Rene's Misadventures in Geology

Today I Created This...

2012-02-05T14:01:00.003-05:00

It came out really pretty even though I made it about 1/2 inch too large. You can find the instructions for it here. It was really easy. The tricky part is at the beginning when you are dealing with 8 feet of thread that really is doing its absolute best to get tangled. However, once you get going it's a breeze. I hope you take the time to make one for yourself!

What I've Been Working On...

2012-02-04T20:38:00.003-05:00

Been having fun making these washcloths/dishcloths out of 100% cotton yarn. I've been making about 1 per night. I think they are so pretty and they are really nice in the shower! Here's where I got the original pattern from (Pattern). Don't you think they'd make really cute gifts?

I hope this is true...

2012-02-04T13:51:00.002-05:00

NYC Day 3 - Martha Stewart

2012-01-23T19:43:00.002-05:00

The main reason I took this trip on this particular weekend was because I was chosen to be in the studio audience for the Martha Stewart show. I was so excited to be going to see her. I got in line very early - in fact, I was 5th in line when we started going into the building. You check your coats and are seated, signing a waiver saying that you're okay with being on TV. I was so excited!! I told all of my friends and family I was going to be in the studio audience and so many were watching. Here is a photo of me in the waiting room before we were seated.

This is one of the fake rooms in the set. When you are ushered into the studio you are seated in one of two areas - either in the main audience section or in seats on the floor. I was seated on the far left-hand side of the studio. I knew immediately - I would not end up on TV. At first I thought maybe Martha only wanted pretty, skinny, colorfully and well-dressed people to show up in her audience. However, when I looked up into the audience and saw some really nasty looking people up there, I seriously wondered why I'd been seated off camera. I was so disappointed.

So you'd think I'd have a good view of the part of the set where Martha hangs out the most. I did have a good view, until the cameras all started filing in and then I could hardly see her as my view was completely blocked. The work area is pretty though.

I was also so disappointed in that you are not allowed to look around the set. Once you are seated, you are told to sit. You aren't even allowed to stand up to take pictures, nor are you allowed to move around the set at all. I understand this before the show begins, but after the show is over it would have been nice if we could have at least stood in front of parts of the set to have photos taken and to just generally look at the studio rooms. The craft room was on the opposite side of the set from where I was sitting, meaning that I would not be able to see inside. We all know that would have been the one room I would have wanted to see and photograph! Again, so disappointed.

I don't think Martha was in a good mood this day. She seemed distracted and just generally unhappy to be there. It was the first day back to shooting so maybe that was why she seemed so grumpy. I was so sad, having really liked her for so many years. After she got out of prison I really cheered for her. I wanted to see her make a good comeback.

Oh well, the rest of the trip was a great success and I was completely worn out by the time I got home. That's really what matters.

Namaste.

Forever.

2012-01-15T10:29:00.001-05:00

New York City Day 2

2012-01-13T15:40:00.003-05:00

If I thought day one in NYC wore me out, day two brought me to my knees...haha. I started off first thing in the morning by going to the American Museum of Natural History. I got there about 10 minutes before it opened. The tunnel to the subway was covered in animals made of individual tiles. They were magnificent. You can see some of the animals here.

Ah, my lovely sauropods. I love, LOVE the sauropods! These are the big lumbering vegetarian giants. So adorable. How could you not love this face!

A nice person took my picture for me next to the beloved sauropod.

After several hours inside the museum I headed out to get a bite to eat and walk through a bit of Central Park. I stopped at one of the Sabrett hot dog trucks right outside the museum. I could have eaten two of these...it was delicious!

Afterwards I wandered through Central Park for a bit then headed to a spice shop that I'd heard about online. Oh. My. God. this place was amazing!! It looks so unassuming from the outside, but I could have spent a week inside looking at each product they carry and still have some left to look at.

This is just one small bit of the eleventy-billion spice walls! Oh, and the prices were absolutely fabulous too! I got something special for my boys in this store.

After the spice shop it was off to Time's Square. I had a little something I wanted to get down there. I love this area. Love seeing all of the signs for the Broadway shows that are in town. Next year, if I am still in Connecticut, I will do the New Year's Eve thing. I stopped at a small bakery and picked up another Linzer Tart. $3.95 for a cookie but it was the best one I've ever had! I'd pay it again in a heartbeat.

I was surprised but the ball was still up in Time's Square.

Off to grab one of the things I was looking for and I headed into the M&M's store at Time's Square. I saw this guy and had to take his photo!

By the time I got back to my hotel I thought I would die. My legs and feet hurt so bad! I must have walked 10 miles that day. Totally worth every minute of it though. I settled for a sandwich from a local deli for dinner. It was disgusting so I didn't take a picture. In fact, I ate the meat out of it and threw the rest away. The bread was horrid.

Got to bed early...tomorrow is the Martha Stewart Show and then heading home.
Namaste.

New York City Day 1

2012-01-10T18:48:00.004-05:00

I was selected to be in the Martha Stewart Show audience on Monday, January 9th, so I decided to take the train down to NYC for the weekend. The train ride was great! I just parked the car in New Haven and jumped on the train. A couple of hours later I was in Grand Central Terminal. I thought the subway system would be scary to figure out but I was very mistaken! A couple of short subway rides later and I was at my stop.

My hotel was nice. I stayed at the Four Seasons Sheraton in Chelsea. I chose this hotel because it was just a couple of blocks away from the Chelsea Studios where MS tapes her show. At check in I was given a complimentary "Welcome" cupcake. It was delicious!! It was spice cake with cream cheese frosting. I hadn't eaten since early morning (and it was now close to 2:00pm) but I wanted to save my appetite for my first stop. Here's a picture of my cupcake.

Stop #1...Katz's Deli! This is where the famous "I'll have what she's having" scene from "When Harry Met Sally" was filmed. While waiting in line I was able to snap this photo of the sign hanging from the ceiling.

So Katz's was packed...and I do mean packed!! There seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the lines to get a sandwich, but somehow I managed.

This was my lunch...half a pastrami sandwich on rye and a bowl of matzo ball soup. The sandwich was absolutely divine...I swear it was the best pastrami I have ever had in my life. De-flippin-licious!! The matzo ball soup was new for me. The matzo balls were very light but they had an odd texture, and since I'm a texture eater, it wasn't very appealing to me. I did eat about half of it though. The broth was wonderful though. Enjoyed my lunch very much!!

Even though I was stuffed to the gills leaving Katz's, I stopped just a few doors down at a small bakery and had a cup of coffee and a linzer tart. They are one of my absolute favorite cookies. This hit the spot perfectly while I made my next plans.

I decided to head into Chinatown to see if I could pick up something for a friend. Unfortunately I couldn't find what she'd asked me for. But, I did see Zarin Fabric! This is the store that Jill Zarin and her husband own. Who is she? Real Housewives of New York. Anyway, it was closed so I couldn't go in to check it out.

After Chinatown I headed back to my hotel. Later I headed out and saw this pizza truck. One of my goals was to try a few food trucks while I was in NYC and was excited to try this one. Well, the pizza was definitely below par. The sauce was good but the crust was burnt as were the vegetables on top. The sausage seemed to be nothing more than store bought crap, sliced and thrown onto the pizza. So, if you're ever in NYC stay clear of this food truck.

That finished up day one of the trip. I was exhausted!! I must have walked several miles and boy did my feet hurt. Totally worth every moment.

I'll post Day 2 of my trip tomorrow.
Namaste.

Onward...

2012-01-01T08:13:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year, my friends. I think that 2011 was a bit of a mixed bag. I was able to accomplish several of the items on my list of intentions, but failed miserably in other areas. I'm hoping that 2012 will be a much better year.

I chose another One Little Word this year - Self. I chose this because it's high time I started paying attention to myself and the things I want and need. This doesn't mean I'm not going to continue to do things for others. Instead, it's giving myself permission to treat myself with the same respect as I do with others. I want to focus on me this year. A few things on my list:

1. Eat less. It's time I paid attention to my food intake. Must reduce it greatly.
2. Move more. The gym is not too far away. I think the treadmill is calling my name.
3. Yoga. Found a once-a-week yoga class in the area. I'm feeling far too stiff and old for 47.
4. Travel. I want to go somewhere this year for vacation. Maybe a tour, but not to Europe.
5. Pamper. Buy myself some of those things I want.
6. Reduce. The amount of debt I have weighs heavily on me.

Those are my intentions for this year.
Namaste.

A Visit to Middletown, CT...

2011-12-31T15:11:00.002-05:00

I needed a day away from Willimantic and I've been craving a stack of new books to read. I love to buy used books so I found a shop that was fairly local and headed that way. The drive took about an hour, but I drove through the backroads rather than the freeway. I just wanted to slow down my pace a bit. This is a picture of Main Street in Middletown. It's a quaint town and I enjoyed the feel. It's very gloomy today, a sign of the winter to come, I'm sure.

I stopped in at the Emporium for lunch. They have a ton of teas to try and also some coffee offerings. The people behind the counter weren't overly friendly though. Not sure I'd go back.

This is my lunch. It's a cuban sandwich. I'd never had an authentic cuban, and honestly this wasn't one either. The bread is focaccia, not the roll you normally find associated with this sandwich. It was good though and the spicy mustard cleared out my sinuses!

Then off to the bookstore, located below the restaurant. This is a small hole-in-the-wall place. I went with a list of books on my Amazon wishlist, however, I only found one of the list in the store. Oh well.

Obviously, that didn't stop me from finding other new things to read! I picked up 7 new books! Hopefully this will keep me going for a short while. I have felt so lost the few nights without a good book to read. I did have "Great Expectations" on my nightstand but I find I just can't get into it. 'Tis okay...life is too short to try to force yourself through a book you have no interest in.

I was so disappointed on the way home from this adventure because the GPS decided to take me on the freeways! GAH!! I don't mind driving on freeways but I find I really like the old backroads when I'm not in some type of a hurry or when I don't have an appointment. The feel of the journey on the way home was so much different than the way there for this exact reason. I'll be sure to tell the GPS I want an alternate route to go home from now on.

All in all, it was a good day. It's New Year's Eve here and I've been thinking about my One Little Word for 2012 as well as the goals I'm hoping to set for myself. I'll write more about those tomorrow.

Namaste.

Right Now...

2011-12-14T09:37:00.002-05:00

listening: "Carol of the Bells" on Pandora.
eating: Candy Cane Hershey's Kisses
drinking: Hot water.
wearing: Nothing special.
feeling: Sad. No place feels quite like home anymore.
weather: Beautiful day in Knoxville - sunny and warm.
watching: Movies I borrowed from Carol.
waiting: for lunch...meeting a friend at Panera's.
wanting: Peace of mind.
needing: to pack my house up and get it into storage.
thinking: about how I'm going to get everything to NC and then to CT
enjoying: scrapbooking a few gifts for friends.
wondering: What the new year will hold for me.

Namaste.

Graduation and Stuff...

2011-12-12T15:55:00.003-05:00

It finally happened! I graduated. December 8th I finally walked across the stage to earn my Ph.D. Man, it felt good! Interestingly enough, although my degree was earned during the summer I didn't feel very "doctorish" until I walked across the stage. Below is a picture of me with Colin, my advisor. Fun, fun, FUN!!

Being at home has been fun. It's been nice to actually be able to scrapbook a little bit again. I am going to take some supplies home with me. I miss it too much. Not only that but I have rented out my house here in Knoxville so the stuff needs to be removed anyway. Most of my items will go into storage but some of the scrapbooking stuff is coming home with me. Today I put together a small album for my friends Jackie and Paul for Christmas. It came out cute.

Heading out to dinner with friends tonight. Can't wait!
Namaste.

Monday will be quite a day...

2011-12-03T07:22:00.004-05:00

Monday...11:00am...I will be finished teaching my first semester of geology. My goodness, I cannot believe that it will be done. After this first semester I know, for certain, that I am doing what I am meant to do. I have loved (almost) every minute of teaching these students about geology. I also can't believe that I've been able to keep up with preparations for class...think lectures, exams, study guides, labs, grading, etc.

Already, my mind has started thinking about teaching in the spring. I am again teaching two introductory geology classes. Now I want to add in some more content to the course so I have been looking at preparing thoughtful homework assignments, as well as revamping the major writing/research project that I have the students do. I will also be teaching an oceanography class. I will have to prepare everything from scratch for that class as well, but at least it's only one class I'm creating from scratch rather than the two I have been preparing this past semester.

On Monday I will also be finishing up my packing and getting things ready to put into the car. I'm headed back to Knoxville on Tuesday morning for a couple of weeks to graduate! I am so very excited to get to walk across the stage for the last time. My advisor, Colin, will be hooding me. It should be fun.

I will also be packing up my house and getting things moved into storage. I rented out my house - it seemed like the only logical thing to do because paying both rent and mortgage was really taxing me financially. I am so happy for the opportunity to do this.

Namaste.

Crafting...

2011-11-27T10:36:00.003-05:00

I think that one of the biggest mistakes I made when moving here was to not bring any of my scrapbooking supplies. I have missed it so much, and because I don't have my supplies with me then I don't feel like taking loads of pictures because I can't scrapbook them. So, now that I've rented out my house I think I will bring some of my supplies back up with me after my Knoxville visit next month. I already feel happy knowing some of my stuff will be coming with me.

I have been looking at some bracelets online and decided to buy some of the supplies to make a few for myself. Here's the stuff I bought...

And here is one of the bracelets I am going to try to copy. I found the instructions online and it doesn't seem too intimidating.
Now I wish I had my little card table to set up in my living room. I always love crafting in front of the television. Having Food Network, Cooking Channel, or HGTV in the background while crafting is such a happy thing!!

Seriously, I'm already feeling better!
Namaste.

An update...

2011-11-26T17:36:00.003-05:00

I want to start off by saying that my last post was not my usual jovial self. It's been very difficult living here in CT with no money and no friends. Hopefully that will change with the new year as I have rented out my Knoxville home. Paying both rent and mortgage, along with all of the numerous bills associated with both homes, has been really tough. Look for more upbeat posts from today forward.

Today I headed into Hartford to visit the Harriet Beecher Stowe House. WOW! What an amazingly beautiful home! For those that don't know, HBS wrote "Uncle Tom's Cabin." I took a special tour of the home. We were greeted at the front door of the home by Hattie Stowe, Harriet's oldest daughter. This was a lovely woman dressed in period costume. We were instructed to remember that we had been transported back to the late 1800's and that our questions had to reflect that date. Specifically, HBS was alive at that time so asking the actress about her Mother's death would be confusing to her.

The woman who played Hattie was exceptional! The tour began explaining that HBS had gone away for a bit of vacation but that Hattie would show us the home. We went through each room and I was so intrigued by the number of books. After the tour we found out that the actress is the museum collections manager and that all of her training has come from her history degree and her job in the museum collections. She was totally in period and I absolutely loved her presentation.

Here is a picture of the house

A picture with me and Hattie. She was fabulous!!

Afterwards, I headed to a Hartford icon, Woody's, for a hotdog and fries. I first saw this place on the news and it has been on several shows (Man vs. Food) as having excellent hotdogs. I had the southern dog, covered in chili and slaw. It was DELICIOUS!! A footlong, all beef dog, with a perfectly toasted grilled bun. Love, love, LOVE it!

Here's my lunch...

A picture of me with Woody. Loved him!!!

After all of this fun I headed back into Manchester and took back a pair of shoes to LL Bean, and then stopped in Michael's for some beading material. There's a bracelet I want to try to make for myself. Will update more as my life gets back to normal.

Namaste.

I just don't understand...

2011-10-02T17:09:00.006-05:00

Life in Connecticut is not what I expected. Even though I'm making more money ($55K vs. $15K), so much is being taken out in taxes and to pay rent and utilities, that I am living poorer than I have lived before. It cost me so much to move here, expenses that were not reimbursed by the university. If my budget continues the way it is right now (which accounts for absolutely nothing fun) then I will have to get a second job in January to be able to pay student loans because I will have $18/month after bills to buy groceries and gas for the car. Yes, seriously.

I feel like I'm dying inside, one paycheck at a time. I hate the house I am living in. I rarely find joyous moments since moving here. I thought getting a PhD was supposed to improve your life. I feel it's been my ruin. Will I ever be able to do the things I love again?

Trying to be prepared...

2011-09-12T16:47:00.004-05:00

Although the temperatures are mild here this week (high 70's, low 80's), we need to be sure that we are prepared for the oncoming winter months! Today Miss Honor got her very own L.L. Bean fall coat in the mail. I think it will keep her nice and warm during the fall months, and hopefully the winter. My favorite part - the pocket on the back of the coat! I need to find something to put in there...any suggestions?

Namaste.

Hurricane Irene...

2011-09-11T16:56:00.002-05:00

I moved here on August 3rd. For the first two weeks I had no cable and no internet. It was rough...REALLY rough. My heart sang a little bit on the day I did get cable and internet. Then a week later, it all changed. Hurricane Irene blew through Connecticut, and as it did, it took down a tree on the next block over. When the tree fell it also snapped the electric pole in half and destroyed the transformer. Here are some of the pictures I took...

We were without power for 7 1/2 days and were one of the last groups in Connecticut to get our power back. In fact, I won one of the "Last Candle Standing" awards at work (the university gave away hand-squeeze flashlights to the last 12 employees who were without power...I came in 5th place!) It's been a long time since I was so happy as when I got the power back on in the house.

Let's hope the rest of my time in Connecticut is uneventful as I feel I've had my share already...

Namaste.

Life in Connecticut...

2011-09-10T18:45:00.003-05:00

I am officially living in Connecticut now. I moved here at the beginning of August. It's been a bit of a rough road so far, but I think it will be okay in the end. Today I headed to Mystic, CT. It's a lovely small town! I went to the Mystic Aquarium because we all know how seeing the sea critters makes my little heart sing. Here are a few of the pictures I took during my visit...

Me in front of the penguin tank/encounter...

Awww...isn't he/she cute?

You know it's just not me if there isn't a picture of a starfish!

I had to search the tank over and over to find this guy. Doesn't he look like a little old man?

My sister, Roxanne, loves seahorses!

Ah, the beautiful, graceful jellyfish...

I absolutely love this picture of the jellyfish!

After the aquarium I headed to to the town and stopped and had a bit of lunch at a roadside cafe. I have had deep-fried clams almost every week that I've lived here. The ones today were absolutely delicious.

Then, the trouble began. I've been having some problems with my car recently. I've spent a fair bit of money but the issue doesn't seem to be resolved yet. After lunch my car would not start. Absolutely killed the day for me! I finally got it to start and headed home. Picked up Honor from doggy-daycare, and headed home. Had to run to Walmart to buy a microwave and nearly didn't get my car started in order to get home. I have replaced the battery (as per AAA mechanics) and replaced the starter (as per the Jeep dealer here) and yet the issue is still not corrected. Oh well, back to the shop it goes.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow from Hurricane Irene.

Namaste.

Life is SO Good...

2011-06-03T17:49:00.003-05:00

This is the title of a book I am reading right now but I have to admit, I really do think life is so very good. There are daily struggles and things that make us want to pull our hair out, but overall, I love my life. I don't know how the man in this book did it. The first chapter nearly brought me to my knees wondering what the heck is wrong with people. It was hard to read. Anyway, I loved the quote by his father, who said "Life is good, and I think it's getting better." So true, so true.

Today I went into the office (first time this week) and my buddy Will and I stepped right back into our routine of bugging the crap out of each other. It's comical to watch...we've heard that many times. Don't tell him but I'm going to miss him when I'm gone...even though I'll have my own office and can shut the door if I want to. Thank goodness for text and Facebook because I'm sure the craziness will just carry on via that form of technology.

I also seem to have found out that I write best and seem to be much more focused on my dissertation when I don't start until about 3pm. This morning in the office I took pictures so there was no thinking involved. But I've been working at home now for a few hours and have several figures done and am ready to finish up the last. Over the past couple of days I've really been able to get this manuscript to a new level.

Speaking of manuscripts, my first will be published in PALAIOS Journal in August! Happy 47th birthday to me. I kind of feel like a real scientist now...and if you're nice to me maybe I'll autograph a copy for you...haha.

Finally, today I submitted my paperwork for my dissertation defense. It's on July 13th at 10:00am. It's my Dad's birthday and I'm hoping the specialness (is that a word?) of the day will bring me good luck.

Note to self: must incorporate yoga into my life again.

Namaste.

Where does the time go?

2011-05-29T16:20:00.003-05:00

Sorry it's been so long. I say that a lot, don't I? Ah well. I do know where my time has gone though. I've been crazy busy writing so that I can finish my dissertation in July. I've also been working on some moving plans as I'll be leaving for Connecticut in August. I'll be working as an Assistant Professor and I'm very excited.

I have taken some time though to do a few things. Two items that were on my bucket list are now crossed off:

Milking a cow...
and, taking a ride in a hot air balloon...

Both were great fun but the hot air balloon went above and beyond all of my expectations. I did this in Asheville and the countryside was so beautiful as seen from 5,500 feet above ground! I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I've also been working on packing up portions of my house. I put my house up for sale but am not certain I'm really interested in selling it. I have several reasons, but I really like knowing that no matter what happens job-wise I always have a place to come back to. And, I really love my house and Knoxville (never thought I'd say I love Knoxville...but I do). The housing market is so bad right now and I really feel I should hold onto the house until the market gets better. I started a refi the other day that will lower my house payment by $200/month. I think that I can afford my mortgage and rent in Connecticut with my new salary.

Alright, I'm off to do some writing. I've goofed off most of today and I'll probably regret that. I'll put in a couple of good work hours tonight to make up for it.

Namaste.

My Wish...

2011-01-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

And so, we come to the end of another year and we begin another. This has been a good year for me as I have worked and played hard. I met several of my 2010 intentions, but not all of them. That's okay. I fully believe it's our failures that make us persist with our goals and intentions, always striving to reach the brass ring. This year I think I will keep my intentions simple...

1. Graduate!
2. Get a job!!
3. Become physically fit!
4. Become fiscally fit!!
5. Read 30 books (this year I got to 26).

I joined Weight Watchers this past Tuesday and won't have my first weigh-in until this coming Tuesday. The leader was so funny and said I should maybe wait until next week when it was free registration. I told her I'd put on 5 pounds in that week and wanted to join today because I didn't want to have to lose those in addition to what I already have to lose. She laughed and said she totally understood.

I hope each of you reading this blog has a prosperous 2011 filled with more moments that bring you joy than sadness.

Namaste.

New Christmas Picture

2010-12-16T17:26:00.004-05:00

Loving my new picture for this year. The photographer changed the lighting just enough to tone down the white background and bring out the color of my eyes. I am very pleased with this! However, I am shocked at the number of wrinkles I have and what's with the bags under my eyes??

Bad, Bad Life!

2010-11-28T20:10:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry. So sorry. I am a bad, bad blogger. Life has just gotten in the way. Bad life! All the cleaning, cooking, working, and playing has just taken me away from my time here. Oh, and let's not forget the traveling! (Really, I'm teasing...I have loved every moment of the past few months.)

At the end of October I was really busy. I took off two weeks from school and did a bit of traveling. First I went to Disney World with my boys and the rest of my family. It was the only time that all of us would be able to get together this year so we went for it. The picture above is one of the few of the boys and I together. Not sure how that happened. Hmpf. Anyway, here we are in front of Epcot. Love this picture! I love it when they look like they're protecting their Mom!

After returning a day early from that trip (grumble...grumble) I headed back out the next morning for Denver. I was attending the Geological Society of America meeting there for five days. Fun but tiring...and I'd rather have spent the extra day with my boys.

While at GSA I interviewed with one college for a possible faculty position. I really liked the interviewer and I just get this feeling that I'd like the college as well. It's exactly what I'm looking for, or at least that's my impression. Keep your fingers crossed. I really want a job.

November passed quickly. It was like a blink of an eye. But, I did manage to submit a paper to the journal Palaios. Hopefully it will come back from the reviewers without too many necessary revisions.

As I enter December I am looking forward to having a month off to just write, write, write. I have set a goal for myself to have at least one draft of my second paper (and the second chapter of my dissertation) to my advisor by Christmas. (For those that don't know the in's and out's of a geology PhD dissertation, you have to write three papers that are to be submitted to journals. At least one must be published before graduation to fulfill the requirements.) Anyway, all 3 must be written and ready to go by April. I must defend my dissertation no later than April 8th. Not a lot of time but I can do it!

This post is long enough now. More later.

Abbey Road!

2010-10-11T17:05:00.003-05:00

Here I am at the famous zebra-striped crosswalk where the Beatles crossed for the cover of Abbey Road. The crowd you see behind me stands in front of the Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles recorded the album. This is a DANGEROUS intersection as there is no stop sign/light to stop the traffic. Several people were almost hit because the traffic was moving along quickly and the pedestrians were being idiots. Anyway, I had to wait for about 10 minutes until it was my turn as many people were trying to get their photos and had no idea there was a que.

And here I am....crossing the road!

These white posts in front of the Abbey Road Studios are covered in graffiti. I took pictures of a lot of it but I liked this post the best.

Where she walked...

2010-10-10T19:40:00.003-05:00

This picture is of me standing in front of the gates to Kensington Palace. If you don't know why this place is very special to me...then read on.

If you know me then you know of my love for Princess Diana. When in London I wanted to visit Kensington Palace, her London residence. The picture above is of my feet in the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain. The water was ice cold! There was a sign that spoke of the design for the fountain - there were rough spots and smooth spots, much like the life of the Princess. It said that she would love knowing that you had taken off your shoes and put your feet in...so I did.

This is me in front of the gardens of Kensington Palace. Princess Diana used to sun herself in these gardens and she used them often to go outside and let go of whatever issues were coming up in her life. I love knowing that I likely walked on a point of the earth where she's been.

This memorial is in Harrod's. I do not think that Princess Diana was interested in Dodi as more than just a fling. An "engagement ring" is at this memorial in plexiglas. I refuse to believe it. She would have lost custody of her children and she would never have let that happen.

I love cookies...

2010-10-09T07:42:00.003-05:00

I saw these this morning and just had to share. They are absolutely adorable!! These would have been so cute when my kids were in school and I was room mom. Click here for the directions...

Hmm...

2010-10-08T08:20:00.001-05:00

I've always teased my sister Roxanne that she's adopted. But after seeing this photo I'm thinking maybe I'm really the adopted one!!

Europe, continued...

2010-10-07T15:24:00.002-05:00

One of my favorite things in London was taking the Jack-the-Ripper tour. I found out so many interesting things! The picture above is the Ten Bells Pub. The Ten Bells is a Victorian public House on the East End of London. It is notable for its association with two victims of Jack the Ripper, Annie Chapman and Mary Kelly.

Between 1976 and 1988, the public house was named The Jack the Ripper, and memorabilia relating to the case was displayed in the bars. The brewery ordered the change back to its original name after a long campaign demanded that a murderer of women should not be commemorated in such a fashion.

This is a picture of Phillip Hutchinson. He was our tour-guide and has written several books on the subject. He was fascinating!

This is a building by the Ten Bells Pub. Quite phallic, isn't it?

Field work in Cincinnati...

2010-09-22T18:24:00.002-05:00

I spent a week in Cincinnati doing my summer field work. I thought we were going to die! The temperatures were hovering around 112 degrees in the shade! There were several times I nearly passed out from the heat and dehydration. Thank goodness I'd thought to pack a cooler filled with tons of water and ice. The picture below shows you how hot it was...you can see it in my face.

Here I am, down on the ground doing my thing. The pink dots are the locations of the organisms I study. They are marine organisms related to modern day starfish. I'm trying to figure out how they utilized the substrate. Just an FYI, but approximately 400 million years ago Cincinnati was ocean. The ground that I'm laying on is 400 million year old ocean floor.

Yep, geology is way too cool!!

I am the worst blogger ever!

2010-09-20T19:55:00.004-05:00

I have been really busy lately trying to get my manuscript done and submitted to Palaios Journal. It's a requirement for graduation. The PhD Hooding Ceremony is May 12, 2011 and I have to have my dissertation defended by April.

I have also been trying to put out job applications. So far I have four out there. There will be more.

I also took some time to scrapbook my trip to England/France and enter the scrapbooks in the Tennessee Valley Fair. I won three blue ribbons!!

I'll try to keep up with the blog more. I still have some great photos to share from my trip as well as my field work in Cincinnati. Stay tuned!

Westminster Abbey and The Globe!

2010-07-31T19:26:00.003-05:00

Our first stop of the day was at Westminster Abbey. This place is absolutely amazing! I have no idea how they have buried so many important people in such a small place but I have heard that many are buried standing upright in their graves. We found some famous graves that we were hoping to see, such as Charles Darwin, Charles Lyell (the father of modern geology), and too many kings and queens to keep track of. We also saw the coronoation throne. It is currently being restored. I fear it is because they are anticipating the passing of Queen Elizabeth and will need to use it for Charles. This is me in front of the main doors.

Later that evening we went to the Globe Theater and watched the Shakespeare play, King Henry VIII. I should say I watched HALF of the play. After spending all day on my feet I could not stand any more during the play (we had purchased the standing entrance and had no place to sit). The first half was great though! Man, I love this picture of me! That's Mike and Megan behind me.

After the play was over we headed back to the hotels. Isn't this a lovely view of St. Paul's Cathedral?

And for those that know me and my love for all things Princess Diana...she was married at St. Paul's Cathedral!

More tomorrow...

Day ? - Ode to Harry Potter...

2010-07-27T19:44:00.005-05:00

For those that don't know, I am a fan of Harry Potter. I'm not the type of fan that memorizes lines or dresses up like the characters (although I have been known to stand in the lines to get my new book at the midnight release where I also made magic wands out of sticks and glitter). So when I went to London I had to go find Platform 9 3/4 at Kings Cross Station because that's where Harry Potter gets on the Hogwart's Express, the steam train that takes the students to Hogwarts. Here I am making my way into Platform 9 3/4...my luggage is already through the wall!

Below is a picture of where they filmed Diagon Alley. Diagon Alley is where Hagrid first takes Harry to buy all of his required items for school, including his wand, his books, and of course his owl, Hedgwig. We looked for the bar they filmed The Leaky Cauldron in but could not find it. *sigh* Would have loved to have gone for a butter beer.

Finally, trying to get into the Ministry of Magic. You have to enter this phone booth and dial the secret number (spells MAGIC on the keypad) while holding the phone in the air. The Ministry of Magic operator will come on and ask who you are trying to see. I was heading in to see Percy Weasley.

Great fun on this little side jaunt. Will share more tomorrow!

Day 5 - My Favorite Castle!

2010-07-25T06:38:00.002-05:00

Back to one of my most favorite places on Earth. I have visited Bodiam Castle the last three times I've been to England. It is a magnificent Medieval castle in East Sussex that was built during the 14th century. It has four beautiful rounded turrets on each corner, a moat, and drawbridge. Enjoy the pictures...

Love, love, LOVE it here! More tomorrow...

Europe Day 3 & 4

2010-07-24T10:15:00.003-05:00

Got busy this week with preparing my manuscript and didn't get a chance to update my blog. Sorry about that!

So day three was a travel day where we made our way from Dover to Farthingstone. My good friend Rhiannon was getting married and I was so excited to be invited. The day we arrived was the day of the hen party and all of the girls (including Mike) got baby blue cowboy hats with tiaras on them along with a sash that said "Rhiannon's Hen Party". It was great fun as we started the event at a local salon where there were manicures, pedicures, and massages. Here's me in my hat!

Rhiannon's parents home is absolutely lovely and they have a magnificent garden in the backyard. I tried to take many pictures of it. It has a multitude of vegetables growing, including tomatoes, potatoes, leeks, garlic, and peas. I realized I'd never seen a potato or garlic growing before.

Day four was the wedding. It was held in this tiny church in the village of Farthingstone (180 people, one church, and one pub). The wedding was absolutely beautiful. The bride and groom both looked magnificent and so very happy. Here's a great picture of us! It's one of my favorite photos from the entire trip.

That's all for today...more tomorrow, including a visit to one of my most favorite places on earth!

Europe Day 2 1/2 and 3: Dinner on the Seine & The Louvre!

2010-07-11T09:08:00.003-05:00

I decided to take one of the dinner cruises along the Seine. I had heard they were fabulous and I was not disappointed. For one person I was given a full bottle of champagne, a full bottle of white wine (my choice), appetizers, dinner, dessert and the cruise. I loved the cruise and although expensive would highly recommend it to everyone.

The next morning we headed to the Louvre! I love this picture of me in front of the famous pyramid and fountain.

How could you go to the Louvre and not see the Mona Lisa?? There she is, right behind me in the photo. The Louvre is huge. I think it would take at least 3-4 days to go through and see everything. There really is that much stuff there. I also saw the Venus de Milo...absolutely stunningly beautiful!

More tomorrow!

Europe Day Two: The Chunnel & Paris!

2010-07-10T07:05:00.003-05:00

We decided that we'd take the Chunnel to get to France rather than taking a ferry because it was a bit faster. The Chunnel is really an interesting ride. You pull your car into a two-level train (think double decker bus kind of thing) with 4 cars per train car. They then seal you into your train car but you can get out and walk around. The ride takes about 35 minutes and you actually ride below the waters of the English Channel to Calais, France. Here's a look at what it looks like inside your sealed train car.

Once we got to France it took about 4.5 hours to get to Paris because the A1 (the major highway to Paris) was closed in Calais for road work. I thought we'd never get there but we finally did. Mike drove around the Arc de Triomphe and I swore we were all going to die! European drivers are insane!! Here's a view from the top of the Eiffel Tower. The green area in the photo had been set up so that people could watch the World Cup on a huge TV screen. When a goal was scored the crowd erupted in cheers!

And here's a good picture of me in front of the Eiffel Tower. This one is going on my travel wall.

The Eiffel Tower is huge!! It is much larger than I expected. It takes two elevators to get to the top. The first elevator goes at an angle up one of the legs. The second elevator goes straight up the center part of the tower. It was kind of scary going up, in fact, I couldn't look out as we were going up but once we got to the top and out of the elevator I was fine.

More tomorrow...

Europe Day One: The White Cliffs of Dover!!

2010-07-09T18:58:00.006-05:00

I returned just the other day from spending 15 glorious days in England and France. All together there were 953 pictures taken. I'm so happy to share a few of them with you here. First off, let me introduce you to the cast of characters that I hung out with. This first picture is overlooking the English Channel. We are staring at the White Cliffs of Dover with the channel in the background. From left to right we have: Will, his new wife Megan, Mike, and me. Will is my office buddy and is studying blastoids. Megan is a planetary type meaning she studies stuff in outer space...I feel stupid right now because I am not sure what her research is on but I'm thinking either Mars or asteroids. Mike is a minerals kind of guy. He is doing wacky experiments with olivine and dolomite. And then there's me...studying my little edrioasteroids and trying to understand their paleoecology.

Here we have Dover Castle. This castle was used as a safeguard against those who would come in from the sea. It is an amazingly beautiful place inside. It was up on the hill behind our B&B. I visited this castle many years ago on one of my first visits to England.

And here's me, standing at the base of the White Cliffs. Now, for those that don't know what the cliffs are made of, think teeny-tiny-itty-bitty fossils. Yes, fossils! These guys that make up the chalk are so small that you have to use one of those special SEM microscopes to see what they look like. The number of these fossils that it took to make the cliffs is just astronomical. I can't even imagine what the number would look like.

The cliffs were truly amazing and I took some samples for my collection. I also happen to love this picture of me. Mike took it and I think he did a great job! It's so good, in fact, that it's one that I printed out to add to my travel wall.

More tomorrow!!

Synchronized Fireflies

2010-06-12T17:32:00.001-05:00

I've been really busy the past couple of weeks getting ready for my trip. I took a break last night and headed to the Smoky Mountains, Elkmont Campground specifically, to watch the synchronized fireflies. Approximately two weeks per year, in June, this phenomenon occurs. Synchronized fireflies are only found in this specific campground and in Asia. Scientists still don't understand why they synch up though and only a couple of species do it. The synchronization went in waves, like the ocean. For a short period of time the wave would come from the left. Then they would completely synch up and then a few moments later the wave would come from the right. I've never seen anything like it.

The video here is not one that I took but it was taken in the same campground as I was in last night. I tried to take a movie with my camera but you are unable to see the synchronization.

Nature absolutely amazes me with its beauty.

I must remember this...

2010-05-20T19:54:00.003-05:00

You won't realize the distance you've walked until you take a look around and realize how far you've been. ~Unknown

Is it in the air? the water? or both?

2010-05-19T10:03:00.002-05:00

This has been a rough year. There has been a lot of down days with the changes in the economy and such. But another thing that has been concerning me is the frequency with which people I know have been getting sick...people who were seemingly healthy beforehand. In March I was diagnosed with a blood clot in my leg, yet up until that point I'd been healthy. Now, within the past two weeks two of my friends have become gravely ill. It's just odd to me that this seems like a pattern.

I've never been the type to send flowers when someone is ill. Flowers die and/or you have to cart them home from the hospital. So instead I make small packages for friends with little tokens that might make them smile. My mom always bought us a new coloring book and crayons when we got sick so that is always the essential part of my get well kit, no matter what your age! I also like to add in a word search book and new pen along with a box or two of candy like Mike & Ike's or Boston Baked Beans. It just makes folks smile.

One of my friends locally has had to go into the hospital and his dog, Lucy, has had to go stay with relatives far away. I know that he misses his dear Lucy so much so I made this little scrapbook to help him be closer to her. It was simple and only took about 2 hours. Sometimes it's the little things that mean so much.

Puttin' the Creep in the Creeper Trail...

2010-05-16T18:42:00.005-05:00

Two weeks ago my group of friends decided to ride the Virginia Creeper trail. This is a 17 mile bikeride downhill almost all of the way. There are no sections where you are going uphill but a couple where you are riding nearly flat. Below is my group of friends. From left to right: Miles, Victoria, Me, Mike, Paul, and Jackie.

The ride was great! We laughed and joked the whole way. Once I even fell off my bike while trying to get ON my bike. I was laughing so hard I couldn't even stand up. The trail is supposed to take about 3 1/2 hours to ride but we took nearly 5 1/2 hours because of all of our antics.

That's me....ridin' the trail....wheeee!!!!

We're going to go back in October when the leaves are changing colors...can't wait!

The Guilt Cake...

2010-05-04T14:30:00.002-05:00

One of my students wrote to the head professor for the course the other day because he didn't feel a quiz was fair. The quiz asked 2 questions...."who was your favorite TA?" and "did you like this class?" We thought it would be an easy 100% on the quiz. He felt it was not fair. Um....okay. So we removed the quiz and the grades the students had been awarded (all 100% by the way). Later the young man felt guilty for having written to the head professor and sent me an email that he owed me a guilt cake. I joked back with him and said "mmmm...chocolate." The next day I came into my office to find the following note and a cake (most of which the TA's had eaten by the time I took the picture).

Frank, it was delicious!! Apology accepted!!

I heart Kathy Griffin!!

2010-05-02T08:12:00.003-05:00

Mike and I went to see Kathy Griffin last night at the Tennessee Theater in downtown Knoxville. Oh my goodness does this lady deliver a show!! I am hopelessly addicted to her "My Life on the D-List" show on Bravo and had been watching her website waiting for her to come to Knoxville. We heard the show was being taped for Bravo TV...and it was confirmed when we saw this....

So the show on Bravo is going to air on June 8th. Mike and I were sitting in the 8th row in the center of the theater and Mike said he saw the cameras trained in our general direction most of the night. I think I'm going to have a small party here at the house on June 8th to celebrate and see if we're on TV.

We weren't allowed to take pictures during the show, but you know that didn't *really* stop me. I didn't take pictures during the show but at the end when she came back on stage for a second bow I had to snap a picture. I'm short, those in front of me are tall, but I still got a pretty good picture of her.

I just love her. I only wish I'd had the opportunity to meet her. Mike and I stalked the back of the theater for about 30 minutes hoping to catch a glimpse of her, maybe get a photo taken, etc. Alas, it was not to be. Kathy, thanks for coming to Knoxville and giving a superb show at the corner of "Church and Gay!" Love, love you girl!!

That darn Jamie Oliver!!

2010-04-27T10:35:00.003-05:00

Honor and I are going to weigh 11 billionty pounds because of that darn Jamie Oliver!! A few posts back I mentioned that I was going to try to adopt a healthier lifestyle with my food, using fresh ingredients and making things from scratch because then I know what goes into the food (lest we have one of those obscenely gross chicken nuggets). But one thing I had not tackled until today was bread. Because seriously, bread seems to overwhelming. NOT SO! I borrowed this book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day and OH MY GAWD is this bread easy and delicious!! I only made half a batch of the dough in case it was terrible but that will change as of today.

The recipe is really simple. You just mix 5 things together, let the dough rise for 2 hours, and then stick it all in the refridgerator until you bake it. I used a one gallon plastic pitcher to hold my dough in because you want something that will allow the yeast to give off the yeast gases. The best part of this process is that you can break off small hunks at a time and just leave the rest in the fridge for up to 14 days...voila, fresh bread straight from the oven anytime you want it!! Remove blob of dough from fridge, let it rise for 40 minutes then bake for 30...as simple as that! Oh, and did I mention there is absolutely NO KNEADING!!! I don't want to have to exercise for my food, ya know?

The loaf above is my first attempt and although it looks really weird it is unbelievably delicious! The crust was crispy/crunchy and the inside was perfectly baked.

Jamie Oliver is going to have to pay for this!! *munch**munch**munch*

Spring planting...

2010-04-11T15:21:00.005-05:00

I love spring..seriously. Today I started some of my planting and am hoping for some good rewards come this summer. I am trying to start a couple of plants from seed...both jalapeno and tomatillo. The little box below is my seed starter box. I went to Ace Hardware this morning and they wanted $7 for this thin plastic seed starter thing. Pfft...so I took one of the dollar store shoe boxes and turned it upside down. In the lid (which is now the bottom) I put in soil and the seeds. Then I watered it and put the bottom (now the top) on top. It holds in the moisture and lets in the sun. I'm hoping it works!

Mmmm...my favorite herbs....cilantro and basil....

Here's the row of plant pots behind my house. In addition to the herbs I have planted two types of heirloom tomatoes. I still need to get cherry tomato plants but they didn't have them this morning.

Ah...my little Honor girl keeping watch over the neighborhood...

I love this picture of her. She sat down for a moment next to me and I was able to snap this one of her.

Now I think I'll go outside and just sit and read. I'm trying to finish Harry Potter book 4. I really have a ton of other books I want to read lately so I need to get through the HP ones.

Showing on April 12th...

2010-04-05T11:59:00.003-05:00

Oh, I am seriously going to have to watch this one!!

Dinos roar at the ROM...

2010-03-31T20:31:00.003-05:00

I had so much fun doing this cute little book. My mom bought me the background paper (Abbey Road) and I purchased the dino book from a company out of Australia whose name escapes me right now. This book holds some of the pictures I took in the dinosaur hall at the Royal Ontario Museum. It's just too cute for words!

The Alaska Book...

2010-03-30T19:39:00.003-05:00

I've been doing some scrapbooking at night and finally finished my Alaska scrapbook! Although I didn't scrap the 1,879 pictures that I took, I still scrapped nearly 200. I have looked through it about 10 times already. I really love the layout of the book. Below is just a glimpse of one of the Deadliest Catch pages.

This is one of my most favorite things ever. Roxanne took screenshots from the Vancouver webcam as the ship pulled out of port. She put commentary to each of the pictures. I printed out each picture and put her commentary at the front. I cried like a baby when I put this page together because the pictures are absolutely priceless!!

I'm working on another fun project right now. I'll try to get it posted within a day or so.

Sopa de Lima...

2010-03-28T08:59:00.004-05:00

Delicious!
Fresh!
Healthy!
Easy!
Satisfying!
Aromatic!
Highly Recommend!

Just look at the fresh veggies. My changes to the recipe include not adding the avocado because I don't like avocado and I baked, rather than deep fried, the tortilla strips. I simply sliced them into strips, coated lightly with olive oil and salt and baked until crisp at 350 degrees. I will definitely make this again.

Revolution Participation...

2010-03-27T15:35:00.006-05:00

For several months now I have been on my own personal crusade to stop eating processed food. Instead, I want to make my own from scratch and use fresh ingredients. Now don't get me wrong. I am not going to learn how to ferment my own soybeans to get soy sauce nor am I going to start raising chickens and cows! Instead, it's about adopting a simpler, healthier life. If weight loss occurs then great! But, it's not about that.

I am so excited that Jamie Oliver (one of my fav chefs) has a new show on ABC called "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." Basically he goes into schools and reinvents the school menu to include fresh foods rather than reheated frozen processed foods. Trust me, if you watch episode 2 and how the chicken nuggets are made you will NEVER eat them again.

The other day I made my own pizza dough and baked my own pizza using fresh toppings. The dough was so easy and I love knowing every single ingredient that went into the pizza. There were no mystery ingredients like you find in the ingredients list on most pre-made pizza crusts.

Today I made (for the first time ever) one of my most favorite desserts from scratch...tapioca pudding! Seriously, who knew it was so easy and only took 5 ingredients. I'll never buy that pre-made stuff again. Here's what it looked like before I put it in the fridge. Don't you just love it in the margarita glasses?

Tonight I am making a mexican soup called Sopa de Lima (recipe here). It's all fresh and I am excited.

I have posted a button at the top of my blog asking you to sign the petition to bring healthier foods into our schools. I think our children's health is a worthy cause that I don't mind putting my name to. Or, you can click here. Please join me.

Working at the ROM...

2010-03-13T08:05:00.002-05:00

Working at the Royal Ontario Museum was wonderful! I still can't believe that I'm a scientist and actually get to to work in the back areas of the museums. Below is a picture of the outside of the museum. The original parts of the museum are the old stonework one would expect. Apparently the museum wanted to make some additions. The person who came up with this design was sitting across the street eating lunch when he had an ah-ha moment and penciled a sketch of the design you see below onto the back of a napkin. It looks really out of place to me but I like the older stonework look to a museum front.

Although it looks a little odd outside, inside it's a good space and provides ample room for my favorite dinosaurs, the sauropods. Sauropods are the big lumbering plant eaters. Think brontosaurus...

And who could leave a museum without taking a picture of the menacing T-Rex?? Here he is, in all his scary goodness...

It was a great visit and I was treated so wonderfully by the staff. I just can't thank them enough for all they did for me.

Toronto!

2010-03-12T18:10:00.003-05:00

Last week I went to Toronto to do some work at the Royal Ontario Museum. I will write more about that tomorrow and include some pictures from there. But first I wanted to share some of my pictures from Niagara Falls. Yep, I finally got to go and I was able to cross TWO things off my bucket list. The first thing....taking a ride in a helicopter!! The picture below is from the helicopter ride over the falls. I am totally hooked on helicopters now! This gives you such a different perspective on Niagara Falls. Isn't it gorgeous?? Oh, and that "cloud" isn't a cloud...it's the spray from the falls.

After we landed we got back on the tour bus and headed to the falls. I was able to grab a couple of college students to take my picture. They did a great job. This picture will go on my travel wall. Truly, I am excited!!

This is a picture I took near the edge of the falls. You are right next to it when you go. I figured they'd probably keep you back a bit but you can get very close. The power behind these falls is just amazing. And I have to say that anyone that decides they "might" be able to make it over these falls alive in a barrel needs to have their head checked!

More pictures from the museum tomorrow...I just really wanted to share these with you. Niagara Falls is amazing...truly!

What I did while the Olympics were on...

2010-03-02T18:09:00.002-05:00

Five weeks ago I started a knitting class. I made a basic scarf and I learned how to knit on circular needles! I made this cap...it's purple and is so comfortable. I have definitely caught the knitting bug and am eager to start some new projects. But...one has to wait for payday to get some more yarn (because I like the expensive stuff).

So in the meantime I finished crocheting two of these washclothes. Every time I make these I think of Gramma Floyd. She was my ex-husband's grandmother and I think she was the only one in the family that ever really liked me. She passed away several years ago but there are times I know she's hanging around...especially when I'm making no-bake cookies. While she was alive I never had a batch of those darn things set up correctly. Since she has passed I've never had a batch fail. I often think she visits on the days I make them and passes on her expertise. I always openly say "Thank you, Gramma" when I'm making them because I know she can hear me.

I also picked up this old, old cross stitch again. I haven't touched it for 10+ years but it is on my bucket list to finish. It will be done before summer....trust me! The pattern has a Gramma's Fan quilt on it. That's my favorite quilt pattern.

I've also been working on a few of these...they are temari balls and I want to display them in my house in a large ginger jar type vessel.

And today, because I finished the presentation I was working on, I put together this roll for my knitting needles. I purchased the fabric over a year ago for an event I was going to but never used it. It worked out perfectly for this! The colors are so me. I found a pattern online. It took me about 4 hours to complete. It would have taken less time but my sewing machine kept messing up. At one point I yelled at it to remind it that it could be replaced! Anyway, you can find the directions here. Can I also say that for someone who doesn't know how to sew (except for the hem on a pair of pants) that I did a pretty darn good job of keeping things straight?

Doesn't it look cute all rolled up?? I really liked this project. It would make a cute present for someone who enjoys knitting or crocheting.

So that's been my past couple of weeks. Both my fingers and my mind have been busy, busy, busy.

Every Friday at the Pentagon...

2010-02-12T12:32:00.006-05:00

It is 110 yards from the "E" ring to the "A" ring of the Pentagon. This section of the Pentagon is newly renovated; the floors shine, the hallway is broad, and the lighting is bright. At this instant the entire length of the corridor is packed with officers, a few sergeants and some civilians, all crammed tightly three and four deep against the walls. There are thousands here.

This hallway, more than any other, is the 'Army' hallway. The G3 offices line one side, G2 the other, G8 is around the corner. All Army. Moderate conversations flow in a low buzz. Friends who may not have seen each other for a few weeks, or a few years, spot each other, cross the way and renew. Everyone shifts to ensure an open path remains down the center. The air conditioning system was not designed for this press of bodies in this area. The temperature is rising already. Nobody cares.

10:36 hours: The clapping starts at the E-Ring. That is the outermost of the five rings of the Pentagon and it is closest to the entrance to the building. This clapping is low, sustained, hearty. It is applause with a deep emotion behind it as it moves forward in a wave down the length of the hallway.

A steady rolling wave of sound it is, moving at the pace of the soldier in the wheelchair who marks the forward edge with his presence. He is the first. He is missing the greater part of one leg, and some of his wounds are still suppurating. By his age I expect that he is a private, or perhaps a private first class.

Captains, majors, lieutenant colonels and colonels meet his gaze and nod as they applaud, soldier to soldier. Three years ago when I described one of these events, those lining the hallways were somewhat different. The applause a little wilder, perhaps in private guilt for not having shared in the burden ... yet.

Now almost everyone lining the hallway is, like the man in the wheelchair, also a combat veteran. This steadies the applause, but I think deepens the sentiment. We have all been there now. The soldier's chair is pushed by, I believe, a full colonel.

Behind him, and stretching the length from Rings E to A, come more of his peers, each private, corporal, or sergeant assisted as need be by a field grade officer.

11:00 hours: Twenty-four minutes of steady applause. My hands hurt, and I laugh to myself at how stupid that sounds in my own head. `My hands hurt.' Christ. Shut up and clap. For twenty-four minutes, soldier after soldier has come down this hallway - 20, 25, 30. Fifty-three legs come with them, and perhaps only 52 hands or arms, but down this hall came 30 solid hearts.

They pass down this corridor of officers and applause, and then meet for a private lunch, at which they are the guests of honor, hosted by the generals. Some are wheeled along. Some insist upon getting out of their chairs, to march as best they can with their chin held up, down this hallway, through this most unique audience. Some are catching handshakes and smiling like a politician at a Fourth of July parade. More than a couple of them seem amazed and are smiling shyly.

There are families with them as well: the 18-year-old war-bride pushing her 19-year-old husband's wheelchair and not quite understanding why her husband is so affected by this, the boy she grew up with, now a man, who had never shed a tear is crying; the older immigrant Latino parents who have, perhaps more than their wounded mid-20s son, an appreciation for the emotion given on their son's behalf. No man in that hallway, walking or clapping, is ashamed by the silent tears on more than a few cheeks. An Airborne Ranger wipes his eyes only to better see. A couple of the officers in this crowd have themselves been a part of this parade in the past.

These are our men, broken in body they may be, but they are our brothers, and we welcome them home. This parade has gone on, every single Friday, all year long, for more than four years. Did you know that? The media hasn't told the story.

**This was written by Army Lt. Col. Robert Bateman, who recently completed a year tour of duty in Iraq and is now back at the Pentagon.**

Rest In Peace...

2010-02-10T06:27:00.003-05:00

The website for the Cornelia Marie posted today that Captain Phil Harris has passed away. He was one of my favorite people on the show, Deadliest Catch. Richard and I are huge fans of this show and even went on a Deadliest Catch tour when we went to Alaska.

Sail on, Captain Phil....we will keep you and the crew of the Cornelia Marie in our thoughts and prayers...

I see potholders and scarves in your future...

2010-02-02T08:17:00.003-05:00

Last night was my first knitting class and I had such a great time! The picture above is the beginning of a scarf that I am making for myself because I know there will be terrible mess-ups and I couldn't give that away. But beware, I see how this hobby could be addicting and relaxing. Not only that, think of the yarn shopping possibilities!

There are 7 other ladies taking the class with me. Not one of us had ever knitted a stitch in their lives so it was quite funny trying to (literally) get our hands and heads wrapped around the yarn and needles. That poor teacher was so patient! Last night we learned how to cast on and do the garter or knit stitch. Next week we will learn how to perl. Apparently anything and everything you want to make is a combo of these two stitches.

It's my goal to try to get this scarf done before we get back to class next week because I'd like to start a new scarf incorporating both knit and perl.

Don't be surprised if sometime, somewhere, some random package arrives and there are either potholders or a scarf inside. You'll know it came from the "mad knitter".......hahahahahaha

What I'd Like to See First Thing Every Morning...

2010-01-25T17:41:00.000-05:00

Star Trek vs. Star Wars Hockey Night...

2010-01-24T19:50:00.002-05:00

Went to the Knoxville Ice Bears hockey game a couple of weeks ago and sat on the ice. Let me tell you, there is nothing like sitting on the ice and having the opportunity to bang on the glass and be RIGHT NEXT TO a fight when it's happening! Twelve of us went to this game and had a great time. It was Star Wars vs. Star Trek night and the picture above shows you who I ran into on my way into the rink. It was absolutely, positively, most definitely way too much fun!! I got some really great pictures including the one below. I love how the light is shining down over Darth Vader as he drops the puck to open the game!

Motivation and Happiness...

2010-01-18T13:05:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time since my last post. I've been very busy lately getting together with friends for things like game night, watching the Knoxville IceBears play hockey (pictures coming soon), and playing cribbage. It has been absolutely fabulous to hang out with this great group of friends. I couldn't ask for anything better!

There are so many terrible things going on in the world today - too many, in fact, to list. So much negativity seems to really get me down a bit. Not only that but I'm feeling somewhat overwhelmed at school and seriously lacking some motivation. I think much of that has to do with the crappy weather we've had lately as well.

Me + bitter cold = unhappy girl!

It's a beautiful day here today. Temps are in the 50's and it's sunny. I think I'm going to go outside for a little bit and just sit in the sun. That will help to keep me positive!

2010 Intentions...

2009-12-31T10:57:00.002-05:00

Wow...it's amazing how quickly 2009 went by. I didn't fare well in completing my 2009 intentions so I thought I would try again with new, improved 2010 intentions. Some are simple and some are quite complicated. I'm going to try my best to accomplish them. As always there are eight. Here they are...

1. Take 2 days per month to scrapbook.

2. To complete my 2009 scrapbook album as I simultaneously work on my 2010 album so I stay up to date.

3. To re-read the Harry Potter series.

4. To read 6 other books.

5. To get into shape by working out 3x per week, incorporating both aerobics and weights.

6. To rediscover my spirituality. I don't mean religion but instead the inner workings of who I am and who I want to be.

7. To figure out how to prioritize things in my life.

8. To live up to my own standards instead of the standards that so many seem to have set for me.

Happy December...

2009-12-03T18:01:00.002-05:00

Picture taken for a December scrapbook I am making...

Saturday...

2009-11-21T18:16:00.004-05:00

Went geocaching this morning for the first time in almost a year. I really enjoy it so not sure why I don't do it more often...anyway...left Honor at home because sometimes she just drags me around and I can't seem to find what I'm looking for! I found 6 caches this morning...YAY! There was one micro cache that I just could not find...I even went back again this evening to try to find it but still no luck...grrr. I emailed the cache owner for another hint.

I'm trying to incorporate more things into my life that don't cost money and keep me busy. Geocaching is one of those things. I've got a few more caches logged into my GPS and will head out again in the morning.

On this Veteran's Day...

2009-11-11T11:05:00.004-05:00

see more dog and puppy pictures

Finally...

2009-10-31T10:32:00.002-05:00

This picture was taken in Portland, Oregon during my recent visit. I am standing at the World's Smallest Park (as designated by the Guiness world record folks). It is called Mill's End Park and it has a 24 inch diameter. It used to be a utility pole circle. When the pole fell down a guy who worked in the bank that over looked it had it declared a park. He claimed a leprecaun lived there and watched over it...and that the same leprecaun held parties there (do I hear CRAZY MAN being whispered out there?) Anyway, don't you love the little tree??

Sorry it took so long to get a picture posted. When I got home from Portland I put my camera card into the reader and the reader burned up! Seriously!! Luckily I was able to pull my card out before any damage occurred to it but I had to buy a new reader and wait for it to arrive. I like the new one much better!

More pics to follow...now back to working on my paper...

Portland, Baby!

2009-10-17T17:20:00.003-05:00

Arrived in Portland, Oregon yesterday for the annual Geological Society of America meeting. We flew in right over Mt. Hood, and when we did, my heart got very happy. It was beautiful and covered in snow, just like in the picture above. I miss the west coast of the USA and would love to really explore this area more. Who knows where teaching jobs will take me....

The hotel is nice but nothing spectacular. I am at the Embassy Suites. Last night for dinner I went to a small restaurant called "Mother's Bistro and Bar" and had the most amazing macaroni and cheese I have ever had in my life! Okay, so it wasn't your typical Kraft stuff (which I love, by the way), instead this was homemade egg fettuchine with first-of-the-season chanterelle mushrooms and parmesano-reggiano cheese. Oh. My. God. It was so rich I couldn't even finish a quarter of it. At the end of the meal they brought my check and two little cookies. The first was a chocolate chip peanut butter cookie and it melted in your mouth. The second, my absolute favorite, was a gingersnap type cookie with crystallized ginger baked in. Let me just say that I could eat enough of those cookies to fill the UT stadium! Unbelievable!

Right now I am sitting across from two friends from UNCW. I have missed Christy (one of the original Paleogirls) so much and it is great to be sitting here with her. We talk about so much more than grad school! Everyone is working dilligently on their talks while I am goofing off and writing this blog post.

2009-09-24T13:21:00.002-05:00

I am suffering from a bad case of writer's block. I am trying to work on a small part of a chapter of a memoir that is going to be coming out about edrioasteroids and I simply can't seem to find the groove that I need to get the writing done. I don't know what it is but I seriously am lacking motivation for the project today. I have been struggling with this for the past couple of weeks and have been taking care of other projects instead (like my talk for GSA). But the truth is, this project is due by the end of next month and I still have to get it to a few people before then for review.

Why do we get writer's block and what is the cure???

Best of Show!

2009-09-14T19:24:00.003-05:00

Last week I dropped off 3 scrapbooks at the Tennessee Valley Fair for judging. If you remember from last year, it was one of the items on my bucket list to win a blue ribbon in the fair. I did not know however that there was a ribbon for Best of Show. And....it's PURPLE!! Guess who won it this year????? ME!! See......

The scrapbook that won was my December Daily book where I count down the 25 days leading up to Christmas. Basically you put in there little tidbits of things you did during the day and some other fun memories. I put pictures of Christmas ornaments, memories of the boys at Christmas, etc.

The other two blue ribbons were for the all fabric scrapbook that I put together. There is a picture of it below. It took a lot of time to sew and I doubt I'll make another one. Too much work!!

Lastly, I put together a scrapbook about the most influential people in my life. This included pages about my boys, parents, grandparents, friends, etc. I was told it was the journaling that got the attention of the judges. I'm so happy I worked on this book. It means a lot to me.

Who knows what I'll submit next year but I can guarantee that I won't be able to top the excitement from this year.

YAY ME!

2009-09-06T07:02:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I took a drive to Gatlinburg, Tennessee to see some of the sites. BIG MISTAKE!! How silly I was to think thaat most of the people in this area would be heading to the opening Volunteer football game! Nope, instead it seems as if everyone that didn't go to the football game went to Gatlinburg instead. I spent a crazy amount of time in traffic but that was okay, I finally got to make it to the Salt and Pepper Shaker Museum!! What an interesting place. This museum contains over 20,000 sets of salt and pepper shakers. I'm sharing a few of my favorites here.

Love this Beatles inspired set!

And I do love me some frogs...

How cute is this pair with their little pearl earrings?

And this one was my absolute favorite!! Love the face on the little old guy. Too precious!!

Afterwards I went to a huge jam and jelly store. This place is twice as big as my house and filled with miscellaneous jams, jellies, salsas, honey, salad dressings, and BBQ sauces. Everything in the store is made in the back-room kitchen that you can see from the cash register. It was quite a sight! I purchased a small jar of huckleberry jam. I first had huckleberries in Shell, Wyoming when I was in field course. The little store down the street used to make huckleberry pancakes and ice cream. I'm going to buy some bagels at the store this morning to have with the jam.

Today I'm working on some scrapbooking, doing laundry, and heading to the dog park. I've been doing some scrapbooking this past week and will share some of my creations in a later post.

Have a great day!

I am a paleontologist...

2009-09-03T05:31:00.001-05:00

That's who I am. that's who I am, that's who I am.

Alaska, continued...

2009-08-21T12:05:00.003-05:00

Richard went rock climbing and rapelling while we were in Alaska. Here is a really good picture of him getting ready to rapell down the side of this cliff. This was the first time he'd ever done something like this and said he had a great time and would like to go again. I applaud him for his bravery. This is almost like falling out of an airplane to me.

When we were at Mendenhall Glacier we ran into a momma bear and her two cubs. We knew she was around as we could hear her in the brush and there were tons of salmon all over the place with the skin removed (the bears eat the skin as it has the highest fat content and leave the rest). Finally after waiting patiently for what seemed like hours we were rewarded with a sighting of this beautiful mom. And yes, we really were that close...

Nothing to do but lay around on a buoy. We circled this group of sea lions for just a few minutes. They didn't seem to mind us one bit. I love how they're layered on here.

Isn't this a beautiful ammonite?? Saw this in one of the local jewelry stores in Ketchikan. I think it was $15,000. I told 'em I'd just write a check...haha

More later, I promise...

More Alaska

2009-08-20T09:01:00.003-05:00

Continuing on with pictures from Alaska....below we have one of the best pictures of Richard!! Look at the smile on this kids face!! In his hands he holds a 32 pound Alaskan King Salmon that he caught for me!! He caught 2 fish on this trip including a silver salmon. Both are cut into fillets and are in my freezer at home. Richard said this was his most favorite excursion. I would have loved to send him fishing again but we ran out of time. Have I mentioned lately how proud I am of my kids and how truly happy they make me??

This is Bryn Mawr Glacier in College Fjord. In College Fjord the glaciers on the left side of the waterway are named after women's colleges and the right side are men's colleges. Anyway, notice how the two glaciers come together and form one bigger glacier. The black line that runs down the center where the two join is called the medial moraine. As the glacier moves down the mountain it scrapes up all of the rocks, plants, dirt, etc. and transports it downward. Now, you don't see the bottom of the glacier and what it is picking up but you do see the edges of the glacier. Before the two glaciers join the dark edges with the scraped-up rocks are called the lateral moraines. But once they join two of the lateral moraines become one in the middle, hence the medial moraine. Now you have a glacer with a lateral moraine on the left and right and a medial morain down the center. And there, boys and girls, is your geology lesson for today!

This is a pod of humpback whales that are bubble feeding. Here's how it works. The pod begins to circle a school of fish (ie. herring, sardines) from below. As they circle they release bubbles from their blow holes. The bubbles scare the school of little fish and they pack even tighter into a ball. There is one "singing" whale that makes calls as they do this (we got to hear it on the hydrophone....AMAZING). As the pitch of the calls gets higher the pod moves upward but continues to circle and release bubbles. A couple of the whales rise through the center of the bubble net, open their big mouths, and eat the whole school of fish. How flippin cool is that?!?! Porpoises do this also. This pictures is shows the whales with their mouths wide open after a tasty snack. LOVE IT!!

Isn't this an amazing picture of a bald eagle? This was taken on the Deadliest Catch tour. The captain would toss a small fish into the water and the eagles would descend upon it. This eagle flew directly overhead. I was in awe and am so happy to have gotten such a great picture!!

More later....I promise...

Alaska...WOW!

2009-08-17T16:43:00.004-05:00

Alaska was amazing...truly amazing! It's difficult to put the experience into words because I think it is something that really needs to be experienced. I could not have asked for a better time and I am so happy that I was able to share the experience with Richard. If he thanked me once he thanked me a hundred times for taking him on this trip. He had a fabulous time as well and I will share more pictures of him this coming week. I took 1,841 pictures on my camera and he took 28 on his. My photos are taking a little while to get through so I'm simply posting some of my favorites here.

The picture below is my favorite photo of the whole trip. Richard took this of me standing in front of Harvard Glacier at the head of College Fjord. I had the camera set on the sports setting so he caught my scarf mid-lift. I just love that you can't see my eyes but can see that I'm smiling! This glacier calved twice while we were there. The sound was wonderful! The natives call the sound "white thunder." We could also hear the snap, crackle, and pop as the glacier moved. Harvard glacier is an advancing glacier meaning that is is continuing to grow rather than retreat.

Ah, what a cool whale tail!! Saw this while on my sea otter tour and it was totally a surprise as this whale came up alongside the ship unexpectely. I am going to send in a copy of this photo to the marine mammal database to find out about this whale. Did you know that the markings on each whale's tail are as unique as our fingerprints? True...

Richard in front of Mendenhall Glacier. We went there after a whale watching trip. We also got to see a black bear and her cubs. I'll post pictures of that later as we got some really great photos of that! The bears were ~15 feet from us. Breathtaking!

Richard and me with the crew of the Alleutian Ballad. This was the Deadliest Catch tour and I highly, HIGHLY recommend it if you go to Alaska! The crew was absolutely fabulous. For those that don't know, this boat that we were on tipped over on it's side and the crew had to be rescued during the first season of the show. It has since been restored and converted to a tour boat. Watching them bring up the crab cages was really cool. I put a picture of me with an Alaskan King Crab in my blog header.

There will be more pictures forthcoming. I just need to get through them all and figure out what I want to post. I hope this will give you just a taste of our trip. Richard and I talked about it at the end and thought if we went back we'd really like to do a land trip rather than another cruise. The cruise was great but I really would like the opportunity to do things on my time at my pace. So, I'd probably fly into Anchorage and rent a car next time to drive through different parts of Alaska and Denali National Park.

More later...I promise...

Bon Voyage...

2009-08-04T05:00:00.001-05:00

Like Little Packets of Sugar...

2009-07-30T14:36:00.000-05:00

Long time, no blog

2009-07-27T19:14:00.003-05:00

I won't lie...the written exams took everything I had last week to complete. I am not sure how I did but I figure that whether pass or fail they are done! It's not over yet, though. This week on Wednesday are my oral exams. I am very nervous and not sure I'm ready.

Last night I headed down to Market Square to see the Shakespeare in the Square presentation of A Midsummer's Night's Dream. It was very good! I seem to understand the plays more than reading the books. I get lost in the language in the books and don't enjoy them. Later this week this theater company is doing Hamlet. I'm going to go see that either Friday or Sunday. It's great...just bring your lawn chair, your dinner, and the desire to have a good time!

19 days!!!!!

2009-07-17T14:59:00.003-05:00

My pirate name is:

Captain Anne Flint

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. Like the rock flint, you're hard and sharp. But, also like flint, you're easily chipped, and sparky. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

Just a few things I love about cruising...

2009-07-12T12:29:00.007-05:00

1. Researching the cruise and what ports I'll visit.
2. Researching shore excursions.
3. Looking with eagle-eyes to see my ship as the taxi takes me from the airport to the dock. Practically crying the first time I see it (yea, I'm emotional like that).
4. Getting up close to the ship and realizing how big it is.
5. Stepping on board and being given my Sign and Sail card with a chipper "Welcome Back."
6. Seeing my cabin for the first time.
7. Heading to the Lido deck for a little lunch before we sail.
8. Climbing to the highest deck, face turned towards the sun, and inhaling the smell of the ocean as deeply as I can.
9. The sound of the steel drums announcing we will be leaving shortly.
10. My first "Drink of the Day" in a souvenier glass.
11. The rumble of the engines beneath my feet as the ship starts up. Inside I am jumping and screaming "OMG...we're leaving!!"
12. Watching over the side as the mates let the lines loose.
13. The sound of the ships horn announcing we are now underway.
14. The feel of the breeze on my face as we pull away from the dock.
15. Watching as the land fades behind the ship and all you see is open ocean.
16. The "bing-bong" of the ship's announcement system.
17. The droning voice of the Captain.
18. Turning off the cell phone and putting it into the safe, not to be touched for the next week.
19. Meeting my cabin steward and learning where he is from.
20. Grabbing my life vest and heading outside to the muster drill by my lifeboat.
21. Exploring all of the nooks and crannies on the ship.
22. Meeting my table mates at dinner for the first time. Sharing stories of our excursions on subsequent nights.
23. Towel animals!
24. Chocolate on my pillow.
25. The bed being turned down for me.
26. Reading the ships Capers (list of things going on) and highlighting what I'd like to do the next day onboard.
27. Feeling exhausted by all I do every day and having the luxury to take a nap.
28. Keeping a diary of all I do (it's the only time I keep a diary).
29. Getting dressed up for formal nights in the dining room.
30. Having 2 lobster tails for dinner!
31. Tea time on sea days.
32. Not having to pack and unpack for each port.
33. The waiters singing during dinner.
34. Sitting on deck and reading a good book while the ocean passes by.
35. Standing in the ship's atrium.
36. Being rocked to sleep each night.
37. Standing at the back of the boat at night and watching the wake.
38. Returning from a day on land and seeing the "Welcome Home" sign in the doorway of the ship as you embark.
39. Finding my pictures in the photo boards.
40. The onboard shows.

I could go on and on......seriously!

I'm addicted...seriously....

2009-07-09T17:47:00.002-05:00

Spring break, BABY!! Oh yea!!

Ahem...

2009-07-09T12:17:00.003-05:00

Exams have been set - panic has set in. The dates are:

July 20th - 24th: Written exams, one per day
July 29th: Oral Comprehensive Exam

Start saying prayers and novenas...

I have the best neighbors!

2009-06-13T17:32:00.003-05:00

About 4 weeks ago I fired the guys that mowed my lawn. They were terrible. They used the weed eater to cut down my cucumbers, mowed grass into my flower beds and the big orange bucket (that caused lots of grass to grow in places it shouldn't grow) and now find out they nearly cut through my air conditioner wires with the weed eater. I was so frustrated.

Two summers ago my neighbor did my lawn and asked me about the same time as I was firing these guys if I would be interested in having him do my lawn again. I jumped at the opportunity because this guy is awesome! Today he removed all of the weeds from my flower beds and mulched everything. Oh my goodness...I am in heaven! It looks so perfect. Now if I can only keep Honor away from the mulch...she likes to eat it for some reason (see her standing in the door wondering what I'm doing?)

Look....

OMG...isn't it to die for?? And look at the orange bucket with my herbs...

Oh my...excellent...EXCELLENT!! I am such a happy girl, you just don't even know how happy.

I can already taste them...

2009-06-11T15:45:00.003-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I planted four tomato plants. Two were cherry tomatoes and two were big-boy tomatoes. They are really coming along. LOOK...I have one cherry tomato that is ripe!! I love homegrown tomatoes. Richard will tell you that there is absolutely nothing better than a homegrown tomato sandwich, unless it's a BLT. Seriously, I love a BLT!

I should have enough tomatoes to last all summer...come on over and I'll make you a BLT or tomato sandwich...your choice!

It's been far too long....

2009-06-09T10:34:00.003-05:00

I needed a Firth-fix. My God but that man is lovely...delicious, even!

Truly, he is a very, VERY good obsession!!

This Sounds Like Fun!

2009-06-08T09:32:00.003-05:00

I love my new camera and I love taking pictures...just ask the boys and Roxanne (seriously, I think they cry a little on the inside when I say "let's take a picture.") With my new camera I am trying to learn to be more artistic in my photos and see things through different eyes. Think of the previous post, the picture with the lion, I think the technique of having the closest thing in focus and the background out of focus is awesomely cool! I also love architecture and looking at how things are built. I want photography to be a bigger hobby in my life and not just a past time. This leads me to what's behind today's post.

I was stumbling along through my normal set of blogs when I ran across information about Scott Kelby's Second-Annual Worldwide Photo Walk. Here's the premise - photographers all around the world gather in groups on a specific day (July 18th this year) and walk around together taking photos of wherever they've chosen. From that point each group chooses a "best photo" and submits it to the website. Then there's some judging that goes on (but since I'm still learning how to use my camera I figure my photo won't be chosen so why bother reading/understanding the whole contest part of it.)

I checked to see if Knoxville had a group that was going to participate and found two! So, I signed up for one. On July 18th I'll meet the group (max 50 people) at a little coffee shop and at 9:00am we'll head out to take photos of the historic Knoxville downtown. At noon we'll find a place to eat together and share photos. What I think is really cool is that you are with a group of like-minded individuals that offer you the opportunity to see how THEY saw the same exact thing as you. I think this will be an opportunity to stretch my creativity and envision things in a whole new way.

Anyway, I encourage you to sign up HERE. It's a 3 hour committment and no expensive camera is required. A simple point and shoot will work. Plus, it will get you outside for 3 hours and you may just meet someone totally great in the process.

I think it's such an interesting concept...

Day at Biltmore...

2009-06-07T07:22:00.004-05:00

I love looking at homes, especially Biltmore Estate. Richard and I used to go to all of the open houses when we lived in California. I just love to get ideas on how to decorate, etc. Anyway, Biltmore Estate is located in the hills of Asheville, NC where it is always cool and green. This is the largest home in the United States. Be assured, it is magnificent.

I met my mom and sisters last Thursday and spent the day wandering through the house and the gardens. I took a LOT of pictures, but then again, I always do (right, Roxanne?).

I love this picture of the house. Notice all of the gargoyles protecting it (see the one hanging off the side of the house over the chimney).

Two large marble lions guard the entrance to the house. I love how this picture came out. I *might* enter it into the fair.

The conservatory was filled with lillies and the air was sweet with their perfume. Notice the gungle-bee (that's what Richard used to call them) on this one.

I think the best part of the day was spending time with my mom and sisters. Family ties are really important to me. We all lead such busy lives. It was good to spend a "girls day" together. We're talking of doing this now once a month or so.

CKU-Nashville

2009-05-31T20:20:00.005-05:00

Made it home safe and sound from CKU-Nashville. Oh my - what a FAB-U-LOUS time I had!! I am hooked and can't wait to go back to the next one. Here are a few pictures that chronicle my adventures....

My first class of the day was with Margie Romney-Anslett. What a fun, fun lady! She has a great attitude and knows how to have a good time! She's starting a new kit club as well. You can check it out HERE.

Sweet, adorable Elizabeth Kartchner. She was chosen as the 2007 Scrapbooker of the Year by Creating Keepsakes Magazine. She is such a lovely person. I would love to be her friend. Her spirit and view on the world around her is simply wonderful. We all need women like this in our life. And Lizzy, if you're looking, you are amazing and I'm so happy to be your favorite scrapbooker *smile*.

Tim Holtz. What more can I say. He's an icon in the industry and I know that my meeting him has made my friend Janet so green with envy. The projects we made in his class will be treasures for me. I will take pictures and share then with you. Nice, nice man that really knows how to keep a class on track.

Teresa Collins. Look up the term "girly-girl" and there is a picture of her. What a pleasure to have met her. I would love to have her style. She cried during our class when she spoke of losing her mother 7 years ago. Immediately I thought "this woman is a romantic tender-heart." She was lovely. I am coveting her big diamond bobble bracelet. I need to find one...seriously!

In my costume for the dorm contest. We were the Scrap Chicks Supremo. Three dorms were chosen to perform and we were one of them.

The Scrap Chicks Supremo - Nancy, Me, Katy, Kara, Kimberly, and Janelle. These ladies are absolutely amazing and made my trip unforgettable!!

Here we are performing on-stage during the Pep-Rally. We sang Scrappin Queen to the tune of Dancing Queen. Margie and Teresa posted pictures of us on their blogs!

Another performance picture.

Margie and Kimberly. I post this picture because Kimberly paid $400 for this apron that she is wearing. The money went to Breast Cancer research. I absolutely LOVE her!

Lastly, another picture of the Scrap Chicks Supremo on our last night after graduation.
Attending CKU was one of the items on my bucket list....so....another one gets crossed off today!

Take me out to the ballgame...

2009-05-26T07:38:00.006-05:00

I love live baseball! Last night I caught the Tennessee Smokies game. It was great fun.

Here we have the home team warming up...

And what's a game without the mascots? I think the green one might be a girl...is that light green thing hanging down the back of it's head a ponytail? Not sure...

The National Anthem...

Hey batta batta SWING!

Stealing first base...

Uh oh...the pitcher isn't doing so well. Meeting on the mound (he got to stay)...

Canzler tossing a few balls out to the kids (I love generous ball players!)

The Chicken Run!

Somehow this guy reminds me of my son, William. I think it's the way he holds the bat.

I always loved sitting on the first base line...wonder why....hmmm....

"Slap yo' Mama" Kinda Good...

2009-05-25T11:56:00.003-05:00

I love to experiment and try new recipes. Last night I was having a burger for dinner and desperately wanted some onion rings. I went to my new favorite blog (the stories of her and Marlboro Man will absolutely slay you! She's got an amazing sense of humor). Low and behold but she had a recipe for these thin onion strips. They were unbelivably easy to make and taste FAB-U-LOUS!! Seriously, you need to try these...

Pioneer Woman's Onion Straws

1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 scant tablespoon salt
Lots of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Canola Oil

Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil to 375 degrees.
Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tab to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown.
Repeat until onions are gone.E
at before your family sees them.
Repeat with another onion, because they’ll be really mad they didn’t get any.

**I have ordered 4 new cookbooks from the local library. Stay tuned for more recipes!**

Practicing the Dance...

2009-05-23T18:46:00.004-05:00

I can't tell you why I'm practicing this until next week (because it's a big secret) but next Monday I'll be able to show you pictures of ME doing this!!

I luff her...

2009-05-23T06:40:00.001-05:00

My little Honor Pookie Lewis...

The Real Motivation...

2009-05-22T09:41:00.002-05:00

Excuse me, but I think you have my stapler.

2009-05-13T10:53:00.004-05:00

I have wanted one of these for years. Finally bought one for myself today. Now all I need is flair.....(if you have no idea what I'm talking about then you need to check out this and this).

Monday

2009-05-04T09:56:00.001-05:00

We now interrupt this blog for a moment of peace and healing.

Loved This!

2009-05-02T08:19:00.002-05:00

OY VEY...how's this for an apology???

2009-05-02T07:21:00.005-05:00

ok i am still here reading.
i have been all night following the comments
kandi should NOT have posted. it only got everyone fired up again. (thank you kandi for trying but it didnt help)
maybe i am firing everyone up again?
i dont know i want you to know i am human.
your words hurt
i dont care if you buy my products...who cares.
what i do care about is the attack on my character.

i made a mistake, yes, bad business...it is not the way i run my company, nor the way i want to run my company.

i wish i could just walk away from the computer but it is like watching a train wreck and i am in the train.
*****************************
Man oh man...she just doesn't get it.
And don't you just love the part where she say she doesn't care if you buy her products?
Such good business savvy.....

Donna Downey, YOU SUCK!!

2009-05-01T18:49:00.007-05:00

If you don't want to read my post or intend on putting up a nasty comment because I am about to BASH Donna Downey then just move your happy a$$ on along......seriously! This is MY blog and I'll write whatever in the hell I want with it.
******************
I am attending the Inspired in a week. I am pissed...PISSED that I have given Donna Downey my money!! However, I will never EVER buy another Donna Downey product, look at her blog again, have anything to do with this woman. You won't believe this....read this story from a fellow attendee...
******************
this just sucks in so many ways I was diagnosed with sinus cancer. I have been through the hoops of tests and all that crap that goes along with it. Each time I was told "you'll have surgery within the next 2 weeks" it ended up being longer. So, I had plans to go to the Donna Downey Inspired event. I was meeting AKathy there. We haven't seen each other in a couple of years. I was excited and knowing the scheduling of my tests and the timing, I was hoping to go to the event and then have surgery. Well, it is cancer after all and my surgeon wants to do it on the 5th. I contacted Inspired folks and they have no emergency medical cancellation policy. As a matter of fact, I'm not even allowed to sell it or give it away either. They will send me the kits. I have spent $630 and they will send me kits. She said they have already ordered the supplies so that is how it goes. Yeah, I know my luck is bad. And the hits just keep on coming. My friend sent me a link to a yahoo group for Inspired. I went on hoping to sell my spot but as I was accepted to the group, I heard from the Inspired folks that I am out of luck. Can't sell it or give the spot away. I posted on the yahoo board about this. I was very surprised/disappointed/shocked etc. Now I guess since I rocked the happy boat, they have now kicked me off that board with out so much as a word. I am not being bitchy. I am not trying to piss anybody off. I am just frustrated. I have someone in the vicinity of the event that might want to go. I am going to take the kits since it's all I can get. But really, does this surprise anyone else? I can prove I am having surgery. I can prove the diagnosis. I am not looking for a freebie. Can't they just charge me for the materials? It just makes me sad. I don't want cancer. I want to go to Inspired and maybe I am just having a pity party. Thanks for listening. (sorry I can't go with you Kathy!!!)
**************
So apparently Donna Downey calls her back and tells her...

update ********************* Donna called me. She was very kind. And very sympathetic to my situation. There was a misunderstanding on the yahoo board, it seems. Someone over there decided to defend me in a lengthy post and it misconstrued the info. And I had nothing to do with that. She did explain their policy and why it's in place. The money has already been spent. They pay teachers, supplies, travel, etc. It is a business after all. I just want to move on. I have a lot on my plate. I need to get myself mentally prepared for what lies ahead. And I have an 8 yr old here that needs me.

Let me just say the cancer stuff is legitimate. She has proof and both the airlines and hotel have refunded her money.
*********************
Hours later on the 2 peas message board Donna finally decides to give this gal her money back after self-admittingly being "hit over the head with a bag of bricks". Really? It took a bag of bricks for you to see you'd been wrong in your stance on this??

I say too little, too late Donna...there is no remorse in your reply.

Never, EVER again Donna Downey!!! Although I will attend the Inspired event (because I won't lose my $1000+), I will not purchase one thing at the event that will put any money in your pocket AND I will boycott everything that has your hand in it from this point forward.

Double Digits!!!!

2009-04-28T04:50:00.002-05:00

Only 99 days until my cruise!!! YAY!!!!

Missing...

2009-04-27T05:52:00.002-05:00

Haven't been around much the past two weeks. I've been working on getting done with classes and working on my PhD proposal. I got it back about 2 weeks ago with suggestions for edits and it has been consuming my time. I'm hoping to get it back to my advisor today because I am very close to being finished with the edits. Plus, because classes are done I will have all day to work. I'll get it to him Wednesday at the latest. I worked all weekennd on it as well.

My horoscope today is very promising and hope it is an indication that all will wrap-up today.

"To make up one's own mind is never an easy task. For you, dear Virgo, it is particularly difficult. Today, something in the air will enable you to unify your thoughts. You will be able to make decisions fairly easily. But if you can't make up your mind on a certain subject, feel free to think a bit longer before you decide. There is no need to rush into anything."

Don't you agree?

Money, Money, Money...

2009-04-16T09:48:00.002-05:00

Received word today that I received the M.A. Fritz Travel Grant ($750) to visit the Royal Ontario Museum (pictured above) in Toronto, Canada! YAY ME! I will be going up there this summer.

Also received word that I received one of the Paul Sanders Awards given by the Cincinnati Dry Dredgers ($500). DOUBLE YAY ME!!

More from the Bedroom

2009-04-15T08:36:00.002-05:00

The bedroom is a travel theme...I definitely needed this cool Eiffel Tower...especially because I am planning on going to see it in person next year!!
Here is a picture of the dresser. It's huge and was really hard to take a picture of. Hopefully you get the idea from this. I just couldn't back up any more to get the full dresser into the picture.

Am loving my new bedroom. So comfy!!

Season 5 Begins!

2009-04-14T18:25:00.004-05:00

Tonight the new season of Deadliest Catch begins on the Discovery Channel. Love, love, LOVE this show! My favorite Captains are Sig (Northwestern) and Phil (Cornelia Marie). Trust me, I'll be glued to the TV on Tuesday nights for the rest of the season!!