The Flash
(he's so fast, he's hard to capture in photos)
"Baterina" & Grecian Goddess (and Flash)
At Rest
Her Royal Highness
Monday, October 31, 2011
Boo.
Our pre-Halloween snow this past weekend started out kind of fun. I thought about posting some snow covered ghost and/or pumpkin pictures.
See how cool and spooky the streaky snowfall looks?
(this was taken right at the beginning of the snow on Saturday)
But after 4 or 5 inches of wet heavy snowfall on top of the leaves, the snow definitely wasn't fun anymore. It wrecked havoc on our trees.
I guess we're all set for firewood for a while now.....
See how cool and spooky the streaky snowfall looks?
(this was taken right at the beginning of the snow on Saturday)
But after 4 or 5 inches of wet heavy snowfall on top of the leaves, the snow definitely wasn't fun anymore. It wrecked havoc on our trees.
This is the tree where we had a saucer swing for the kids....
Fortunately, both trunks missed all the houses and sheds in the vicinity.
And, here is what is left of our beautiful sweet gum tree. Nine main branches snapped off like toothpicks.
Close-up of some of the broken branches
I guess we're all set for firewood for a while now.....
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Mini Eco Adventure at Hickory Run State Park
After Caroline's soccer game on Saturday morning, Scott and I took the family on a little fall eco-adventure trip up to Hickory Run State Park. We were hoping to enjoy some fall colors on the Lehigh River. While I know that hiking and biking don't really count as an "eco-adventure" in the minds of hard core trekkers, I'm deeming our little day trip an "eco adventure" for the following reasons:
1) The girls biked for a long time, over 7 miles. This distance is more impressive when you factor in that Caroline's bike is now so small for her she could be in a circus act. She really has to peddle those tiny wheels a lot to keep up with Scott and me.
2) Speaking of bikes, my bike gears froze in 7th (hardest gear to pedal) for the majority of the ride, which made the ride fairly challenging since I was towing Ben.
3) We climbed on boulders for an hour or so.
4) The weather forecast for sunny skies and 60 degrees didn't materialize, instead it was cloudy and an a brisk 47. That's extra brisk when you are biking.
Side note, Ben does not get "eco adventure" credit for the bike portion of the excursion since he was relaxing with snacks and legos in the carrier.
We planned this trip the hopes of hitting "peak" fall foliage along the Lehigh Gorge Trail. We missed "peak" color by a week or so, but it was still beautiful.
The boulders at Hickory Run State Park were deemed "super cool". This boulder field was deposited by glaciers and is the largest geological formation of this type in the Eastern U.S.
There are a LOT of boulders here:
1) The girls biked for a long time, over 7 miles. This distance is more impressive when you factor in that Caroline's bike is now so small for her she could be in a circus act. She really has to peddle those tiny wheels a lot to keep up with Scott and me.
2) Speaking of bikes, my bike gears froze in 7th (hardest gear to pedal) for the majority of the ride, which made the ride fairly challenging since I was towing Ben.
3) We climbed on boulders for an hour or so.
4) The weather forecast for sunny skies and 60 degrees didn't materialize, instead it was cloudy and an a brisk 47. That's extra brisk when you are biking.
Side note, Ben does not get "eco adventure" credit for the bike portion of the excursion since he was relaxing with snacks and legos in the carrier.
Ben sitting in the lap of luxury
(Legos are under that blanket)
We planned this trip the hopes of hitting "peak" fall foliage along the Lehigh Gorge Trail. We missed "peak" color by a week or so, but it was still beautiful.
The boulders at Hickory Run State Park were deemed "super cool". This boulder field was deposited by glaciers and is the largest geological formation of this type in the Eastern U.S.
There are a LOT of boulders here:
Close-up Shot
Wider Angle
Really Wide Angle Shot -- Can you find the kids?
(look in the middle for Caroline's blue sweatshirt)
Now I know I shouldn't condone graffiti, but this was kind of neat to run across
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Ben Likes....
Ben brought home a little collage from preschool (see photo) showing some things he "likes" that he cut out of magazines.
I get the cake and the apples. I get the car and the juice.
The photo of the legs, though, that threw me. So, I asked Ben, "What about the legs?"
Ben responded, "They are women's legs, Mom. I like women's legs."
I wasn't quite sure what to say next....
Monday, October 17, 2011
Amusing Telemarketing Phone Call
Here is a transcript of an actual phone call at my house this afternoon. This totally cracked me up.
_________________________________________________
Ring Ring!
Me: "Hello?"
Phone: Telltale pause, then chattering in the background.
Me (thinking): "Shoot. I shouldn't have answered."
Telemarketer (thickly accented): "Hello? Is Mr. Unintelligible Name there?"
Me: "No, he's not here right now."
Telemarketer: "Is Mrs. Unintelligible Name there?"
Me: "Yes, this is she. But.....you know....I really don't want anything from anyone right now. Sorry!"
Telemarketer (without even pausing): "OK, well if you have any questions about today's phone call, please dial 1-888-485-0975."
Me: "Thanks and have a good night."
Click.
That is the actual number they gave me. And now, I'm half tempted now to call and see what they were selling.
_________________________________________________
Ring Ring!
Me: "Hello?"
Phone: Telltale pause, then chattering in the background.
Me (thinking): "Shoot. I shouldn't have answered."
Telemarketer (thickly accented): "Hello? Is Mr. Unintelligible Name there?"
Me: "No, he's not here right now."
Telemarketer: "Is Mrs. Unintelligible Name there?"
Me: "Yes, this is she. But.....you know....I really don't want anything from anyone right now. Sorry!"
Telemarketer (without even pausing): "OK, well if you have any questions about today's phone call, please dial 1-888-485-0975."
Me: "Thanks and have a good night."
Click.
That is the actual number they gave me. And now, I'm half tempted now to call and see what they were selling.
Wedding!
This past weekend we participated in Uncle Andy's and Aunt Trish's wedding at Normandy Farms in Blue Bell, PA. It was a beautiful venue and fun family-filled event. Aside from the happy nuptials, Ben had an opportunity to showcase his dance moves. If I hear of any You Tube videos, I'll post a link.
A few photos:
A few photos:
The Men
Mr. and Mrs. Personality
Abby feeling glamorous
Congratulations Trish & Andy!!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Fashion Disaster Day 2011
Clearly my girls have a gift for this sort of thing....
Today, Abby has donned an ensemble of polka dots, vertical stripes, stars, horizontal stripes, a backwards shirt, and four ponytails. Caroline chose plaid, stars, and graphic designs and the signature four ponytail look. Abby also wanted to dye her hair for today. Fortunately, I dissuaded her from such a drastic style on the grounds that Aunt Trish would probably not want Abby's hair dyed in her wedding photos.
Today, Abby has donned an ensemble of polka dots, vertical stripes, stars, horizontal stripes, a backwards shirt, and four ponytails. Caroline chose plaid, stars, and graphic designs and the signature four ponytail look. Abby also wanted to dye her hair for today. Fortunately, I dissuaded her from such a drastic style on the grounds that Aunt Trish would probably not want Abby's hair dyed in her wedding photos.
Monday, October 10, 2011
The Great Pumpkin
We went pumpkin picking at one of our local farms this weekend, Sugartown Strawberries. Although the name does not suggest it, Sugartown has the most sincere pumpkin patch in the area. Pumpkin picking was a trifle harder than in previous years because many of the pumpkins had rotted on the vine after the pummeling they took from Hurricane Irene and the 5+ inches of rain from Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lee. The full-sized pumpkins were deflated like week-old balloons.
Ben's choice below initially looked like a keeper, but then we found the bottom part was too "gushy". Actually, it was the earthworm that crawled out of the pumpkin onto my hand that tipped me off that this pumpkin was a bit past prime. Ben left this one at the patch, but found a better pumpkin a few moments later.
Ben's choice below initially looked like a keeper, but then we found the bottom part was too "gushy". Actually, it was the earthworm that crawled out of the pumpkin onto my hand that tipped me off that this pumpkin was a bit past prime. Ben left this one at the patch, but found a better pumpkin a few moments later.
Caroline's Choice
Silly Shot
Ab-BEE
View from the Shade of a Magnificent 250-year old White Oak
(This tree was already 15 when the Declaration of Independence was signed.)
Friday, October 7, 2011
1000 Things (summarized briefly)
I issued myself a home improvement task this fall that I'm calling ---
What is it? It is me getting rid of 1000 things in our house before November. It is a major decluttering/downsizing project. A key component for the project, however, is to get rid of the 1000 things while minimizing what goes into the landfill -- so that means recycling, freecycling, donating, and hand-me-downing as much as possible. Also, it is finding 1000 things in our house that nobody notices are missing (i.e., things we have outgrown, don't use, and don't want). I'm not out to traumatize anyone.
I've been working on this project since school started in fits and spurts. It's disturbingly easy to walk into a room and find, say, 10 things that we don't need anymore. So far, I'm up to 450 things (+/-). And, it's also disturbing that you really can't tell I've gotten rid of almost 500 objects. How much stuff have we accumulated?! I always have a running box of "stuff" to donate in the garage, so it isn't as if this is the first time I have given away anything in years and years.
The accounting portion of this project is proving more difficult than I expected. If an object has many pieces, I considered whether should I count each piece individually or as one larger object. I didn't want to waste prime de-cluttering time in a self-imposed bureaucratic limbo, so I decreed that the number of items will be proportional to the number of times I've had to pick them up. For example, does one pair of shoes count as 1 or 2 objects? Adult shoes = 1 object. Kid's shoes that I've put away 700 times = 2 objects. The pack of 10 dried-out markers = 1 object. The 1000 piece puzzle still in box = 1 item. The kid's 10 piece puzzle that I've picked up at least 100 times = 5 pieces. The papers have really proven tricky. I'm sure I've recycled >1000 papers, but how to count it??? My rough rule of thumb for paper recycling is 1/2 inch of papers = 1 item. It's tough love over here.
What does 450 items look like? So far, four trunkloads of stuff to goodwill, 6 or so miscellaneous other bags of stuff to various organizations, about 15 cubic yards of paper, and only 1 trash bag. Not bad. The next 500 items will be a bit harder, but I keep finding little stashes of clutter tucked away in a drawer or the back of a closet (ahem, Caroline), so I'm sure I'll get there. Stay tuned for progress.
If anyone is interested in joining me in THE GREAT 1000 CHALLENGE (or even any smaller challenge, like THE GREAT 200 CHALLENGE), let me know! I'll cheer you on!!
THE GREAT 1000 CHALLENGE
What is it? It is me getting rid of 1000 things in our house before November. It is a major decluttering/downsizing project. A key component for the project, however, is to get rid of the 1000 things while minimizing what goes into the landfill -- so that means recycling, freecycling, donating, and hand-me-downing as much as possible. Also, it is finding 1000 things in our house that nobody notices are missing (i.e., things we have outgrown, don't use, and don't want). I'm not out to traumatize anyone.
I've been working on this project since school started in fits and spurts. It's disturbingly easy to walk into a room and find, say, 10 things that we don't need anymore. So far, I'm up to 450 things (+/-). And, it's also disturbing that you really can't tell I've gotten rid of almost 500 objects. How much stuff have we accumulated?! I always have a running box of "stuff" to donate in the garage, so it isn't as if this is the first time I have given away anything in years and years.
The accounting portion of this project is proving more difficult than I expected. If an object has many pieces, I considered whether should I count each piece individually or as one larger object. I didn't want to waste prime de-cluttering time in a self-imposed bureaucratic limbo, so I decreed that the number of items will be proportional to the number of times I've had to pick them up. For example, does one pair of shoes count as 1 or 2 objects? Adult shoes = 1 object. Kid's shoes that I've put away 700 times = 2 objects. The pack of 10 dried-out markers = 1 object. The 1000 piece puzzle still in box = 1 item. The kid's 10 piece puzzle that I've picked up at least 100 times = 5 pieces. The papers have really proven tricky. I'm sure I've recycled >1000 papers, but how to count it??? My rough rule of thumb for paper recycling is 1/2 inch of papers = 1 item. It's tough love over here.
What does 450 items look like? So far, four trunkloads of stuff to goodwill, 6 or so miscellaneous other bags of stuff to various organizations, about 15 cubic yards of paper, and only 1 trash bag. Not bad. The next 500 items will be a bit harder, but I keep finding little stashes of clutter tucked away in a drawer or the back of a closet (ahem, Caroline), so I'm sure I'll get there. Stay tuned for progress.
If anyone is interested in joining me in THE GREAT 1000 CHALLENGE (or even any smaller challenge, like THE GREAT 200 CHALLENGE), let me know! I'll cheer you on!!
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Big 20
This past weekend I attended my 20th High School reunion in Maryland. I had mixed feelings about going. On one hand, I was excited to visit in person with some of my closest friends, some of whom live far away. On the other hand, I was also a bit wary. High school memories are a mix of happiness and successes tinged with memories of insecurity, a hilariously bad perm, teased bangs, and pimples.
Fortunately, I'm happy to report that all the incriminating photos stayed home and that our class has aged well! We didn't look as old as I expected, and the conversations were genuine and pleasant. It was surprising to see what people have been up to for the past 20 years, with jobs, kids, etc. The conversations were also pretty brief because the DJ hired for the evening had the music volume SO LOUD THAT IT WAS REALLY HARD TO TALK. Maybe that was by design?
It was a surreal evening seeing people from your past reappear after 20 years, looking mostly the same. And, it was definitely nice to be remembered after all this time.
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