tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26853893071246812142024-02-07T21:02:00.036-05:00The Dorkface DiariesSarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.comBlogger99125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-87509211858907544622012-07-26T12:07:00.001-04:002012-07-26T12:08:26.707-04:00Meet the Eggberts!<div class="sflyProductPreviewWidget" style="height: 494px; width: 425px;">
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Knot Twins Birth Announcement</div>
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</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-88585524990873441792012-07-10T14:47:00.004-04:002012-07-10T14:47:56.612-04:0017 days to go!<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It is hard to believe that I have just 17 days (or less) left of my pregnancy, and it is mind-boggling to compare Finn and Erik at 8 weeks...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPjOK8N4LbJqYizMIoGc9dp1Qf0itFp1NEI_qGtHC_4Gybxn2bTF9Ds8MWHrTMbYM5spk9WzT6zEO7PPmfvah2r0et9hczsYm25OhZPIV7YbAoWYVQOqhioRpqGzo_wQGOzbB_M8-OQ0/s1600/TWINS_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPjOK8N4LbJqYizMIoGc9dp1Qf0itFp1NEI_qGtHC_4Gybxn2bTF9Ds8MWHrTMbYM5spk9WzT6zEO7PPmfvah2r0et9hczsYm25OhZPIV7YbAoWYVQOqhioRpqGzo_wQGOzbB_M8-OQ0/s400/TWINS_10.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...to their size 32 weeks! Only their heads fit on the screen!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Though we will meet them so soon, waiting for these last few weeks to pass is challenging. I can only compare these last few weeks of pregnancy to how I felt running the last mile of a half-marathon; even though that last mile was such a short distance to go in comparison to what I had already ran, it was tough for me to maintain the race pace I needed to in order to meet my goal time because my body was so tired / sore. It took me a lot of concentration and motivation to will myself to keep running during that last mile years ago, and it is taking a lot of mental toughness to hang in there right now (though at least now it is perfectly reasonable to rest while I wait it out)!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And so...until then...lots of naps and popsicles!</span></div>
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<br />Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-51867441721302344622012-06-20T12:53:00.000-04:002012-06-20T12:57:59.044-04:00Happy summer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Happy first day of summer! For the first time in my entire life, I could do without the summer heat! It is tough to be pregnant when it is hot outside, and I eat a lot of popsicles for my own survival. Though it is hard to believe how fast the weeks have gone by, I am now 32 1/2 weeks pregnant! The twins are doing really well, and we are currently scheduled to meet them on July 27. (Unless they have a different birthday in mind...but I hope they can be patient.)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Finn and Erik are both about 4 pounds each now, and they are beginning to tire me out. Today marks my first day of working from home, and though over the past few weeks I was feeling really stressed out about finishing experiments and being away from the laboratory, I am now embracing the comfort of my couch and pajamas and air conditioning!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Sadly, we decided not to garden this year - not only were the preparations too much work for David to complete by himself, but the upkeep would have been challenging given the mid-summer arrival of the twins. However, preparations for the nursery are in full swing, and our apartment and car are now ready for little ones. Since I would normally show photos of us preparing The Danger Zone around this time, here are some photos of our nursery preparations instead.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Ipita was convinced that my parents bought this Pooh Pack N Play as a house for him, and was quite frustrated to discover that he was not allowed to jump inside whenever he wanted to.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">David had a lot of fun drinking beer and putting together the cribs...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...which look like this when put together with our cute Winnie-the-Pooh nursery materials!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">David and I (but mostly David) have been testing out our new baby gear by using stuffed animals as stand-ins for the twins. Here is Pooh in the car seat...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...with a bear friend in the double stroller...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">...and taking a ride in David's baby carrier.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Here is Kermit getting ready for a ride in one of our single strollers. I am very excited to have two of these single strollers because I can actually lift them.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We are beyond excited to meet our two little ones! I cannot wait until July 27 (but I will...and you should too, Finn and Erik)!</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-80893646268721617342012-04-18T11:26:00.007-04:002012-04-22T13:57:02.414-04:00Congratulations, Kristen DPT!<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Kristen visited last weekend in celebration of her upcoming graduation from Northwestern (I am travel restricted and cannot attend the graduation, so we had a little pre-graduation party instead). I am so proud of her, and excited to see which of the "real world" jobs that she is interviewing for will turn into her first physical therapy position.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgDc_dW4heb_sNS1DTUiFwZ2-5qEQ93bC2oOLoLqB2_hC0Bjn3cpGv3BfuY9Eku2Xd7qZIr-d0Bld2gKkwoSU_N5WsQXRoyD0_i_Ezp6v_bgAHRk_cmTMp3-IE4xOrvIMN29SWp_h1HhY/s320/IMG_0025.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734283739267437298" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >No celebration is complete without a giant cupcake! We felt it was best to take a picture of this while it still looked like a cupcake (after this photo was taken, we continued to coat it with sugary icing and it began to look more like an igloo).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHNb-qdCkTFlXN7FXun63B37MnE4BJG1DfEBcFffbyrfYvvSoec6MwQZqkzkzJwJUoqovhNoOP4lW8sBTLhsbXPGOfcz3VFQcquMTIepfzzneC1nySN14GA4_lZTlwaJtsejwdOiog3qk/s320/IMG_0026.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734284001231745250" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I got Kristen a pinata for her graduation present. After my own ups and downs at Penn, I believe that the piece of paper that confirms the end of all the frustrating things that come along with graduate school (otherwise known as the diploma) isn't necessarily the answer for achieving maximal closure and satisfaction as a new graduate. Instead, the pieces of paper that really matter are all of the little pieces of paper on the ground...after the destruction of a symbolic paper donkey. Everyone's donkey represents a different challenge they overcame in order to graduate - for some people it is dealing with difficult people, for others it might be a difficult class or experiment - in Kristen's case, her donkey was named Lois. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWySYRZszML_S88mqFNc-63v3ShatD14l1goIXwFsgJdPjFbwASeusYT0GimHe734jY35aLQsFONih1x4QoU9Qj8bcdCoZO5VBYtiQ0L9ipFsJ_B7pw-dSjvpzKx7CqwTcWzEmuMQvtI8/s320/IMG_0027.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734284390131030578" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >Kristen looks quite ready for her battle with the pinata.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhielgHDsawbqF7T-I_EcrbYDOrjVb21npdRMMHUyCzsqFxAwoZ8A57c0K15ug71hjrhaC9bCb9jgJ7xiqQ0xPfw4yVSOR0nTzxAscsSkabxVkbjKzFcoy19k-AW5eJzXH_wxuN9qZoTHA/s320/IMG_0032.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734284636125630674" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >It turns out that pinatas bought at Target do not go down without a fight, which is fitting, because I don't think the real Lois would ever go down without a fight. The head of the pinata severed quite quickly, but it took several rounds of bat swinging for the entire thing to erupt.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" "><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvAIgQQaY8o-MFTHDPMMuIhYyIGu3tEg6__F-BzeI3uVh-pUKhyfSolJH5h40vcbGNAN719zCqGpriM9_ivEtqy_r3zmkh8MAw1Ok-w_5VoQAI4Q1ljP7F4NYtsgiJnlDvmazZIapCif8/s320/IMG_0037.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5734285126815311058" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div></span>Success! Congratulations, Dr. Kristen! (Keep a patient slot open for me at the end of the summer - I think my lower back might need some physical therapy by then...)</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-60034940349422531832012-04-18T08:18:00.005-04:002012-04-18T11:35:34.585-04:00Little bits of news and spring<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small; ">The weather is changing rapidly from one day to the next (it was 84 and sunny on Monday but today's high is 20 degrees colder than that, for example), and that seems to fit the state of our lives lately. My bump is growing at a crazy pace that can only mean these two little boys of ours are going to make an appearance a lot sooner than three months away feels like!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We have begun to prepare for our nursery. Thanks to all of our very generous friends and family that attended our baby shower over Easter weekend, we finally have many items to put in our nursery! We have also moved our furniture around so that the room is ready for cribs and a dresser (and Pooh decorations!) that we will pick out on Monday after my 24 week check-up in Syracuse. I will post pictures when it is all put together. As my body keeps changing, I am beginning to feel incredibly anxious and unprepared for my impending motherhood status; I am hoping that putting together the nursery will provide the organization/preparation I usually require (as a type A person) to feel ready for change.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">David is also preparing for another year of farming at The Danger Zone. My role this year will be limited to documenting our garden's progress and eating all of the yummy vegetables that David grows (not a bad role to have), but I am very excited for another year "on the farm." David is still finalizing his master list of vegetables that we will grow, but I anticipate that this list will include lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and peppers. Please feel free to comment on this post if you feel strongly about us growing pumpkins this year. David is not so convinced we should take the space since Linus and Lucy were so small last year...but I am convinced that growing more pumpkins is always great idea. Though lately I have been able to outnumber David in disagreements by simply reminding him that technically I count for 3 votes and he only counts for 1, I feel confident that other people outside of my womb also love pumpkins as much as I do (or at least, almost as much as I do), and so I leave this decision in the hands of the limited readership of this blog...</span></div><div><br /></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-44580827778291932702012-03-09T14:01:00.003-05:002012-03-09T15:01:23.504-05:00Halfway!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small; ">I am halfway through my pregnancy now, which is incredibly surprising. I think David would argue that the weeks are not going by fast enough, but I feel like time is just flying by! A few observations related to my experiences as a pregnant lady so far:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">1. I am not sure how people survive being pregnant without naps. I am not taking naps, but I think if I could take naps every day, I would be a more functional person (particularly during the evening hours). Every day around 2:00 pm (right now), my energy begins to fade over time until it finally becomes time to go home for the day, and then I collapse onto the couch. I see other pregnant people walking around that look awake, and I want to stop and ask them what their secret is for staying so awake, but I don't...because...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">2. Well-meaning people interpret my growing baby bump as an invitation to both share a lot of personal information with me as well as ask me very personal questions. (And just to be clear, I am not talking about people I know in any way, I am exclusively referring to strangers.) I do not always have the patience to carry on conversations with these people, particularly at times when I am very tired, but mostly I just find it very strange. People who hardly know me ask about my birth or breast-feeding plans like they would comment on the weather outside. And while I know that they mean no offense or imposition, I just can't for the life of me figure out why pregnancy seems to be the universal signal to ignore all personal boundaries. (Yes, woman on the elevator this morning and other woman in the Target checkout line a few weeks back, I am talking to both of you.) And so to all of my friends that have been pregnant before me, if I have ever asked you any questions that crossed this barrier, I sincerely apologize; if it is any consolation, I am sure I meant well too, even if I didn't know any better.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">3. Speaking of my baby bump, it is now growing at what I would consider to be an exponential rate (and I am really hoping this translates into more weight gain when I visit the doctor's office next week). It took a while for me to show (even with twins), but now that I am showing, my reflection in the mirror is crazy weird. Because I cannot feel the twin's movements constantly yet, I sometimes go hours without thinking about the fact that I am pregnant...and then I look in the mirror and get a strange sort of wake-up call. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">4. I always thought cravings were a myth, but THEY ARE REAL. And they are ever changing - in the beginning, I only wanted to eat buffalo chicken bites, but now all I can think about eating is Velveeta macaroni and cheese!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">5. Not that I didn't appreciate how nice it was to be married to David, but I definitely appreciate this fact more than ever. While I am a puddle of pregnant lady on the couch, he keeps our apartment/clothes clean and brings me food. While I cannot pretend that being pregnant is easy for me, I think his job during all of this is more difficult.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Overall, pregnancy has not been nearly as terrible as I imagined, though I still cannot claim to be one of those people that loves being pregnant. But as selfish as that makes me feel sometimes, I already know that even if I don't always like carrying the Eggberts with me on the inside, I will never want to let go of them when they are finally in my outside universe! I can't wait to meet them! </span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-45978342417096470942012-02-22T09:03:00.003-05:002012-02-22T10:16:05.731-05:00This year's Lenten sacrifice<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana; font-size: small; ">The Lenten season is back again, and it was very hard for me this year to determine what exactly to give up for Lent this year. In past years, I mostly stuck to giving up food or drink items - junk food, chocolate, or soda - but this year I am already missing some of the foods I cannot eat because I am pregnant, and so I decided that limiting myself even more would just drive me crazy. (And it's Girl Scout cookie season - can I really be expected to stop eating junk food when there are GIRL SCOUT COOKIES around??) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Instead, this year I have decided to give up all of the trashy celebrity webpages I use to distract myself from accomplishing real work. At 2:30 during an afternoon workday (particularly now that I am focused almost exclusively on writing my paper instead of doing benchwork), my mind slows down and thinking about science becomes harder to manage. I begin to browse the internet, and because the point is to not to think for awhile, I eventually shut my brain off completely and head to People.com or USWeekly.com (or sometimes, even TMZ.com), where suddenly whether or not Lindsay Lohan met her probation requirements becomes very, very interesting. My browsing of these celebrity webpages can last anywhere from 10 minutes on a slow tabloid news day to 30 - 40 minutes when "earth-shattering" news happens.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It's hard to regain my productivity after these mid-afternoon mind wanderings, and since the summer / maternity leave (seems like it) is fast approaching, I have decided to take these next 40 days to try to be less distracted at work. And so, so long celebrities...try not to make too many bad decisions while I am away.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">(But don't worry, I can't possibly give up every distraction at work...you can still find me on Google chat, especially around 2:30ish?) :)</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-61440371347469880752012-02-01T15:31:00.004-05:002012-02-01T15:54:20.355-05:00Meet the Eggberts!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Hello, friends. It has been a while since my last post. I'd say I was caught up in the chaos of the holidays and the new year and was too distracted to blog...or maybe it was because I just got back from a long trip to California to present my research and am still jet-lagged (and recovering from all of the stress that goes along with getting lots of work done before I left)...but truthfully, it has been a while since my last post because all I could think about posting was THIS:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih9ajGLEkyUP1w_2aiAQP9oXe0NFueClAH-VI3IXDx7mVnHKh8EduQBY1LpyK9l0YvsJxmtwN39DIOrurHk2qZvJN7SRYRJUjozO7isjXtVitIj1Wp2BWHJDwnChVFN2yUV-pgrLA49_0/s320/TWINS_14.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5704271476301966162" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Meet the Eggberts, 1 and 2! We are expecting twins in late July / early August! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-36570422843265551372011-11-18T09:50:00.014-05:002011-11-18T10:56:53.825-05:00Visiting Kristen in Seattle<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Over a month ago now, I visited Kristen in Seattle. She has been completing her physical therapy rotation in Kent, WA this fall, and I thought it would be fun to visit her while she was there. We had a really great weekend.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ItIF6O9Fr49XPvkvGOP-t9nTcopuH6uPeh26kV8myc2k2DsCmQbskRK0TmAqaE4nRjlMGHHwAyOMKj7GVpeURjg9NMiarSL0G2lfO8fXg-1rBjLyCVzzIFzVgXLBeRN_u6zbGb0vD6g/s320/IMG_1971.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676361345392183250" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Kristen had to work during the afternoon that I arrived, and so my first stop was to the original Starbucks. Or at least, what Starbucks is calling their original store. Kristen and I took a coffee tour of Seattle on the Saturday I was visiting, and we learned all kinds of secrets about that sneaky company. Secret 1 - the true original Starbucks store was a block down the street from the store pictured above, but that store burned down, so they rebuilt it at the location I visited. During the rebuild, another Starbucks had already opened up in downtown Seattle, making the place I visited the third Starbucks in existence and not the first. (Silly details ruin all good marketing schemes...) I happened to be in Seattle the first week of pumpkin spice latte season, so I shelled out the big bucks to get my latte from the flagship store. (It was delicious.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGQZYNxjoJe-NqNxg3V5deSzPBdi5EvFDK1j7PNj19yXh-oJtGU6dhzBCDziln6EYlpMK4q9AkG4vb9AzSTTclwBxk9e6z3g7fvEPHeUfkTFi9zHG0NavZ7cbbdOvey1sWEN5Alr3AYJk/s320/IMG_1972.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676361475777043810" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Right down the street from the flagship Starbucks was Pike Place Market. I was very excited that they had bouquets of flowers for $5.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgknj5NsLcgoYR3UTDHd-jdXSwujwVAS9b7pMLklmxEST7idxhAEGvUJpUIO-RRxINvJve34IysRt2WBIqpcNHqyzf0cu3s4OBJa-DTF_hJhhftdu9C0uA0iIerzzJkmYrU1CJYLUHedMI/s320/IMG_1975.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676361655613864722" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I also took a ferry boat ride to Bainbridge Island and back while I was waiting for Kristen. It was magical, even without McDreamy to keep me company! I could honestly ride that boat all day long.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVoLJGTYpjzg6zmpQa0vBli6j8kugt2JC_dLPH53TY78-Xydx_94MRk5INIQk_hq2Rtg50XkV9YYh4XNKWwD6ULSyzcLx5tn8C9CPXD_7HCRAwI3OART52A9dzy5S8a2AycPAhIsDtd6g/s320/IMG_2026.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676361871553862882" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Here is a view of Seattle at night from the ferry boat, taken with my limited camera.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLeNPLiajbA9hGm85jGuH7Szi_7vdVsZxai2XAasV17L3I7vs3OzmuVVEo3IiEM3CgwKo4UUd5AKwKQ9dhv00QW7fUMaS_AiIhzF3D-UzxJkW3isuWUMSc2JgBGJvyJs1RiRKFNKUfRWo/s320/horror%2521.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676363167277831106" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We visited the <a href="http://www.empmuseum.org/index.asp">EMP</a>, which is a really cool museum (especially if you like Nirvana). They had a special exhibit on the music in horror films, which featured a scream booth. Naturally we had to take photos of us screaming. Above is the two of us together (which didn't turn out as well because we we did our individual photos first and were both laughing by this point).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3F6L38XKIFhLd2mIMTIfFvAAWRqtc6AWyo4cYWxNdvNdT5q0oGtQv4hzDsS8hIsnAW_xvIiMNehPWJHjTU9Zldps-0Md2RFndkaet6U1RBBiA4ZWMLp28nGLS6GqQIK2ojx6-TWu3bQY/s320/krishorror.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676363424550026082" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Here is Kristen, who looks like a normal person screaming (or singing in the shower)...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsf21gx3oXxN7j73A0vSAAQg0JjYObvD8epyNaR9sMIhTbUBRB5dIQU4l53v9aIlrpev5PN8l1fm4AU7dB1xkR-mGAvZFJ_ovVEan0SoWrEd2JS7jKxoH3Gx7w-jGBO8e4C9Dx100XUU/s1600/sarahhorror.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAsf21gx3oXxN7j73A0vSAAQg0JjYObvD8epyNaR9sMIhTbUBRB5dIQU4l53v9aIlrpev5PN8l1fm4AU7dB1xkR-mGAvZFJ_ovVEan0SoWrEd2JS7jKxoH3Gx7w-jGBO8e4C9Dx100XUU/s320/sarahhorror.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676363520694643906" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...and here is the one of me. (I do not look so normal, but I love love LOVE this photo anyway.) Lesson learned - my "scream face" is more terrifying than anything that could possibly scare me...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNdQUSjcEolOj4yDADdzB-mpbsyhPy75ztBVJUgc0QcmcPwHzY-l7QKeE3F6ZaseeUjdNXxNscbHdMMchEdq9qfziX2zOmjCxJWQfBfdmLBWjIACj_rDFxvgGWRVRj2agcdJbQrWV-pjE/s320/IMG_2034.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676363748691324530" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">On our coffee tour, this latte was on special at one of the cafes we visited...perfect for David!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqmAdIVutx9An3cVVKk-jkwyfTWFMi26_eLfslSwmT-J7zEH0IE3aBseVE69TKUSTHmQQy_ZoW0BC8Y-75I2OfmbCGyl7JIjejdS1FPNFHhyphenhyphenNqvDH3cQK8ER7XGeevJLvjGo0v2Lz1ah4/s320/IMG_2037.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676363937376596898" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Before I left on this trip, David told me that he "hoped I would see Mt. Rainer" while I was visiting WA. I did not understand what he meant; how could I miss a giant mountain?? It is the strangest thing how it can be completely hidden from view...and then...all of a sudden in plain sight. We saw the mountain as we were driving back from our coffee tour.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigjNq-hgbpzOsVt1gY4ajQlMObJv3nJeRCS3iyuXP9MBOj9GzG1Yq5Xc8Hidm9u5CsvDvMTphIbW9OnZrQWZykBqtHioyPvaYYuDaBskHetmlnIGpvkA_L9l_uhmxZ8VsaXzsnam-JbIc/s320/IMG_2044.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676364163768278194" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Kristen and I took Levi to a dog park and walked around there for quite some time. This was not your average dog park in the woods; the views were breathtaking.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jBOX908UqvVYIhJ-_5QFGgFY7WEXR13w6EvrJaBfn4bqLuMXIzCOIqAi800ueU8lCcW5bsw9VGYMuc2Iy2Y0BXRpSP9wB4pseQlmwjqmE6Le1DS4qmulzOIQx7sv9bmb4zGXBHyXQYQ/s320/IMG_2040.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676364850863135474" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Happy Levi, playing fetch.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3emEq55KvtcCCp6TpeMCXmTpMvwYAfxOHM7u2tbN6i9IOUl5QkqCfchu8muIF_jFTOjP7WEoWVrwmZF8x7mEJndeZdInmPyqLx56OE1Ms69ac6A-pzBuayRHabPoiXXqSNWLgtNi38uE/s320/IMG_2052.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676365165292365890" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Kristen and I went to a pumpkin beer festival the day I was leaving, and we wanted to make pumpkin t-shirts with puffy paint to wear for the occasion. (I am sure you can guess which shirt I made.) We had a lot of fun making these shirts, but neither of them dried in time for the event, so we did not get to wear them. We were forced to buy Halloween-themed clothing from Wal-Mart instead.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">What a fantastic trip! I am looking forward to seeing Kristen back in Butler in December (in just a few weeks)!</span></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-55600644778794734582011-11-14T11:10:00.005-05:002011-11-24T15:11:47.391-05:00The lull before the holiday rush...<div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The holidays are fast approaching, and this weekend is my last weekend in Ithaca before I begin a massive amount of traveling to see family and friends over the course of the 2011 holiday season! There is not much to report, but here are some random photos taken over the last month or so that do not require their own post, but are still fun.</span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674909371533226178" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheHif28S2omQkV1a5a2RIEQ4khKFiIsE9VrGqshxl04oAwV0gXUV0RVIjf-UXhW0vx1cr9qXI5ecrs1i1e6grksIF58PRb4LngFxePTZRezokHVTWIHeK-GK2oVLYR8QapFLbyI1sFcDM/s320/IMG_2092.jpg" /></span></span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My laboratory is in the middle of another CHESS cycle. We were given three weekend blocks of time throughout October and November to conduct our experiments, the last of which is a 24 hour time block this weekend from 12 noon on Saturday to 12 noon on Sunday. My CHESS data collection has been frustrating as of late (to put it mildly), and so I am hoping this weekend's trip will be more productive. On November 4, Karen and I worked a night shift at CHESS during one of the Crane weekends there, working from 10 pm until 9:30 am. To survive, we watched episodes of Gilmore Girls while we collected data (and during our 3 hour wait for broken equipment to be repaired), and to stay awake, she consumed a 5 Hour Energy drink and I drank this 2 L of Coke Cherry Zero out of a coffee mug. These were terrible choices - we may have been awake, but we made ourselves massively sick to our stomachs. While in undergraduate, I used to consume a 2L bottle of Coca Cola (not diet) EVERY DAY, 5 days a week...and I have no idea how I did this then, but I am not capable of it now! It will be awhile until I will want to consume cola-type beverages...</span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underlinefont-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674908646817716146" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4HurmPbAAWuxSoLVj_d3xPtLwjdWHDpA_nGoR_jwxXuk0zoKs36LS-QMs-7K0Fv5-k82zvIg9fbgdWaJNfS_JwosLL16wNjg_xSOGIjPwprVTvvw8UJuhqoC5X06nTvwUerNftPGqY0g/s320/IMG_2088.jpg" /></span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our Sunday afternoons are spent watching NFL football. Here is a cute photo of David and Ipita while enjoying the Dolphins' first win last weekend (the Dolphins also won their game yesterday too). </span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><br /><div><span style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underlinefont-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: pointer" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674908818088634962" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWxQnnL8mxSwJNqTYeuqW7TtvDyto6wLq5otUQDF7wLPp0hyEuMyRlD4rRHjZGZn1FdRN7xoBOk6WeE8fjZFDyFAzGBEmbMSPJZk5d2NQvGyoggRVONSp-0V7TxWdwVRItYhA80E-Rf0I/s320/IMG_2090.jpg" /></span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I have been invited to give a talk at a conference in CA during January. I was excited about this opportunity for about an hour, and then I became completely stressed out about getting more work done between now and then. David and I saw this wine in the store a few weeks ago and thought the name was clever enough to justify purchasing a bottle (the label also suits me perfectly, because I take a bath almost every day to unwind). I am sad to report that the wine itself was nothing special, but I still like their concept of a Tough Day Chardonnay...</span></div><br /><div style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-66329187693211407592011-11-14T10:44:00.005-05:002011-11-14T11:04:51.684-05:00The coolest shoes I have ever owned!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I have a problem buying things for myself. I am very good picking out things I like, and I always have a strong desire to purchase them...but I lack follow-through. When it comes time to click "purchase" or to go through the check-out line, my guilt sets in and I save the item(s) to my cart for a later day (to be forgotten forever) or put the item(s) back on the shelf. (The only exception to this pattern is when I open iTunes, the store where all of my self-control vanishes...)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">When I saw Adidas's new special edition Kermit shoes, I knew my obsession with the Muppets (and passion for Kermit, in particular) would and should win out. These shoes were made for me to wear them, and though I spent an hour putting them in the cart and then closing the webpage, I am so glad I was able to click "purchase." I only wish I had bought two pairs, because now they are sold out of my size and I have no option to extend their lifetime by having a back-up pair in my closet.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoAEkUN-NUDOQUxlDE81JWUZGZ5ch0-_BNuoXc75IaFA9M6B1N_HURvEoo1-_Y2RBomUK26Zo-bovyHcQkZMVqg_R8XrTjKK70neOfuCIe2slJVG3WAU1_rjbmIltDHYcyE5w0BykbqIs/s320/IMG_2093.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674882233241154242" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This is the box they came in. I have kept it, and I currently store the shoes in it when I am not wearing them so that they last longer. (David thinks this behavior is hilarious.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx1D8aYcTVSWa9xgWQRW6t5LWhCv5Kz_cBGZJNbIhRnIiy3-hHzyUQ9CCc0-iVsu0cs-Cri13aIqEIceX8ZbV9fvWu5bFG2L-rt9-eMd3pU2tnRotI68CujT_KumrXhJcwbboze-LLq1Q/s320/IMG_2094.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674882390404575746" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">THE SHOES! Go ahead, be a little jealous. Money may not be able to buy long-term happiness, but it certainly can buy shoes that put a big smile on my face!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-9909106140887732332011-10-31T16:44:00.010-04:002011-11-01T10:21:42.818-04:00Happy Halloween!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFxjN77b3dpAEUL6EAYWPnhHBKhy_yfZ3T8Rk0obSj1DlRPsP4gOfz9FHeWbduFK0j9uA3o5ehzD9BwgK8Uc9S3pmjdlRxZFLhl4_N0kZHBnaKWjR6_5PUXKCYKt_UIuYi1tQ-FIDKts/s1600/IMG_2075.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFxjN77b3dpAEUL6EAYWPnhHBKhy_yfZ3T8Rk0obSj1DlRPsP4gOfz9FHeWbduFK0j9uA3o5ehzD9BwgK8Uc9S3pmjdlRxZFLhl4_N0kZHBnaKWjR6_5PUXKCYKt_UIuYi1tQ-FIDKts/s320/IMG_2075.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669761274909346306" /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" >As Linus and Sally were not big enough to carve, David and I went to Grisamore Farms to pick out some pumpkins for carving. I found a Groupon deal that allowed us to get $20 dollars worth of pumpkins for $10; this amounted to 60 pounds worth of pumpkins!</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div> <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhECwalY-OUh8CyBSge6f59YLw8w4OKRFIzhZJ5rhIw9MJx8VexZdYnFnkcwi485NkMkcF3JMNeQ6gumPyodDB3nUq1GPRPgUW-VF7A4IDHIBHdN1tUBE7Ba7obrG_ZZj45FOSuteUbfXs/s320/IMG_2073.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669761373611502210" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Here is David holding the pumpkin he picked out to carve.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzo4tFv23GiGLkEKStO6tAoeE-9wPzHRwGjFzwThh_9PttA8W3iUqn4mT-pMnIfSk7nP3IkqslQp1CFAgXY4q9_DbQGAzHyVrND_s-NM1PumHHQj7KUQj56kTvIx5PGPJLZ6qjq1fckSI/s320/IMG_2077.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669761584288588178" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Here is me (pretending to) pull the wagon with our three 20ish pound pumpkins. These pumpkins were so heavy I could barely lift them individually, let alone pull three of them.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYGlUYHKMCZcToHycOCdpH481Uf3rq0PpD_hoP6mkp6HNqnLfB7643uoCxu3k4FuCYHAA_per-mXAdkTR9WsKHEqVZvzdn3q2VIz9OSYgoSnZTiMPFSyWL2-4ISUR7L4i1DAfPPII6Q-g/s320/IMG_2081.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669761834977810722" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We invited Karen (a post-doc in my lab) over to carve with us since we had an extra pumpkin (and she loves Halloween). The pumpkin I carved is obvious - nothing makes me happier than carving a smiley pumpkin every year - but Karen carved "Happy Halloween" and David carved the spider web pumpkin.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0G860NFztUCCRShYEJYlmpStjA2y-K5wZwCgkV0i97DxPE5XENM8ijkLH9Uu0HIoFQ2aeQk73_nnUw354tVNYKxh78BbuG0Y7rhle-2VxtLLrbn0hf-YuePDoi0REzBK5bzBVplhRLsw/s320/IMG_2082.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5669762064120078594" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our pumpkins all lit up in the dark.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Tonight we will inevitably be visited by many trick or treaters. I hope that they 1) say "trick or treat!" (many of them just stand there and wait for candy which I find both entitled and way less fun) and 2) save me at least one bag of Reese's Pieces!! (Maybe I will have to eat one before they start arriving, just to be safe.)</span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;color:#ff0000;">UPDATE: We were not visited by very many trick or treaters, which means we do have leftover candy! Also - the kids that stopped by were very polite, which was a nice change from last year. There were even high schoolers collecting cans for a food drive instead of candy! And now I must eat my words above with a slice of humble pie and a few bags of Reese's Pieces...</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-44742026998707620912011-10-28T15:25:00.008-04:002011-10-28T15:53:17.638-04:00The last harvest<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ithaca had its first snowfall yesterday, which means our gardening days are over. We have packed up The Danger Zone after an incredibly successful year.</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKws6HMnbMn0TIZo2c0orIbGL2LFpTEqYWEaYHTwtJEH16h2a6npkHUD3KpZk5egTJiRfq4sx2wqntTJDs4k_tm5EAnIGxvSHJNHT_NH-_PAsiGVFZg7Ga2idQWMY2bgDObRyAsjG-JjY/s320/IMG_1968.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668632505711520258" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">This is the parting shot of the Danger Zone before we tore it down. From afar it still looks like we had quite a bit still growing, but do not let this picture fool you - the already cold temperatures damaged most of what we had left.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzyX009KVDaoH1znFXb7dOxcbEzTPx73OVWI_TQWyXlQI6J3ekGWy_mx0sMv7VUTuEBoaLPxlOnNa1X2I-GOnGhGY4ybP8VHceOafvq5mFeS_tvh1haSKg7Z-wjMWoz-zCkQMIkBnj6co/s320/IMG_1962.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668632665072674514" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Once thing that we wanted to try to harvest was our potato plants, which we planted later (and sort of haphazardly) in the season after our onions failed to produce anything. This is a picture of David beginning to dig out the plant...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCCwU7UuyVUJOgwFGd0QZzdv8cOC2jO41M0VWTMKz2M8srVYb31PabqX2W6BIpp9Dc2rS0wtc6p55qhIhoQan1xEI7sanoZaAlgVrot65GgEtiDyMRiFfcbdmcO9Rb84W0d7pxDnS8IYo/s320/IMG_1963.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668632775697942290" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...but sadly, we found only the remains of potatoes that had rotted. I guess we waited too long to harvest them. We will know better next year.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgop0Sf5jwHyc65Z44WuiLeX7nipO6pBrl2RVV54BHjLPm7NXhG-3FhVBVChSFGHe_lzRbiTsUnqhbJCWc3Kjmd12ARBnzStAyMRGsgLb4D2XCVWF8lyBrGInTjPMoUviLrGJd04oMZoc/s320/IMG_1967.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5668633041085972146" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We brought Ipita on our last journey to the garden. I think he will miss his trips outside! I will certainly feel guilty when we take him in the car next because he will be tricked into thinking he is going on an adventure (when really, he will be going to the vet for some shots).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">So long, Danger Zone! </span></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-39776446598684964822011-10-03T11:48:00.013-04:002011-10-04T13:28:49.910-04:00Ben's baptism<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKz_O8wbsyNbPde4NV1-NbgKlAT2qWGmaWaNKbrEhfeoCclmndEyY_pHHON_3Wsruv7lhUl1Fe_2PiZwLX34I74uIbicMuObWfexDyMhzvzf35CARQmw1Td-4pS2bC_FTQbs7sKElsno/s1600/IMG_1935.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXKz_O8wbsyNbPde4NV1-NbgKlAT2qWGmaWaNKbrEhfeoCclmndEyY_pHHON_3Wsruv7lhUl1Fe_2PiZwLX34I74uIbicMuObWfexDyMhzvzf35CARQmw1Td-4pS2bC_FTQbs7sKElsno/s320/IMG_1935.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659674589495834770" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ben's baptism was held at Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, October 2 in Durham. It was such a special day for everyone! Amanda and Paul got a really neat outfit for Ben to wear during the ceremony - part baptism gown, part romper - and I thought he looked adorable.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuktFuLBX3YVka4aIFxM3PDaoKlB-Trl9fn72Shwx2DOnower1zWWLVPTqpjvu2K9DWlWxjTuMkdPt3m0rXvj-qNgLlb42hB7Hsc81KOOEkZD8cVRM0Goy29xkTmVaHMaDcA4L4krHG6A/s320/IMG_1939.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659681880736979458" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Here is a nice shot of father and son before we left for the church.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqF_-sSNmoTwPAVSBf4lS1hCdKXS1n3nFpiH6wPDxBsWz27I-7BCe3EmjSv7A76GMThSkOzepuFSqo2euTrUQKhBSu_UJcdMXsSz78XW3CyTVpvWGsyuaQKWGSo-f4-ZaHOW4kVgfyZbs/s320/IMG_1945.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659682163512089906" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">During the ceremony, the children of the church were invited to come forward to make the sign of the cross on Ben's forehead and welcome him to the church. I have never seen this done before and I thought it was a really nice sentiment, but their church really does need to start providing a chair for the person holding the baby being baptized!! Poor Paul got so tired holding Ben at an angle that was low enough for all of those children! Amanda had originally wanted me to hold Ben during the beginning of the ceremony, but I passed this job over to Paul for fear that my noodle arms would not be strong enough to manage 21-pound Ben for a long period of time. I definitely made the right decision! You can see Amanda, Erik (the godfather), and me laughing as the line of children kept getting longer and longer. (I swear they started bringing random children in from the street to meet Ben, because it didn't seem like there were that many children in attendance when the receiving line for Ben was initiated.) I never would have had the arm strength to make it through the entire line of kids!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7NBM1U4v8PZ320pkRMc2Rqyfox2kk-sUum7r7rofe11cxWDOMCKRYZLHyzr77nzKXVYW-QnKfkOjZZsBUZNkYEPr6oReSWCRpdlvRRNkqNU42NT2cTMnPQOBnymqtZ727HiFA2ZfSCT0/s320/IMG_1947.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659683070653333938" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Instead, I got the job of holding Ben during the actual baptizing part. When we were getting set up for this part of the ceremony, I thought I could just hold Ben close to my body (easier on the arms) with his head facing into the water. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjpMM0AEJ8ZoJiVhawegaoyggFHpH_xxUrBSxiBgPHL6pUVN1E3eWN06_RmznM7a52fr0cQeUQngE-MtCp9cT7MnstXSdcbLBGpMSAcjRe0or4eu084WWK9RUDBxp20OtqZh4vHhDyO8/s320/IMG_1951.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659683260288636002" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">However, the priest motioned for me to bring Ben over the center of the baptismal font, and when I began to move him, my arms began to droop. I was very relieved that I chose to wear a short-sleeved dress for the ceremony, because if I hadn't, it would have been very obvious to all of the bystanders that I skimmed the surface of the water with Ben while moving him to the center of the baptismal font (dampening his backside and soaking my arm). Ben's near-drowning was only temporary though, and I soon got Ben stabilized where he wasn't partially lying in the water. (But now all readers of this blog are thinking twice before granting me repeat godmother duties...)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBL-m0Auwk5Mchs5t6-ny3ZlHqtOKUGaQC6xoKqj2oUYlNZ8knBrHDKrF1ppLSnHvosuru59rw5CpCBWQ4aGCLkrQZZGjctHt4gsKwCYM8__O4XiyIe_6p99mt2DmLDcCButT6Zw8jL8Q/s320/IMG_1958.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659683625846334722" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My favorite part of the modern Catholic baptism is the end of the baptism, or what I like to call "the Simba moment." This is where the newly baptized baby is held up by the priest for the entire congregation to see (just like the beginning sequence of Disney's The Lion King). Ben nearly missed his - he was being fussy after being doused with water, and so Amanda made a break for the church lobby to calm him down instead of joining our candle-lit procession to the front of the church for the Simba moment! It was one of those spontaneous mishaps that we will all remember and laugh about in the years to come. The priest clearly thought we were total amateurs, but it was not our fault we were unprepared. The Catholic Church has rehearsals for many of the other sacraments (First Holy Communion, Confirmation, Marriage), and baptisms should be no exception. How is anyone supposed to keep everything straight on the fly with a squirming, wet (because they were partially drowned by their godmother) baby on their hands?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI3gLBxHAPl3X_84HSpJWySJOsEzbnPBR9JtO8XbP6LUC80YDBEufKjKu86FE2BomgE-P53zLYZS-o9f2pl6ptXX4Ty65uASZKC0KuoZ5WyPF5KMKzdokOWbqHEO3QQCNeUwR3E3i2ttM/s320/IMG_1960.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5659688067533385730" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Godfather Erik, Godmother Sarah, Paul, Amanda, and little baptized Ben.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I am thrilled and honored that Amanda and Paul asked me to be Ben's godmother! I am looking forward to all of the memories we will continue to share together.</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-72447657019717802042011-09-29T08:52:00.005-04:002011-09-29T09:02:32.347-04:00Welcome Great Pumpkin #1!<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnGyL37qZNueBVREEUCM6L9SeBNC-PDcL7Cp5N_1CIKBBXR1MVUDEXahdS2GXjDoPgaBBca6UrNQW9gRWyMzZA-NTdZCgEd6ILbZW1WbQ5Wch7sgaPAW6tBetCBde0mCj8Gq16x40L7A/s1600/IMG_1931.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKnGyL37qZNueBVREEUCM6L9SeBNC-PDcL7Cp5N_1CIKBBXR1MVUDEXahdS2GXjDoPgaBBca6UrNQW9gRWyMzZA-NTdZCgEd6ILbZW1WbQ5Wch7sgaPAW6tBetCBde0mCj8Gq16x40L7A/s320/IMG_1931.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657763748190390098" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Of all the things that we grew this year, the pumpkins were what I was most excited about, and so...I am VERY excited to report that Linus the pumpkin was ready to be harvested from the garden on Tuesday. I was very worried that our pumpkins would not survive the extreme flooding in early September, but both Linus and Sally remained unfazed. Above is a photo of Linus with his faithful blue security blanket.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBcdJs7v76Kh6pLXdzAiiSIumjpf9vuH7gbgCF2B1st2GtgPzwdMDaUo7NZceAKTdD-ANXK1FQsbRhqJck-HOU18ha8W2Zymkbe5yg0v1iQPpUGwMwFKQIxg4uhHOzdOY2sXbvmYHasI/s320/IMG_1930.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657765097851486962" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Though great in terms of awesomeness, Linus is not so great in terms of size (these pictures are misleading - he is really the size of a candlestick bowling ball). I am not sure what his purpose will be yet. I think trying to carve into him to make a jack-o'-lantern might be challenging because he is so small...and I am also not sure that I want to carve into our first pumpkin! Perhaps he will be decorative, and when Sally (Great Pumpkin #2) is ready we can use her for a Snoopy-themed jack-o'-lantern.</div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-62304290144418758952011-09-26T08:38:00.014-04:002011-09-26T10:16:57.002-04:00Another year at the Danger Zone comes to an end...<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It has been a very busy and very wet September, which does not bode well for farm updates. Ithaca got hit with a record 4 inches of rain on the Wednesday after Labor Day, closing Cornell and flooding just about everything. (Though we were not here to see it - we were experiencing the flooding from a Pennsylvania perspective while vacationing with the Hokansons in the Poconos.) Luckily, most of the things we still had growing in the Danger Zone (carrots, potatoes, swiss chard, cucumbers green beans, and pumpkins) held on despite all that water. (The tomatoes...not so much.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Now that October is almost here, our gardening days are almost over. We have potatoes to pick (which we have never grown before, so I am pretty curious about that) and more carrots, as well as our two great pumpkins(!), but that is about it. These pictures were taken right before we left for the Poconos, so they are a bit outdated... </span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrZo_S8trkNYbWD_Ev9Zc9i-kHP1yVC21dbII6wVNaStdJF9Jja4UksHMprTS8RH8G2RlTQ_dlK8Dnc3885bOJUlwk-_3CQ-8r7o_zOBAIPX6Lc7dn_oZL1mTgk3yzFojWPwMBj9Mi8kA/s320/IMG_1890.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656665634927746658" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our green bean production was completely out of hand, and we were often unprepared for the amount of green beans ready to pick. David put as many as he could in his pockets!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqLxya1Q2abSQHwy0_bvLT2fXr7NpsfSGSebkpAMxZDGJFB5aHNgNL4XVFxS0DHJhlIp0IqhN7POvb0JUAMnZpXYeX_Ymnoe8fu1Z0LBhpGPHG87jYeXopnoLXXJZyZfinIFA4Q6JxMJw/s320/IMG_1896.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656666442690018850" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We pickled many of the green beans this year and tons of cucumbers. (If anyone would like a jar of pickles for Christmas, please let me know.) These jars are just from one round of pickling!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5u670sWwbRMeKa7nbPjjpbgK54Fof_HlaDsyXWU_s9xzWdS7ckPsTHHeI5wz4Z2j_XnTgKeOxXTo2TpNDMyBGevPLp5EwK83RkiEvSOwDWRE8ZP3JUBY6EwzQD4TUMtsY-kICsWpCPp8/s320/IMG_1894.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656666582913346242" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We also made three jars of homemade tomato sauce from our limited tomato crop. I am really excited to use one of these with some of David's homemade ravioli... (hint hint, dear)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIwh_7zFujfX0KKCKV6fYBJEyHIrJvmiRS_dY_A1VyfYSuDukuUgZ9eBDU80eaM7OOfq0hmEY-CU0JqyfyHmb7zRFgKOgUD5iUN6S7Ue4s_rkeAae-33Tsyy5buQe_XHJDk6323g09pcw/s320/IMG_1898.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656666746789650994" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our lazy broccoli finally made an appearance, though it did not produce very much. This is a picture of a crown just getting started.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXnLzA-DfRNJ5zHFAwPljEnqyyrsrvVbjW9pCF4HkxOmCQLE7w4viuTtAkTIJ0iqnGW6gVgKcgvYLp3KD9nZi2_ADeCcP70qy_n90ZvH_9VxK9xzCkX0WnrCzeNwV1P_V9QlT825Ioi-g/s320/IMG_1901.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656666942732204946" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Many of the other surrounding gardens grew more reasonably sized sunflowers that obviously had to be intimidated by our tall (and fierce-looking) ones.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPDISPYHOWZZBXkUYnckSAjKOTSkWuqfKE_8IYSv67E0Tjbm7iDcSPidqnt1vw5GhB5kN6Lgz_DuBxJ09yCqGL5v7qJY90Ko46833mCZ863gz9QJsU8AgUXfeGBbnhhnXEWHhc0uncSFM/s320/IMG_1909.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656667445832110514" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">In case you were not convinced that our sunflowers were big, here is a photo of me with one of the ones that we picked. Notice how the sunflower is bigger than my entire head (though my afro of curly hair was tamed in a ponytail, so I may have won the size battle had my hair been down).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2NEJVKOV_S-xVST5F9DXWSP1A15LD8cIcnMKf7UU_FvpDgC7GPs-5zL4bJzHwS8Vy7xXnpd8FweJUHyqhUOWBwM9ZkboTloocYqJCYwtQ9tpFhbtXXn9pqRXrrkdvEYzZLog2PqZUPQ4/s320/IMG_1903.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656667757574410226" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our Chinese eggplant finally came in, and they were totally worth the wait. I am glad this one plant survived all of those pesky black beetles. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMP1_HZI8Nf134tJw4NoL97TEfIBdReMXdx6DY1KjNXs8vKuGkc5YSrwEnw1_ctP6R5yi3Pm2x_O4AjQiaVDqBr6YQBL1Oi9gN8lWjlbph6UJ1ZL9fGd-IMvhn0Soy_6BgVTKGJijPmVc/s320/IMG_1911.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656668241181567794" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Linus (Great Pumpkin #1) was starting to turn orange at the start of September (and is now probably close to being ready to pick)...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE3dpGYlhgIgo6O8jV2d1PaG7LxHxpdc8QpmfBUweJkyOCwBKAflZHJm4nZPI2p-CmMY-8ulXIwEXWH_I1aOKUSea053tDQ1iZpQbUvJekVwtrZJHLXTE-TLY_d-Ca4E-E4EdAQZPNI-U/s320/IMG_1914.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656668407012238738" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...while Sally still grew bigger (David's foot is next to the pumpkin as a make-shift scale bar).</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbNdIQVOvGxNmjIpb6SVngV0rKRBpUwiKZGSgEBsSJu-O2AEOc0RkUSKh9HHmsv4k6sVFY_rc7KtCQeNuQYAiHxzCIANwoFEWIB29vml-wv5CI9r5CruvZa6RcjLQZOds7s4gmSUnYmLk/s320/IMG_1917.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656668713114915634" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I love how colorful all of these vegetables are!! We used most of these in a giant stir fry. You will notice the carrots look strange; this is what happens if you do not thin your carrot plants early on. As they mature, they run out of space to develop and begin growing together. Many of our carrots are really several carrot plants combined.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25HkOZ_i-73iaFSNmdSEN2c0skyglZTtrIZ1n8kdAkLjkcUOAW1z1pJ9eWBTFwv2PYDh4jiB-y-FU0UcOy492Xwyv_Kf27ow3aQVwlUKIh_RzQdXFhVhRtpHDFdoss46RUVlZo_ic5R8/s1600/IMG_1918.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25HkOZ_i-73iaFSNmdSEN2c0skyglZTtrIZ1n8kdAkLjkcUOAW1z1pJ9eWBTFwv2PYDh4jiB-y-FU0UcOy492Xwyv_Kf27ow3aQVwlUKIh_RzQdXFhVhRtpHDFdoss46RUVlZo_ic5R8/s320/IMG_1918.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5656668928281981458" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The beautiful pork stir fry Chef David made with our vegetables! Yummy :) </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">As always, it is sad to have another year of farming come to a close, and we will likely have only one more farm update. Luckily, there are many exciting things happening this fall and winter to occupy our time, like...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...Ben's baptism this weekend!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...my trip to Seattle to visit Kristen next weekend!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...the impending arrival of Baby Boy Bennett (late October), Baby Girl LaPierre (mid-November), and many other little ones (10 and counting)!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...and of course, the holidays (Butler for Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve, then onward to South Carolina for Christmas)!</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-11515368705942104312011-09-02T15:18:00.011-04:002011-09-02T16:13:06.129-04:00Happy birthday to me!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">In August, I turned 28 years old. (One could argue that I am almost 29, in fact...) This birthday was a particularly exciting birthday because I got to celebrate it twice - once in Butler with my extended family, and once at the NYS Fair with David.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div style="text-align: center; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-T15RTGjPirrlq9ckE9xpnlXwPwhJWa8ocL-r3-SzII1Ag3mbwQQed_ZhHEQwzxfyx7BY2n6T-rfCfD3nk_Ck9VcnEwmV59s_LlO-hFlxcr0X7AwyEVjKyLYeJ6efNInfc5GOVolPiU/s1600/IMG_1864.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_-T15RTGjPirrlq9ckE9xpnlXwPwhJWa8ocL-r3-SzII1Ag3mbwQQed_ZhHEQwzxfyx7BY2n6T-rfCfD3nk_Ck9VcnEwmV59s_LlO-hFlxcr0X7AwyEVjKyLYeJ6efNInfc5GOVolPiU/s320/IMG_1864.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647847387866144898" style="text-align: justify; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My birthday was on a Friday, and we spent six hours of it in a car driving to Butler. David made me this card, which I thought was hilarious. The hunks featured in these photos (Dean Cain, Noah Wyle, Adam Levine, and Conan O'Brien) are all of my celebrity crushes, and David Photoshopped in their Pittsburgh Pirates hats because we had plans to go to the Pirates game with my parents on Sunday. (David would like me to point out that he gave Adam Levine a girl's Pirates hat, because he feels that Adam sings like a girl.) Butler was tons of fun, though I am sad to report that I did not photo-document any of it. We went to Natili's on Friday night with Elliot's parents, Phil Ball, and (briefly) my sister. On Saturday, we hung out with Kristen, and had dinner and strawberry shortcake with my family. And finally on Sunday, we enjoyed a close Pirates game (from amazing seats) at PNC Park, complete with yummy Primanti's sandwiches and Quaker Steak and Lube wings! The Pirates did not win, but it was still a great game and I was glad to get to see them play once this season.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjHNJmY5ac_8sWcMA0TIQwojDLHT81DE8e4P7jOb399gZlQJ4gzGkXA38OR_j9VtFCYp-4guQpqqTN84J2GosmiF6dYNqOByzWADBC4DXfuBM7hgPbla05ncU3rp4ZXG7abftCBvTprGE/s320/IMG_1868.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647847612208526130" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The week after my birthday, David and I went to the NYS Fair. This trip was a double sacrifice for David: 1) David is not so into fairs to begin with and 2) The evening was planned around tickets to a Gavin DeGraw / Train / Maroon 5 concert at the end of our fair visit. I think in the end he still managed to have some fun! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu3WXEKiVdtzCxJrds-Ke9Gr7OMUB8zX_AV0ouLaW1CVEuYoPMjoi6-YMiy9uO15B7MyAOjcSis6BWtG2b5pjBcUsgScyvfYDrNhV1KCgaRxDVQZY8hz1kDwzLHGhwwrPoiVzjpTyJ8K8/s320/IMG_1869.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647847999398256802" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Here is David with his corn dog, his one requirement for attending the fair. We bought that as soon as we arrived. David also had a fish sandwich, and I had fried green tomatoes and a caramel apple.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNTPtkJNDStR5PbNWz20q3m82aE0uiFYMMf4KzXlJ2HD2xH8Oy5FkIAKI18d2kvnnVkSrgJ99-n_smhqQLCIEXEVrGupsrSjhUJSIRpfXEN21qpa6viFpvLo6_E4KDTZPUHodJqkbN08/s320/IMG_1870.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647848174120902930" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">My favorite fair animals are the "moo cows." These ones were particularly cute.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IQsMa7pwiyW6TWNH1BrLy1qIrVi7ZN-jy2_BP7qiXR4kYShP4XBg9STvSY31vSqgk1O3ddPQqaAiLTH3pFo-a3twwRChslHq35mtIiB0Vcod3XHRsd5g0vBMcWMICNC84amXYq2Fjaw/s320/IMG_1876.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5647849430624272402" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We played some games during our fair visit, and I insisted that David play a dart game until he won me this Angry Bird. I named it Bomb Squad initially (until David "misheard" me and started calling him Bomb Squat), but now I call him Klabam! Klabam! lives at my lab desk currently.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I took pictures of the concert, but we were so far away that Adam Levine really just looks like an ant under a huge spotlight. All three acts sounded amazing, but this concert was the best Maroon 5 performance I have ever seen. They did some great rearrangements of their hits, and actually played an almost 8 minute medley of songs before even greeting the audience to say hello. It was musically intense and truly fantastic! </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I am not sure how I will top two 28th birthday celebrations when I turn 29...but I am sure I will think of something...</span></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-32456785702078062332011-08-18T12:58:00.009-04:002011-08-18T13:16:19.633-04:00Ipita's trip to the farm<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNAZQXVhq2MprJ3zHEVo-gjFeOXc93GaiPbv2fTBL-kNfX-uvfXqSevR4fTKnsTmM0uK9qKBLPikGdMkSjMegwkuJciZqOcQMQlbPBsSc9GL1G_6QexxftFYIj2RsT8w9Ecwksn6qcr8/s320/IMG_1850.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642243232851959234" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Recently, David became obsessed with the idea of bringing Ipita to our garden plot. After giving Ipita doses of flea medication as a preventative measure, we loaded him up in the car along with our garden supplies and took him on a field trip.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Ipita seemed to really enjoy his farm visit. He especially liked...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHMQwhYAN1u0XSHJuUqAvVbg_SRquRBuv7MF5Z7oOHFP2uku3TYjXkk_Rwiayg6_7cfBMArrZdItjuuqR6NrtRBwF86_SmgLsh49OIt8ASqZbldX2Ks-KVDMW9cHaxosXx8S_b-rsGwE/s320/IMG_1854.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642244072818966514" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...exploring the tall weeds that are growing around our garden rows</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY16vHafF7id4mQjojnOCmFPWeTgn2l13vcyj2LM8qJe9TwHLQtzngZDIVZ-A65FvpwAKwZr63KFBz4e88wZLUg3wbn01S4-GZAKZYlxNNpaD9PS9xPeTEHO8WWEePzLgwLxws53FlCZ8/s320/IMG_1855.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642243830509882722" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...running in between plants</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkfoThdTenGWGDz6hmDRrC1RalyoNoePlgFb_PtEDu66GZIAkTox-3_gM_ufB-vbI9seFClrzer-yhULItbbIpYIol5jjy8_U91dpry7FKwGYp5cWwGzIdFFF_ydoMhm6YkczfrQGOMvE/s320/IMG_1859.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642243606209010946" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...checking up on what David was up to</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2WE6hRGqu_PQ-ADl845MI_7xdyw5BRsXLOrLxKk5OntUBuNJc-fMOD88G5SDtId4Y8_7ln6hAAa2F6azaPk95R4o2qslSJzvXP30j1VG7454NzgucndPPKWNIPqM3LjhOwAjgDmm_gA/s320/IMG_1847.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642244437191448802" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...staring out at the other garden plots from behind our garden fence, guard-cat style</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiitZhN18QHpJLE5IGJpxNdNOykGfjzERbImYo31QNEMLLuCr-eJJE-nJZp_3_7KxMAgGS6bR4zDdTGc8qsV3mntNMKAwn91-4J6dvNdxc1FkMh04Zx6UW-AqojODjendkU306qHtcDkXs/s320/IMG_1862.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642244560616074978" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">On the car ride to the garden, Ipita was pretty stressed out (he probably suspected he was on his way to the vet), but on the car ride home, he was content to curl up at David's feet. Based upon the success of this field trip, David has decided he is now going to take Ipita to the garden every time he goes to the garden. (I think this is excessive, but also realize this will happen regardless of my input.) And so...Ipita is now both our house (apartment) cat and our farm cat. Look for him in future farm updates!</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-27251530262755644302011-08-18T11:43:00.015-04:002011-08-18T13:39:22.494-04:00Crops, crops everywhere<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhqxNnGa-IwEW0gAH5KDcXHgkfIclJa9tHcsg-TVVyMnBcyWv-oeF-oha7VF0pJTiE52DujK4rAf5UxGFuHKDkXqm_RUl01-vj_jKa4XVkdVUyPhPK2TBKrVdbV_gkpjflgJ74ZhM_yc/s1600/IMG_1858.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxhqxNnGa-IwEW0gAH5KDcXHgkfIclJa9tHcsg-TVVyMnBcyWv-oeF-oha7VF0pJTiE52DujK4rAf5UxGFuHKDkXqm_RUl01-vj_jKa4XVkdVUyPhPK2TBKrVdbV_gkpjflgJ74ZhM_yc/s320/IMG_1858.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642244938341075666" /></span></a><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Many wonderful crops are coming out of the Danger Zone lately. Here is our August Danger Zone update:</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5t2fC7a-Glj8Kih8oRiLGnRe5nXr0ZLq6TZ3ogaqEi3pHRtGtetB3EioSexr3YZFsjwXl0TTQ7I1kk-APTOjS2pz8fQkn3nfdm1zsUeeU3INJVDd8bS8mdTaEqBqIswX-OWYRFn1LWHE/s320/IMG_1821.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642225005714508546" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ERlUuYdaGUkHlt_IyVvylbTVXogCmDYQxmOSBOsx84yp501xiJN07QobclNQOc_4zmbZ-zTLqgsCYnqwKE40cufgglrUIT_XOtXUfOfgdpFSYIljiCaGJHB6BditNPauXRZmyoHQ-jE/s320/IMG_1822.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642225113780093154" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqaxP7n6Cg5MSly8TksOL61Cq7YnWxpYhi_-4ou-AVd-XpGVQ7oU_cE8tjHGyYzFnvowWJbhpl65g2lrCsXM49a8QYQ61-QQPp9fqGZdF78MMNF0qusedzllL1fZgjxsB5QBuE80nBcQ8/s320/IMG_1846.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642240177247440354" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">All of the tomatoes are beginning to ripen, and are extremely good-tasting. We are finding our larger tomatoes are splitting a bit on top (due to all of the rain lately), but this has not affected their flavor so far.</span></div><div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwRz7uABorcTRWdP-1FMYZAJK16nnt4aElG1hnvY0HZXlAtOafcOtTdk9gTDDl-iLobPBVTLeJeaQbfVLQJvmtqGK63sjANzvKwfyjtOrKy_Bpo0XFqOlCSESy3GAt0gnXWpfJnBX2pp4/s320/IMG_1839.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642224301629687762" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">One of our tomatoes fell off the plant before it was ripened, and so David made fried green tomato slices. This is one of my favorite appetizers, and these did not disappoint. They were delicious! I am not-so-secretly hoping more tomatoes make their way off the plant a little early...</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiirLvLP_4tFfmQOpN_MFxoQeBqEbsobjbrlg7SGHy7mydC_XMUR04ay53CsbUGaOFSPxTTpym9h7oiHn-qz8BNhk3W_Glrn2dcUn-IYJlTmSbyr_zchL-Ts2op9FkCywcRXFv70l6FFJc/s320/IMG_1825.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642223735041232898" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Linus the pumpkin has grown considerably since my last update and looks promising to be ready in time to be our Great Pumpkin on Halloween night this year. Recently another pumpkin has started to grow, and I have (appropriately) named it Sally.</span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19v8RQVSgi5j9oRGAhEbTMHBbqubWWFqVp8gs59C5WPyfR0ykjhmt95-UlUlhtHOW9z5uVtcIqtZPqhZS5VzUArDCh2SMx3jub6y5YPNjHQtDjwo9UvWpLs1Oq4yJZomDgtNGMAAjkHA/s320/IMG_1833.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642225811323219714" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our Chinese eggplant plant is determined to grow, despite the continuous attacks from the little black beetle bugs. So far we have two little eggplants coming in.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoSrqllRlr3-OERz4RSpg-S9aKUa-EIfynO-dDbhQZijwnVDRWAjgV193gwkaYIOMpvoWYmLY-DCUdy-BKdDjx2c3KFWme0h0tIYqvFFV3516EcN4D2IMa9RBo-XbZw4k9tH1fA1ty1h4/s320/IMG_1820.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642236968178613202" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We made pickles two nights ago with our first round of pickling cucumbers, and we will make more tonight. Our regular cucumbers have also been doing well too; I like to eat slices of them with hummus.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLr975fmb3h8c5WUux5o5XchMxcUsjQrWYSJf_mt4R95ioaU4rWYhYdRy_acl_F3HTyS_kJ7nfw2qVLKl0e0svp1e69FVFBQ4UawPrgFHqm9FBCzVVELZQNJgpOuAN6c41Wpg5DATkSPM/s320/IMG_1827.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642238056086489762" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We have real ears of corn now, but it is hard for us to tell whether or not they are ready to be picked yet. David read that the corn is ripe two weeks after the silk forms, but our ears just don't look large enough to be ready. I think tonight or next week we will have to pick one and test it out.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu4-evNgzIpqTUqZQSSMiHJM78K5CEabOWLYhjjpOMnZTqqUgP5tHkPuEC06GC86-zMeLC2LJexezKjWzSQzAvTxLihKjcksbxf8FhbjBhFnfiAc8afXMW8eUx5of6ueXqJw_fmkIdufc/s320/IMG_1831.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642239168140587346" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Despite their growing leafy tops, our carrots are still not ready yet. We ate this one anyway (since we already picked it), and I can confirm that I still like eating these carrots.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs9dq8uWX_KECa72ICfUATCwndH0RDS9ia6_l_XqG2iw-zeAe8TZxjl6ZbrLrtK8hzKMtIpTZTdv9E-GfH7DcyYx-JDZ-FugbZBZMsG_4SNE9nQimo-E1wXoj8jKplZeE2x6EqwkFDKhg/s320/IMG_1834.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642239762511366178" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">After a slight delay from our first zucchini, we have two more growing in. It is amazing how well these zucchini plants have recovered since their stems were split!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">In less interesting news, our sunflowers are growing taller by the second it seems (and some have surpassed me at 5 ft. 8 in.), but still no flowers yet. Also, our pepper plants are doing very well, but have not quite turned from green to red/purple.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">
<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiOb2QcqVPaQpnEtr6w-uYhuUMRE_IP1jxKKm38bfUCNXApzycAqeo5d_gSs0f9zf4kJrr1kQx4jFB8DuUUpXiKEiwUzshNLGMNgsUEw_wl3MOgk92hHfAuQAOJkFuW1w2QMO4dvSyFA/s1600/IMG_1837.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiOb2QcqVPaQpnEtr6w-uYhuUMRE_IP1jxKKm38bfUCNXApzycAqeo5d_gSs0f9zf4kJrr1kQx4jFB8DuUUpXiKEiwUzshNLGMNgsUEw_wl3MOgk92hHfAuQAOJkFuW1w2QMO4dvSyFA/s320/IMG_1837.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5642223097992050034" style="text-align: justify; display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></a></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">It has become very fun to go to our "farm" lately because we get to take yummy vegetables home with us almost every time we visit. Currently, our fridge is packed with swiss chard, lettuce, cucumbers, green beans and tomatoes. (Perhaps it really is time to throw that salad party after all...)</span></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-23425829006311546642011-08-04T12:29:00.008-04:002011-08-04T13:56:58.585-04:00Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I recently bought the Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts book, and it is fabulous (though I am slightly biased because I am <i>just a little</i> obsessed with all things Martha). The recipes are genius, though I would honestly buy it just for the beautiful color photos of each recipe. While I do not have the time (or the money) to cook all of the 150 pies and tarts in one year Julia and Julia style, I am really excited to try to make as many new pies and tarts as possible.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Karen (a post-doc with me in the Crane lab) and I made a blueberry and buttermilk tart soon after I bought the book, which went very well despite our unfocused approach to baking it. (I forgot to take photographic proof, so you will have to take our word for it.) However, as anyone that uses Martha's recipes regularly knows, there are usually extreme consequences when Martha's directions are not followed exactly as written. I refer to these consequences as the wrath of Martha. Laziness and shortcuts are not allowed when "cooking with Martha," and she will punish you if you ignore her lengthy (and sometimes annoyingly detailed) advice. (If you would like to cook without fear, I suggest cooking recipes from Rachael Ray or Paula Deen. Their recipes can be doctored like crazy before reaching the point of failure.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgImQAr30fIYUYJRTjerWeVjTqcL9kEZvFocoCd57ZEC-0mYSU7FJIZ6HZamrhubhnWYenxcmI9Tzd3KsdjSle8KYGTm9TfAhk_QcI_vVwMlETbZcxgLjVJPgaRNDaay_QasEDqweKbbQc/s320/IMG_1781.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637056584516485106" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">When I was visiting Amanda and Paul a few weeks ago, I offered to bake Paul a pie of his choosing from the book. He chose banana cream pie, and I set about making the pie crust, which I did according to every single detail Martha demanded (even though I have made pie crusts several times without incident just by using my grandmother's approximations). Above is the finished pie crust dough waiting to be pre-baked. When it came time for pre-baking this awesome-looking crust, I did not add pie crust weights to fill the crust as Martha asked me to. My first reason for not listening to Martha was a practical one - Amanda did not have pie crust weights (who does really, unless there are centerpieces around that contain marbles). My second reason was based on my own experience and instincts - I have baked many pie crusts in my short lifetime that have turned out beautifully and have never, ever used pie weights before. And so, for both of these reasons, I decided this detail in the recipe was not so crucial. I figured it was more of a suggestion from Martha than a demand, and I put the pie crust in the oven without the pie weights.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUc0Sh44YHQiT0S4nuVtP6wwb74xlJQyFqDDxu6tXf2Wq6fbFj8GdJRkBc7csu2dKQ5WGEuSRu4XwkRNjlMbWX_040Hn8mOY6qANU18BrKDSdZdWH7AOAr9bhiKicY78nucWv2M74an0/s320/IMG_1782.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637056792825072450" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I miscalculated BIG TIME. I should have known better than to trust my own experience over hers (she's Martha freaking Stewart after all!), and she was most definitely not kidding about the pie weights. In fact, Martha got pretty pissed off at me for not using pie weights, as shown in this photo. Epic fail. Without those blasted pie weights, the crust puffed up and shrunk up around the edges! It looked like and had the texture of a giant tortilla shell used in taco salad. The rest of the banana cream pie-making process went downhill from there. Frustrated over this crappy crust, I did not cook the custard long enough and it did not set. (Though that may have been a blessing in disguise, because I doubt the custard would have tasted very good inside this mess of a crust anyway.) When I got back from North Carolina, I compared Martha's pie crust recipe to my grandmother's to see what could have possibly made such a difference, and was not surprised to discover the ingredients and their proportions are essentially the same in both (Martha uses a pinch more sugar in her crust than Grandmom Lola does). There is obviously no reasonable explanation for the failure of this pie crust other than the wrath of Martha.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSDPU2GDU65FC7M5wW0F25miiLo_eS0M4sRgG7JeYzHRtPcoAV9Uo7Pz2zsVnO0ljB0F2m0qijWaJXg6JVxIHiPzt4opubR4FKnc_8xEazV8T1194q_koLW37jI0_cR2lnaMwSo4abPbE/s320/IMG_1807.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637056905212211026" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">After a little time off to repent my mistake, I got out the cookbook last night and made this Swiss Chard and Goat Cheese Galette with some swiss chard from our garden. I followed Martha's directions exactly, and it turned out perfectly. (For those of you who do not have the cookbook, you can find the recipe <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/343302/swiss-chard-and-goat-cheese-galette">here</a>.) The crust of this galette was particularly interesting because it included oatmeal, which was a unique crust ingredient for me but added a lot of texture to this dish.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Now that our squash plants are beginning to produce, I am considering <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/344192/summer-squash-lattice-tart">this</a> as my next Martha-based challenge!</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-33732015906020379512011-07-27T10:57:00.005-04:002011-07-27T11:19:51.697-04:00The ceremonious picking of our first carrot<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">I have never liked carrots. Throughout my childhood, I would eat all sorts of kid-unfriendly vegetables, but not the traditionally kid-friendly carrot. I hated them in all forms (except in cake). My parents used to force me to eat my age in carrots (until I reached double digit ages and they showed mercy by stopping the count at 10). Now, my more mature adult self will deign to eat carrots...but only if they are slathered in butter and cooked until they are total mush.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Despite my passionate dislike for this vegetable, we wanted to try growing them this year, and it has been a very exciting process because of all of the suspense. As we obviously can't see the carrots growing underground and only have their leafy tops to go on, the anticipation of what our carrots look like has been building for weeks. We finally cracked yesterday and picked our first carrot. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlSaoPIyAubAEWay79HTg708UQXMykBclE2Dt9C952WqQFkKQunvj7FGf1Cj9m26hgoMhMuhljBemkCNRFa6rXHFYU9uuDBkgDsn0NpuKF9_WiqyHQqIPd6Eii6W0rvySeaGjgv1orE4/s320/IMG_1802.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634050467568704562" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">David let me do the picking honors. I selected the largest one, though it turned out to still be rather small.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;" ><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi37YZw9TyPbDp8DHeu-i3XOyTQdtbKvvtrChlYRgHo9BgPQPsJq3UJuFXoMwKboOoZHyBEib2UrApVSKSNOQth3NxrJEidwhneUJFC3ouJuglGH_QX8zE0db0UrXITStqJerXzukLAemE/s320/IMG_1803.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634050612773360450" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Victory! A photo of me laughing with our carrot. (The funny part not captured on film was that I lost my balance and almost fell over while pulling this tiny thing out of the ground.) This carrot looked a little sci-fi in the sense that it still had roots at its tip, and it obviously needed more time to grow. We will not pick any more for a little while so that they can get bigger.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwO1-y0xDc0nf3YhsjZbrzssbiAc1Z4VgxthRmLMXR5SJIyhz9v776C7GuCLyiAjvRFF9ffCt9g5nJ23pEUFMs7yJNtw8P90Wk5wvYiv0WpKgB-eD2BjCEY4dMYIrVdU8qbUQafBFEHc/s320/IMG_1804.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634051230938501746" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">David's best imitation of Bugs Bunny.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And now for the most unexpected twist during our carrot picking ceremony: I LOVED the carrot. LOVED IT. It was sweeter than any other raw carrot I have ever eaten, and I could have eaten 10 of them easily! And so, let this be a lesson to parents of cute little small children refusing to eat vegetables. The solution is simple - start planting them in your backyard! I promise your kids will come around.</span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-30030586613196232422011-07-27T10:30:00.019-04:002011-07-27T11:51:28.596-04:00Crops!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYt2BOudIYqSp8dTkOBJBnfxjh2sfBwxFZ9kzLIJGKlpfhpZ6uIwz9FMGgzyZ7WIhrzdnG36JOzlnv44NclZoFZJSP5cJ72pmEzqigC2j38V2pGL32uWqs_kuUZ4NUfrLsBnVRv86Wcc/s1600/IMG_1794.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYt2BOudIYqSp8dTkOBJBnfxjh2sfBwxFZ9kzLIJGKlpfhpZ6uIwz9FMGgzyZ7WIhrzdnG36JOzlnv44NclZoFZJSP5cJ72pmEzqigC2j38V2pGL32uWqs_kuUZ4NUfrLsBnVRv86Wcc/s320/IMG_1794.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634059806986420146" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">There has been much excitement in The Danger Zone recently, and we have been able to enjoy many yummy vegetables and spices. Above Farmer/Chef David is cutting some oregano for our dinner yesterday. And so, though it has not been very long...here is another picture update:</span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMRI6obdoTKuObyKF3z5N2wjyh9lysrKkHO51TAITx_gGWdRA6NsCbflzBYNXBuhOJQxwwjZY-89zJKhaNw4hLafm2GcsZYcOax-zJGMEITaN75br9vh0yD28Ar9fGWXGsqJUAinkICvE/s320/IMG_1784.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634053274119877842" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our corn is growing really tall! I am the scale bar of sorts in this photo, and I am 5'8". It is pretty much as tall as me now! The sunflowers are also growing taller - they up to my waist now.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxeSFkasFiXu1UoNnFEekujKa1e4hrZIm0_feKPvzfhfUBlHtHcPcl6sanVBciwoNrfHxjk__OljSLHzXQQR8tXqKGY2BNAQqSDJqPkSqKWAZw0vv-MgauQABXhuSVtkJWRn_ZWt6MAc/s320/IMG_1785.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634053482715105858" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">A closer view of the corn. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0TtKGNDl9oQ9-VzBP6XOHCvGq1uzK26DE_xoNxAV7jS7dReJ1DYWsXN33ORxxgOoWBXQ0cT1AyIs1IXR-Efg-MzVXKr6IZmjOIhh4Oo4yPwPV-hHy-O2FMnLmP0PT0NiT8mayd1xEeQo/s320/IMG_1787.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634053659508371874" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">We covered the split stem of the most healthy squash plant with more soil, and that plant has recovered beautifully. Perhaps we will have to try this with some of the others. The leaves are much healthier, and we are even beginning to see signs of little squashes growing.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yAbBCbF3ULzjhb6WLd4J_KnMhVOd-Z2dmM1aI5wYxklC1Jklr54FUuVepRAFKPcf8GNwcrkREdJffWM7CiUrqy7GLFFwYX6oWwDcZ02sOcOBSqczfk_8UQ4nYuDTq30_F0LQusKBwQw/s320/IMG_1788.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634054254400244242" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">HELLO GREAT PUMPKIN! Our pumpkin plants are growing out of control, and here is our first developing pumpkin. I have named it Linus.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ooFP4zsJn8k1Ba4QEMw0FyrOo8yGrPEA9wBDKkOC8wIEQ3BWn1hm5LfIIScAJydCGkuqxZ4tfsXnqU1U8Zo0duJ-fs6LfRPqPJcVaKXVotvak4etQmixm5FkZJiT29ngrabdPKw_htQ/s320/IMG_1789.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634054810692907810" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Watch out squash row...the pumpkins are invading.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_MyjsqkVJuYv_1UHYXPHy6yKJVSSTPqU2csMQYzbk9uuyKZ-iHLlADxOOyWCuZAvXh5OrJZGnY8y7d79fkEzK0OmsHgZKP2lwQE0Z_LrbLtU29SpVQcRFrvL_HdCxYohZwj3ggUfBXd4/s320/IMG_1791.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634057411641138578" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our first pickling cucumber! It has just a few more days to grow and then it will be ready to pick, as these do not get very big.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjba2rY4jh4OB0dLBbM-8IgyOEVPfZvF0hKS9hcWMjYOwjTryORLhFe8V0rah_ZKhmF8LOzlPmSv157-PE8JrdXaJPhe-8tO_Z-wKnK8XPaLcZ5FlwYJquTE5pP0EbXS6BDBHDBWhfk3XM/s320/IMG_1796.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634057632093163954" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">The cucumbers are flourishing in general. Here is a shot of the pickling cucumbers taking over their trellis. (The regular cucumbers are also doing very well.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXAxu5oJCKFyN_BW2RtABEitXclK1Z5aO983uHxzLFEjJA42EQZceWAIdK1oyh51-8o5o7H5dpg8Hil2E227yh5eH4agsh_kIz5OUWXk80jWgSJNXSX42RnWvOd4UFCkuySwQ7tjcQhw/s320/IMG_1795.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634057979570330706" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">These peas are peas from the heavens! They are so sweet and delicious. Avid fans of The Danger Zone may recall that last year our peas were pillaged by scavengers of the air and land variety (birds/rabbits) before we could get any harvest from them. This year our marigolds seem to have protected the peas, as we have already picked one batch and will probably pick another later this week.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMDk8U21wOdgfYc3I77v8tIXzLLDYfJ5xhlHU51oRjg66eAiTtAuiEM7AS0Ei4i03eqQtDobva3jFRttrij4JLTGRzIAOMdB-1qpO9Stk02ypNNc4kivqZAjMSLZqLYHQ2h_tSYiWl9M/s320/IMG_1797.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634058196693092530" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our Chinese eggplant plant would like to hang on. It really would. But those pesky black bugs just won't let up! You can see them on the leaves in this photo. I am not sure if it will be able to overcome these critters, even though we regularly spray it with the pesticide. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0wdWUlwrk6mMl9i9EH1k44r0tnIJZnTtjiTt2FKxRV3UiMRmmTBTmZyGLqhMC9g2BdhCmnELBOSRQrfNVj899n-X-VHvzanw_Gs3TsSmMTIS3kiHstFrBfPLZd2obwZN3bmDqdAMx_M4/s320/IMG_1806.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634058366631603154" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Green beans! These have a while to go before we can pick them, but after a lazy start they are finally coming in.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGNfm3jfs2TNM81k96r5E4nBpgRypsGqTxnbrZB_swsjv2D5lEPWZY05gyiUcbJzv-SZcldx2MVzUyhS1yxx7_RXKIffDJJlNvV3ua0Igqd6G1tmHV4h9E-BuUjWLZ1hIIUvvsVP6JugE/s320/IMG_1800.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634058748163586690" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">Our cherry tomatoes are starting to come in...</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKfktOC0KmdL0sTUbLht3CuGD2py4h0_6SoDXcf24pQmhKs6OeR7u-SXaPkX58o48XYkEnOFmLSVGCmUUP4VSkUYMBsuQgJS_U-6XOeHoi8p0sw9XPYYCN8hBAjPvl9pg_MSbP4FKKcT4/s320/IMG_1801.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634058892115193906" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">...and our larger tomatoes are getting even larger.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4OVOEJLKc-_fckniQo0tGByMzCL7THABumg-YEoUWy0M6_D3JJ6codFiWTCdyL6vZT-Em9nBhS9mHx8UehF5afZAUYpXpLwO1GOBsvIZ5HgTuMUjQ2bPtBVw4fRRMZHpeM-fyjzYPw7U/s320/IMG_1793.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5634059207235413042" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:85%;">And last for this update (but certainly not least), our cute little pepper buds are now full-fledged peppers, though I hope some of them turn red so I can eat them. (I find green peppers to be disgusting, though I used to find carrots disgusting until <a href="http://sechobot.blogspot.com/2011/07/ceremonious-picking-of-our-first-carrot.html">I ate one grown in our garden</a>, so maybe I will come around.)</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-84328739621439411072011-07-20T10:16:00.015-04:002011-07-20T10:59:36.253-04:00Down on the farm - a Danger Zone update<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_3Vh7f4-EtFTUMtQwj6JPh9vDOd28erhK50YXLRZbVAeG8ahfjNaZTDM3c05ouy7fACUXvDJghuPXoE8JiU79LXGj_kfZxFdrlhEmHSymphvgSM2aX4H-Vi7Tg3VkgPaufIfE8H-1c8/s1600/IMG_1744.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_3Vh7f4-EtFTUMtQwj6JPh9vDOd28erhK50YXLRZbVAeG8ahfjNaZTDM3c05ouy7fACUXvDJghuPXoE8JiU79LXGj_kfZxFdrlhEmHSymphvgSM2aX4H-Vi7Tg3VkgPaufIfE8H-1c8/s320/IMG_1744.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631445054310528402" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After a slow start, our plants are thriving in The Danger Zone this year. Above is our first bounty, though there have been many more since this photo was taken. Right now we are able to pick swiss chard, mustard greens and lettuce at least twice a week. (My next plan for our swiss chard is </span></span><a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/343302/swiss-chard-and-goat-cheese-galette"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">this</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, found on pages 290-291 of my new love, the Martha Stewart's Pies and Tarts book.)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMk7rkd6wEXAROjPlN1O4aL89GIwzYd80zlVB9cFg_tFcPv-hMjIUBSgTGZBOtW9d4Tp1pEt0xVseYnj3mSmrhpP_mfpw0fvc3Lrt8tro_9cAmkAB_NkF32ei5Obe_q_6kheM7cbnwOs/s320/IMG_1746.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631445145047236130" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is a photo of row 1. The front part is green lettuce, carrots are in the middle, and red lettuce is in the back. We have been so tempted to pick a carrot early just to see the tiny little carrot growing underneath the leafy top, but so far we haven't done it yet. (I have come very close though.) Lettuce grows very quickly in comparison to the other crops, so we can replant it often to yield many batches. (I think we are going to have to throw a salad party pretty soon though in order to be able to eat it all.)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU-H4V5p3vxi5vbuaIuXdBn0rwtVnzvzpACkeU2G8fCBJ3_t2_6g5snjld8xPQNX4Ix_4vha_OA5-nSd80GbANWPNVm1PdJTUi9R9_-yPyE1n5nlbPoP4ftnlKGhoLPi1uQZ1A93kWvA0/s320/IMG_1754.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631445319975466274" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Tomatoes are in row 2. Last year we only had cherry tomato plants, but this year we planted tomatoes big and small, and of all different colors. These are the Celebrity tomatoes - they are getting so big already!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzoURqGcXbpHlvzWDDvmTEO1LDp-VzzDcQBQSwiMWwQCFdlgjeYV_1HxVurRxEimgymZrCNhPdz_w0Cc6kjZqb3ztgiLfwy5_7H1Tccc__6h1cou3eSJ6bgSg3ZCrN6N5ywlC9ySQI64/s320/IMG_1755.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631445523070426290" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Peppers and eggplant are in row 3. So far, the eggplant plants have been plagued by little black bugs, though they are trying really hard to stay alive. We bought a (organic of course - we are in Ithaca after all) bug spray to try to salvage them, and they are flowering against the little bugs' will. I will post a picture of them on my next update. As you can see above, our pepper plants are now flowering and producing tiny pepper buds! These are growing bigger by the day, so the little pepper bud in the middle of this photo is now a mini-pepper.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCePNyb90_3cKxBgIwbz6j5Rpe2wnquzapjj5DmHtJ-xjAKix77yX98H2gC_sS5_xJieDZhAon20d1tC0MZTqUmHNxBvAe-nUakuJosMM-kCWd8Tlo1sekUbYcZr0h4e4jViskoUFu6EU/s320/IMG_1756.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631445749456129986" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cucumbers and peas are in row four, and both are coming in now. This picture of the pickling cucumbers was taken after we first added our trellis. We also planted full size cucumbers this year.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQ7v9WeXD5KI4Gk6OL1wn0Jlpwy5iLwCQ8khS82YwpwuRTJhHdfOnF40hDuyvEzYxt5eihJ7Or9x8ORKqPJQJXU1z7V8E6mfVcXucc22ZNtUjYkHA_r4hgSygbWP9xMXTnD22GhaZSUE/s320/IMG_1757.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631445932255376546" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These are the English peas, though we also planted sugar snap peas too.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZo2gblnbHU52bMl_0gjja-3i3yHa3eiMWcSXQun2sKpYBu9LKy5JfxTjrIjaN9_xVX-rMVNgFu-Sio123bbfaqn-0V1ZBMjVrHceB_-GQr7VjpLiSdu6wvNmVLSDZnDqPlTiApzG_5I/s320/IMG_1758.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631446142290092274" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">We planted red (shown above) and green swiss chard in row five, which are doing amazingly well. Last year they were plagued by the little black bugs, but this year the bugs prefer the mustard greens and the eggplant, so that has increased our swiss chard quality. (Note to self - always plant sacrificial mustard greens!)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjND-_UdJmPULm_8QHnAtfR2RjQ8-sZJo4LDgOHOaFdaVxDaqXexNhYK3j_5tlfk8hspORHLBt1yGCTE2jZNpyDg6IOZRA4QO4zqKiMObiivSqYgTq4A1L0z61knKirvAVCHH-dNUL6RYQ/s320/IMG_1759.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631446565063823938" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our bean plants popped up rather quickly in row six, but haven't had much activity since. They were slow to produce last year, so perhaps they will be a little lazy this year too.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Also in these rows are collard greens, broccoli, brussel sprouts and potatoes. The collards, broccoli and brussel sprouts are all popular food for the bugs, so they are slow growing so far. The potatoes were a late addition after our onion seedlings (that accidentally got left in the car overnight before we planted them) failed to grow. Hopefully all of these will grow more in the next few weeks and I will have wonderful photos of them too.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnLKWcjBn7l1c45O4FKTW90V7LX2twDd1FR88PZhalrMd9Jj0BAMuMj0A2ifv14nyItNW8Xe0LKkBRcRzg-FzZMgr263geOv_Pnqq3V1xmyaF6j_I-zjj-fguxXuPjQJBtx_LT8OzyNA/s320/IMG_1760.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631446765261827762" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our last rows contain squash, pumpkin, sunflowers, and corn. The squash plants shown above are currently suffering from stem splitting and are not producing squash yet, but we are hoping they will revive and produce crops soon.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jUhkjWdyxOyqJReiaNfmMycFwvW11Bq2u-m8Woeq6tmJHKEsGyRHN_1z9U98NyaOrDq9ZAVuomsTxOD0IugUW2V9XF-Sz1XxrqU7ucw6Xdw3sfenxAlezyj93RjkqHWFg4r09J2jQFo/s320/IMG_1761.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631447378428364194" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our other plants in this section are rock stars! Shown above is one of our pumpkin plants. I was super excited to plant pumpkins because of my love of the Charlie Brown Halloween movie, It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! I am convinced we are growing a Great Pumpkin in our garden this year, and I may have to camp out in our garden with a blue blanket to prove it.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikD44Mr4C-UdLPBAAaKgpGWWvo5h_STD-N9rerEyxjdzm3dXMrPvJKHKyghzQUGbgpCzDOw8YcAbmenO3Fm-SVC9XgRkLZmd5toiU4_D3vwkDrX8_i0tBlFddEJ0URXZ1vHYqPAYyC8ss/s320/IMG_1762.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631447189034086994" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our sunflowers are growing taller and taller. Right now they well above my waist and working their way to growing taller than me! I am thinking they will surpass me soon.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTF1H_JzItanc8RhL8HqKnaWjZMW3Yah8f52q1SH5JXeaKIq7YjkYOQj9-5ZisNFl-HXhZuVsNiMmZueDGr5194dtGt_UdfvcobKIfjc8OoRH30XAFkQRjAFGw8qz2gPIqT3eFwElhxmo/s320/IMG_1763.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631448052255724402" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our corn is growing like mad. We planted more seeds a few weeks ago because it is growing so successfully. Even though we routinely drive past fields of corn, seeing tall corn plants in our own garden is ridiculously cool.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8sdyoX3ET7Qdp0dX57Mq9a2dSBAOyz-JKSFAolngAOKh9RSGQrHihxD50sjoUjSHaR9YT33vN4OC-jTbEf08r2_7IqS12dFP2gGG3lDmnPtg7qLzkin-8TYn3ofBRlDBhYI2DsQ-yylc/s320/IMG_1764.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5631448381597801746" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Farmer David and I have done well this year!</span></span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-24118333176806026732011-07-13T08:01:00.007-04:002011-07-13T08:25:46.310-04:00More Ben!<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yRR2YtmQHn0ZxF4rma7FiUwzeh1vx1xwFUxIkrwokps1ODteOtFvoa8FMTLDYfxssRe6zitb_xj3T5-qq8tbmGWdD978-45B16vhRooJsiPc_mFgFL5rT6QUqaxeKPei0ATz6pffgF0/s1600/ben.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px; " src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4yRR2YtmQHn0ZxF4rma7FiUwzeh1vx1xwFUxIkrwokps1ODteOtFvoa8FMTLDYfxssRe6zitb_xj3T5-qq8tbmGWdD978-45B16vhRooJsiPc_mFgFL5rT6QUqaxeKPei0ATz6pffgF0/s320/ben.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628810556110975810" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I continue to receive picture updates of my godson, Ben (the lovely son of Amanda and Paul) and I thought I would share some of the latest. He really is the cutest baby ever (until everyone I know that is pregnant right now has their babies in the fall/winter, and then Ben will have stiff competition for that title).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmk96pWstmHwRSAU6FI5Bdb2mr86XbvN7A8uCvW3rtzQTdiQuP2DHFe5tPkcyVpGygO-g6kkV-Il7QvUdOrPGmg1Ze6JJZjEjycViLJNtsqvrEqRQKxt83IzC83S29LUPjhmAl5CGFVqE/s320/sarah%2526ben.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628806393222157890" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amanda and Paul had a professional photo shoot with Ben while I was visiting last time, and they had me pose with Ben for a few shots. While Ben was the point of the photo shoot and is appropriately adorable in every picture, I have to selfishly put out there that this may be the best photo of me ever taken. This picture looks much less weird when taken out of context and put into a blog about me, but I have to admit it jumped out as being a little random when it was among the other professional photos from the day. I have to wonder if the photographer was thinking on some level that I was the <i>"godmother"</i> rather than the godmother. I do love this photo of Ben and me though.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK7RY_Q_Zq-pN1HDUxgDWmfu77EBCJ83IRTiEebhxb7yMLRR7zkqBseKTm8QVmXm8ZIqX849yl0Madwgk_Z3mNyEz2Fj_NXwyTb3cKQxoxI-V-fiWn4kpx-3X3AkZdB27fiAkmwd9mgUs/s320/Hoertzes.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628807685940010930" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here is one of the professional shots of Ben and his actual parents. They look amazing too.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq6koFxt_TdPRURtu1Xfw4g_t0yty_tGno8zqtYnGBbv2_6ZNSXO8UjtbNfXBQ7ymNbhJkvB7db2sUmgAGpQ8SCuGjnICoQivLeLhg1p_aSFMfoJekIaBY258HeHibGLQlKHm9WAOOzM0/s320/photo2.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628810701771475970" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I am supremely excited for Ben's baptism on October 2nd, though I will be spending some quality time with the Hoertzes (and this smiling face that was in my e-mail inbox this morning!) later this month.</span></span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2685389307124681214.post-33277108491664189262011-07-12T12:52:00.008-04:002011-07-12T13:33:42.487-04:00Trips to MA #3 and #4<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">In June, I had two more (great) reasons to visit Massachusetts.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIjPm_f4c6msNIZPdK2Tde61KKqnU-aatrW9yjnVmMt3iwUvacZzlS3rmGGL0_aCKou01iaD-yJwB6vmPxAoG3S8pM7_U3TsgWtTCrK0tpnrSyhjSZT1F9APAWScoeP_h4oLNgwKFLCmw/s320/IMG_1736.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628512962376372594" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">First, trip #3. David and I went to Kate and Chris's wedding on June 18. Kate was my "little sister" in the BMB program at Penn, and we have been good friends ever since. It was a beautiful wedding, and we had a lot of fun. As bride and grooms tend to be, Kate and Chris were both stunning. As you can see in the above photo, Kate wore a fabulous feather fascinator attached to her veil. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN65wVzmWrwDiaGh59p0rB5d3B9XO7FRwfgmIofZ8_MYPJMWwo256qQAT4GYMjI7CF_DdbHtWEoHciMlki-ovA5HggqiOy5x5edKUQ7KTRYGap09bNBVBAtGkcQwfitZB99bWyGu-0mHo/s320/IMG_1731.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628513491586333138" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Kate and Chris were the most giddy bride and groom I have ever seen, and I couldn't be happier for the two of them. Here is a photo of them grinning from ear to ear during their wedding dance (taken before Chris dropped Kate on the ground while a little too successfully trying to dip her).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyvKgxMLY4pAsoUjFx4xF-S0IKtdGU3UbCPD2uYh3sNpIJHMHjGaB60JBODhFai6gJndAYOq8FBztz1Y4yiSEtZDq6uaX4vq0OyH90axy9wcLbQmgJcdTfAyU3hyZ2p7jPu1o1CzI7Ao/s320/IMG00117-20110619-1134.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628513977776919522" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Kate and Chris got married in Amherst, which was conveniently an hour or so away from Ken and Carol's new house in Lenox. We stayed with them for the weekend, along with Brian and Jane. It was really fun to visit with everyone, and David and Brian did their duties as men by helping Ken accomplish many tasks around the house. Ken and Carol's new house is heavily under construction, but I know the finished product will be as beautiful as the parts that have already been redone. The best part of the house in my opinion is their backyard / pool area, which looks like it has been landscaped for a magazine photo shoot! Here is a photo of me resting on the hammock by the pool (my new favorite reading spot at their house).</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU_qtUT9hZSUg9bBEe4Ppo_4hbpQexznjYmdL5PVHo6UkK3xwLW3oM6ewODRFtwTPa_itKgktPf7TMmbJoZUNNQ6X1AfgVY-zgDSc2uQJg6AhCuQVAvRaLYjp4HAHgWsVrrrUqFFxMQmo/s320/IMG_1737.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628516901610841634" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Trip #4 to Boston was a week after Trip #3. I attended a crystallography workshop at Harvard Medical School on June 24 (which was very useful), but stayed in town for the weekend to catch up with my college friends and my favorite city. Above is a view of some of the flowers in bloom at the Public Garden in Boston Common. It was a beautiful weekend to walk around the city and do all of the things I so miss doing. (I am such a nostalgic sap!) I stayed at the Best Western in Washington Square (Allston/Brookline) so that I could walk down Beacon Street into the city each day. (I walked this route to Kenmore Square every morning when I was doing summer research in the Elliott laboratory, always stopping at Brueggers to meet Alison for an early morning bagel.) After the conference ended, I went shopping at the Prudential Center and at the shops around Coolidge Corner, and ended the evening by seeing Conan O'Brien Can't Stop at the Coolidge Corner movie theater. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_srokqh4CZPiNxnGr45acapKKi8J2b4z_Htuut7t6CSALQe9ZS0u9tf-BeZ5eDSYrfLAEXUpttRGIP2moBx5CF98wxcoDH_A-Ma2uklo3OoPvqYPHVqo2F0uibpIrJfZ0w1yGWGTxZ0E/s1600/IMG_1742.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_srokqh4CZPiNxnGr45acapKKi8J2b4z_Htuut7t6CSALQe9ZS0u9tf-BeZ5eDSYrfLAEXUpttRGIP2moBx5CF98wxcoDH_A-Ma2uklo3OoPvqYPHVqo2F0uibpIrJfZ0w1yGWGTxZ0E/s320/IMG_1742.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628518133810255506" style="text-align: justify;display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Saturday afternoon, I rode the swan boats at Boston Common. On my way to the T, I ran into this street performer (I think this picture really speaks for itself.)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">But mostly, I ate a lot of food and spent time with many fantastic people while I was in town! Katinka and I had dinner at Brown Sugar Cafe, Jessie and I ate at the Uno's at Kenmore (for nostalgia's sake), and Ainsley and I went to Border Cafe in Harvard Square and had Mike's Pastry for dessert. I also had an Ana's burrito for dinner after the conference, and JP Licks for dessert. (No wonder I exercised so much more as an undergraduate...)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">It was sad to leave Boston knowing that it would be my last visit for a little while, but it is exciting to think about David and I moving back there in a year or so! (During my walk into the city, I even picked out a few possible brownstones on Beacon Street that we could live in...)</span></span></div>Sarahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13584241424518094688noreply@blogger.com0