2EigyG0hdlVnBWbMeunFvigINJQ-0QV93vrQhbmsolEn1hYvgbzz01Q0M4/s1600/Katzenspiel.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Minnie is peeved that she is forced to do the same, even though <i>she</i> can <i>control</i> her eating.</div>
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Other than that, 2014 consisted of the usual day-to-day stuff. At least we have friends both near and far, loving families, good health, a comfortable home, and beautiful surroundings (<i>I can say that now that the winter perma-cloud has momentarily lifted, allowing the sun a fleeting chance to shine</i>). </div>
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As 2015 begins, I look forward to increasing amounts of daylight, snorkeling with whale sharks, completing my first year as an administrator, getting my Ohio teaching license (<i>just in time to move to New York??</i>), and <span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><i>joy</i></span>. Lots of joy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3ZhlxKVnY_LU-NGQqZSgoA7Uv7S8eHsT8_v5T3aNWwTQIWbB6ly9lss0F6qIn1bsqGuAvMCf1ck5tpSpDMuh7865Qsx1NWtuE46c5Rmrf6KDtQWphw_dZJSZV0Xjkcl2u-lBRmR1EcU/s1600/2014Fam_Web.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3ZhlxKVnY_LU-NGQqZSgoA7Uv7S8eHsT8_v5T3aNWwTQIWbB6ly9lss0F6qIn1bsqGuAvMCf1ck5tpSpDMuh7865Qsx1NWtuE46c5Rmrf6KDtQWphw_dZJSZV0Xjkcl2u-lBRmR1EcU/s1600/2014Fam_Web.jpg" height="508" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy New Year!</span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo courtesy of J. Forsythe</span></i></td></tr>
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P.S. Thank you and props to all our friends and family who sent us a 2014 Christmas card. We appreciate receiving them, even if we didn't get our own in the mail this year. Maybe I'll add that to my goals for 2015.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-72128361912164390532014-12-20T11:13:00.002-05:002014-12-20T11:13:27.112-05:00Holiday TravelsThe winter perma-cloud has settled over southwest Ohio, and the days are short and dreary. We've been slow to get into the Christmas spirit, with not one Christmas decoration up, not one Christmas card written, and a slew of last-minute Christmas shopping/crafting yet to finish.<br />
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All of this dreariness <i>was</i> set aside for a moment last weekend as Ted and I travelled to the DC area for three days. We met our newest nephew, played with our other quickly-growing nieces and nephew, brunched with old friends and new babies, and mingled with extended family.<br />
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And of course, we made the obligatory lunchtime pit stop at our favorite chicken joint, El Pollo Rico.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously delicious</td></tr>
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The highlight of the weekend was probably all the time we got to spend with our two nieces and two nephews who live in the area - though they rarely hold still long enough to snap a photo:<br />
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It's good to see them so active, though. :)<br />
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We head out to Oregon next week, so I'll post a Christmas update sometime while we're there. Until then...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-74077099144036555612014-12-07T09:26:00.001-05:002014-12-07T09:26:11.643-05:00Sometimes We Vacation...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1VLur6bMKnVNOSq3QgK9GiLkTOfFefjMDMYrGzAEb-wRBBkqz7Lj7YI1iVBSc8wsUlsW8BPCouOmkQOxLtYha8PTchjLNKFxE9o_ni5xcuUJjGK-yzANBOLd0StYEFbmEZJ0QJHrN0U/s1600/PR_Title.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1VLur6bMKnVNOSq3QgK9GiLkTOfFefjMDMYrGzAEb-wRBBkqz7Lj7YI1iVBSc8wsUlsW8BPCouOmkQOxLtYha8PTchjLNKFxE9o_ni5xcuUJjGK-yzANBOLd0StYEFbmEZJ0QJHrN0U/s1600/PR_Title.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Ahhhh.... we finally got a little vacation time around here!<br />
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This year, instead of hosting a family Thanksgiving as we usually do, Ted and I escaped to the seaside in Puerto Rico for the wedding of two great friends.<br />
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I mean, look at this setting!<br />
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It was a quick trip, but we managed to fit in snorkeling, boogie boarding, and many, many games of euchre.<br />
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Euchre is a favorite midwest card game amongst our group of friends.<br />
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I have to apologize up front for the dearth of sunny seaside photos in this post, but then again I don't apologize. Upon arrival in Puerto Rico I decided this would be a <i>true</i> vacation - I would not be tied to my phone, checking work email or answering text messages. All our friends were at our same hotel, so I figured we'd be able to find each other by the pool if needed. And we did.<br />
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The downside of that is that we did not have a camera handy to take photos of things like the giant iguana terrorizing children in the pool, Mackenzie having the boogie board ride of her life all the way up onto the sandy beach (and high-fiving Ted on the way), Ted snorkeling with jelly fish and parrot fish, kids jumping off the upper deck of the snorkeling boat... I hope you can picture it all in your mind.<br />
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That being said, Ted or I managed to snap a photo here and there:<br />
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Snorkeling was one of our two outings on this trip. We took a boat with many other wedding guests to three different islands off the coast. We snorkeled with all kinds of fish on the first stop (one of our friends saw a sea turtle, but he swam away by the time we got there), collected washed up coral and ate lunch on the boat at the second stop (or rather, sat and focused on the horizon during lunch so as not to yark into the ocean), and sunbathed and swam around trying to spot eagle rays at the third stop.</div>
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Our other outing - just Ted and I - was to Old San Juan. </div>
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It is a cat city (yay!), with many bowls of cat food set out for the strays. It seems to be a comfortable place to be an alley cat. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apropos graffiti in Old San Juan</td></tr>
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Of course, what's a trip to an old fort city without visiting the fort?! Which just happens to be a UNESCO World Heritage site...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fort selfie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view from the lookout tower</td></tr>
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The quick history of the fort is that the Spanish were the first to sail to Puerto Rico. After weeks at sea, Puerto Rico was the first island in the path of the trade winds that offered fresh water, food, and shelter, making it desirable land to be in control of. In the 1500s the Spanish built two forts on the northeast corner of the island to defend their claim, and since everyone in Puerto Rico today speaks Spanish, I think you can guess how that went.</div>
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So that's pretty much it. It was a quick trip to freshen up in the sunshine and salty sea air. It was tough coming back to work after that, but Ted and I are fully back into the swing of things now. Classes just ended, and final exams are this coming week. After that, Ted will be on vacation and I'll be wrapping up Spring admissions and registering continuing students for their January classes.</div>
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Coming up we've got a trip to Virginia next weekend to see Ted's family and a trip to Oregon a couple weeks after that to see mine. We are looking forward to both of these visits very much. :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-58503922075092375342014-11-16T11:04:00.005-05:002014-11-16T11:09:39.907-05:00Local HappeningsNot much to report here these days. Of course, we are as busy as ever, but most of what we do is not really blog worthy. I wouldn't want to bore you.<br />
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There have been a couple things worth posting about, however.<br />
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This past week I spent a couple days and a night in Columbus, Ohio. The purpose of the trip was the Ohio TESOL Conference (<b>T</b>eaching <b>E</b>nglish to <b>S</b>peakers of <b>O</b>ther <b>L</b>anguages), but the <i>real</i> highlight of the trip was catching up with a very old friend - my <i>best</i> friend from elementary school.<br />
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Somehow we did not get a photo together while I was there (darn!), but I guess we were just kickin' it old school style since we didn't document every moment of our time together for Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. :)<br />
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I did, of course, get a photo of her cat, Rico (notice we're wearing matching socks):<br />
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While in Columbus, I visited The Ohio State University to tour their Intensive English Program (IEP). The campus is AMAZING, and they sure know how to brand themselves. By the time I left, <i>I</i> wanted to go to OSU.</div>
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Some shots of their brand new, 11-story library:</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Classic" Study Room</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more modern study room, with embossed floor and wall of windows</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lobby of the library, with views of the stacks on each floor</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiered balconies, each with study tables and arm chairs <br />
(with the warm scent of roasting coffee wafting up from the 1st floor cafe)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the top floor study area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif0Z8SPAS0cFEgtRC5z7L9vZfrAcdYQDGLzYNejt1rFYwIFQ9fFjBd1CGcYsrO3kF1aHthjqyTO5Y1qCmFMHozbAujf2ZWL8uZpXULnVxpjyVXfMHPIjgfBGR9mu9NJElRRxTYwySoBM/s1600/IMG_1701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiif0Z8SPAS0cFEgtRC5z7L9vZfrAcdYQDGLzYNejt1rFYwIFQ9fFjBd1CGcYsrO3kF1aHthjqyTO5Y1qCmFMHozbAujf2ZWL8uZpXULnVxpjyVXfMHPIjgfBGR9mu9NJElRRxTYwySoBM/s1600/IMG_1701.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The campus "Oval" (OSU's version of the "Quad")</td></tr>
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We were just catching the tail end of fall, with temps around 30 degrees and tiny snowflakes wafting down as we walked around campus. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirz4Wyjs23_XXgL9aX9muM0JxHK5s_PitVjs42EmGHVW0D7MZDaatFyfnbF3M5H0_snEaC5jruONm-0Ji8I1xZnQiMNt86Ce0rCwpPNsFdxgGAANlyZ0YXjNu8PfrQqzFqLThd9ZGU2aI/s1600/IMG_1705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirz4Wyjs23_XXgL9aX9muM0JxHK5s_PitVjs42EmGHVW0D7MZDaatFyfnbF3M5H0_snEaC5jruONm-0Ji8I1xZnQiMNt86Ce0rCwpPNsFdxgGAANlyZ0YXjNu8PfrQqzFqLThd9ZGU2aI/s1600/IMG_1705.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a great trip, and I really look forward to going back to Columbus. <i>Maybe I can get a job in OSU's English program...?</i></div>
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Anyway, the only other thing of note this past week was the concert that Ted and I went to in Hamilton, Ohio last night. We saw the musical group <i>Huun Huur Tu</i> from Tuva, a Russian federation republic on the border of Mongolia. Ted saw them in Tuva years ago while he was doing research for his dissertation. They are Tuvan throat singers, which means they use a special technique to sing multiple notes at one time. They play traditional instruments handmade from wood and animal skins, and some of the songs they sing date back to the 12th century. It was difficult to take photos in the dark auditorium, but this gives you an idea:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYQetnQISA__sm5phbfjUuzL7EV8wYRB13d1nae1VtVmKQJaYimsO30iOeJY6MHPV4MajU5HF7cvrAmelQUls6GxX8OeA4m71w4xuLMyVT0xNmFm_lofrp78yN0IQKFOOUfEBH19UUiU/s1600/IMG_1722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYQetnQISA__sm5phbfjUuzL7EV8wYRB13d1nae1VtVmKQJaYimsO30iOeJY6MHPV4MajU5HF7cvrAmelQUls6GxX8OeA4m71w4xuLMyVT0xNmFm_lofrp78yN0IQKFOOUfEBH19UUiU/s1600/IMG_1722.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is a little sampling of their music...</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/tqNU6D7BYKQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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...and a demonstration of what Tuvan throat singers can do with their voices:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/A8rtQ1nf9nA?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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We actually own both of their CDs and sometimes listen to them on long road trips. I hope you enjoyed this small sampling of their music! I leave you now with a recording of one of the songs they performed last night, about the revered golden horse:</div>
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/149961398&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6535318843470092517.post-88779980878124836042014-11-02T17:39:00.001-05:002014-11-03T12:01:43.519-05:002nd Annual Dia de los Muertos Fiesta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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/AVvXsEiGdeEBe-B-bOdeD06xXAg6DhAp-3utvH0e_-bkxP1xMH6HxIQdY_CmOh1gMnrNBhyA_c5StU8JkxXqbC1nj6T7O-7rJW0AA9fLr2bsyJL5HvwbO6tE4bIWIoOWq00IK6W_yJLJ4SWKxY4/s1600/2014_minnie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGdeEBe-B-bOdeD06xXAg6DhAp-3utvH0e_-bkxP1xMH6HxIQdY_CmOh1gMnrNBhyA_c5StU8JkxXqbC1nj6T7O-7rJW0AA9fLr2bsyJL5HvwbO6tE4bIWIoOWq00IK6W_yJLJ4SWKxY4/s1600/2014_minnie.jpg" height="640" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(cats are optional on your Day of the Dead <i>ofrenda</i>)</td></tr>
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Get out your candles and your <i>papel picado</i>, it's that time of year again: <i>Dia de los Muertos</i>, or Day of the Dead! We had a little gathering <a href="http://ohioismyresetbutton.blogspot.com/2013/11/fiesta-de-los-muertos.html" target="_blank">last year</a>, and it was so nice that I decided to make it an annual tradition.<br />
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This year our party doubled - or maybe tripled - in size, with quite an international mix of guests. We had Russians, Americans, and one Iraqi all under one roof to celebrate this Mexican tradition.<br />
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Instead of cooking a main course from scratch this year, I picked up an assortment of frozen Mexican foods to throw in the oven or steamer - tamales, toquitos, and crispy tostadas for taco salads. With the time this saved me, I was able to make two pumpkin pies and four loaves of <i>pan de muertos</i>. Mm-mm-mm!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfXEdq2RMuxUHkrwClkfV7C9P-ugFoJhlKqbtamrGOtTXAr8GIaJLIQRvG47kSwZUJDMWrOfAMFW9HvO7P43m9L1TvxKyL85h5pyYPwCG76QJgsWlgeWQU0sFpOBAEGHS7V6HUTrbzyI/s1600/2014_food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVfXEdq2RMuxUHkrwClkfV7C9P-ugFoJhlKqbtamrGOtTXAr8GIaJLIQRvG47kSwZUJDMWrOfAMFW9HvO7P43m9L1TvxKyL85h5pyYPwCG76QJgsWlgeWQU0sFpOBAEGHS7V6HUTrbzyI/s1600/2014_food.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was plenty of food and drink at the party, and things got <i>muy caliente </i>inside, despite the freezing temperatures without.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLifnVLv7WzKZjg6VJGhAyV7cEuPYtZKjHg_7ZqCQDcTUPMx379dZD5jHqVRWRzMrG_Dv9uqyYRcQITskcDwuKadssokno3lVZxhJAg11SaCpJuEJjZMRFwl4OguiBLa0vEE8sMorEt84/s1600/2014_morningfrost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLifnVLv7WzKZjg6VJGhAyV7cEuPYtZKjHg_7ZqCQDcTUPMx379dZD5jHqVRWRzMrG_Dv9uqyYRcQITskcDwuKadssokno3lVZxhJAg11SaCpJuEJjZMRFwl4OguiBLa0vEE8sMorEt84/s1600/2014_morningfrost.jpg" height="422" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had our first snowfall of the year on Saturday morning.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNkxaW8bH2vOkXg07pZQXBiEcLsto0DV4TZWy9xU2_ZG6Ug8sMzYlNHPirRZiEuMfhFQfzrkWRRoYS8ndY5TXO7hkdcR46vaMAPmBzItD6eeavblNGuCvkbC3eIfPo2wqR1AmhQYGeXI/s1600/2014_morningfrost3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNkxaW8bH2vOkXg07pZQXBiEcLsto0DV4TZWy9xU2_ZG6Ug8sMzYlNHPirRZiEuMfhFQfzrkWRRoYS8ndY5TXO7hkdcR46vaMAPmBzItD6eeavblNGuCvkbC3eIfPo2wqR1AmhQYGeXI/s1600/2014_morningfrost3.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thankfully, the hearty mums (and the cats) survived.</td></tr>
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When it's cold outside, it sure is nice to do some baking! I was definitely channeling happy homemaker as I made the bread and pies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDuJXpqJlbiTZ46TCCY4fg0TyIUFtm0qQ5I_EdemfOMH5s8GtVfGdS_Xs2D-Y6ZWBW855x8zQVmEvA-6rPwBKAp9g3lewI4EXM6CvJqu7C9CuWI0BZ9306F-nmhcoK8Z8KUJ0i-rW7sI/s1600/2014_makingpan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaDuJXpqJlbiTZ46TCCY4fg0TyIUFtm0qQ5I_EdemfOMH5s8GtVfGdS_Xs2D-Y6ZWBW855x8zQVmEvA-6rPwBKAp9g3lewI4EXM6CvJqu7C9CuWI0BZ9306F-nmhcoK8Z8KUJ0i-rW7sI/s1600/2014_makingpan2.jpg" height="640" width="521" /></a></div>
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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/AVvXsEhKXr7aUUfUw35v8CduP6r4jJtbjiuArqUENSqlP6iOyu_z3_nWVkyAQ4kuQ2LNS2mGhZqoP3L4zTYCWDgNNxGncdQ2bfB8OLcXtLEpS1-kr0IXf9WVOMzUsvIrXcCAzAiGUsjxPZl-F0I/s1600/2014_making_pan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXr7aUUfUw35v8CduP6r4jJtbjiuArqUENSqlP6iOyu_z3_nWVkyAQ4kuQ2LNS2mGhZqoP3L4zTYCWDgNNxGncdQ2bfB8OLcXtLEpS1-kr0IXf9WVOMzUsvIrXcCAzAiGUsjxPZl-F0I/s1600/2014_making_pan.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The humble beginnings of <i>pan de muertos</i>...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQ28bi7mW09EFYRCnrU5PadQvfKpb89hBSVtwL9yZDsaqJ2vFXcJ0HcLSTj6AeyB-0ZVsqAMsc2evTl9x3S-cDPGFCJ1p5n12v425uIF0yqvg2ExYcc6a6JWSEGTOsFjifiIwdsSLMoE/s1600/2014_pan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQ28bi7mW09EFYRCnrU5PadQvfKpb89hBSVtwL9yZDsaqJ2vFXcJ0HcLSTj6AeyB-0ZVsqAMsc2evTl9x3S-cDPGFCJ1p5n12v425uIF0yqvg2ExYcc6a6JWSEGTOsFjifiIwdsSLMoE/s1600/2014_pan.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">finished loaves of <i>pan</i></td></tr>
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And just to prove that the pumpkin pies were made from scratch:<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/AVvXsEhk6urAYQacEalXg6pB5-EKsb0f1rXuNiIaFsCAnPhBZxf43jLZaTyCgFlpB9n0ZGB4oX7GUwM3FJkKSP_ZfQbr9vHVr2_pLel_pwBssqgeEqycL6Kykqe3i6CICjl5kMEJzY1wFRFGzqo/s1600/2014_pumpkin2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6urAYQacEalXg6pB5-EKsb0f1rXuNiIaFsCAnPhBZxf43jLZaTyCgFlpB9n0ZGB4oX7GUwM3FJkKSP_ZfQbr9vHVr2_pLel_pwBssqgeEqycL6Kykqe3i6CICjl5kMEJzY1wFRFGzqo/s1600/2014_pumpkin2.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jarrahdales (blue pumpkins) make the<i> best </i>pumpkin pie</td></tr>
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This was the <i>ofrenda</i> at the end of the night. You can see some decorated sugar skulls in the lower right corner (gotta have activities to keep the kids busy!). It was nice to have several people participate this year in adding photos of their departed loved ones. I decided to set up the altar in front of our window so the candlelight could be seen from the street. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaPlAW-TrlJjAA33HwLdMUnHAIKXKiyaNciYEMKbEH55jZWkQ4v30hmXJe8ThlZIcL3cRhrDrbu-S7QjxfVWS2n2zpT0xGC1bodJzfiAW-3pr_XxPpxFrLVVbUcuhgoHp7HkBm0kziJY/s1600/2014_ofrenda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBaPlAW-TrlJjAA33HwLdMUnHAIKXKiyaNciYEMKbEH55jZWkQ4v30hmXJe8ThlZIcL3cRhrDrbu-S7QjxfVWS2n2zpT0xGC1bodJzfiAW-3pr_XxPpxFrLVVbUcuhgoHp7HkBm0kziJY/s1600/2014_ofrenda.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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There was light on the front stoop as well, in the form of our hybrid Halloween/Day of the Dead jack-o-lantern:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmK3ZCrBlYN_hfV_mraV3J_dxjKX0bUOPedWRDefTcKVMPMV_pzKpuUxB02rT_R_Iz555gFnmkjzuBHMK9LopBwWa-ptpUxylxeZ9-oZ2feMF4KLdYUzjQbfCyplgr5gEZvhxTwVD9-U/s1600/2014_jacko.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmK3ZCrBlYN_hfV_mraV3J_dxjKX0bUOPedWRDefTcKVMPMV_pzKpuUxB02rT_R_Iz555gFnmkjzuBHMK9LopBwWa-ptpUxylxeZ9-oZ2feMF4KLdYUzjQbfCyplgr5gEZvhxTwVD9-U/s1600/2014_jacko.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXj2RXtKdR6RFBBLC9M8SJpvTsnyERpB35EORaDO59cSq2ewxj3jRbd8GwdxK0nFkMFqJjSu6czX2WUkFuPngKjQXDlpWY9F5i3FDCID8XGUbZLgysm44qHZxTdPECdXa8ZEr3yCKtXo/s1600/2014_stoop_pumpkins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhXj2RXtKdR6RFBBLC9M8SJpvTsnyERpB35EORaDO59cSq2ewxj3jRbd8GwdxK0nFkMFqJjSu6czX2WUkFuPngKjQXDlpWY9F5i3FDCID8XGUbZLgysm44qHZxTdPECdXa8ZEr3yCKtXo/s1600/2014_stoop_pumpkins.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(daytime view)</td></tr>
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And now that the festivities are over, Ted and I are left with plenty of sugary <i>churros</i> and beer to keep us sated for the month of November! Won't you come join us? :)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02126176770340875457noreply@blogger.com4