Favorite Friday... Early Presidents and Living History

Spent the day in Washington. So much history and culture. What an amazing place to spend time. 

My head is a flood of thoughts today. I feel gratitude for the men who were part of organizing this great nation. I feel overwhelmed with the opportunities I have to learn about it and with the responsibility to teach my children. I feel strength when I read the words spoken by former Presidents and recognize their impact in my own life. Really, today I am grateful to be an American. I am grateful to God for His goodness. 

Happy Birthday 200th Mr. Lincoln! 
FREEDOM IS NOT FREE. Think about it.
The Gettysburg Address is the next thing Et and I will be memorizing for school.
I love this memorial. It is so majestic and so simple without it being a contradiction. I think I would like to have that said about me someday. :)
It was so windy! It was one of those days you'd rather have chapped lips because your hair would stick to your lips if you put anything on them. Windy and cold!
If you have never been to the Korean War Memorial it is hard to describe the power you feel looking at these statues. I feel such a reverence when I am there.

The WWII Memorial was dedicated in '05.  The fountains were not running, but I can only  imagine what it would be like.  There is so much symbolism in this monument.  
The windows at the top are not at all clear. Still, the views are amazing!

If you look west you can look down the Mall at the WWII Memorial, the Lincoln and past the Potomac to Virginia. The only thing that could make it more beautiful would be with everything alive and green.
To the south is the Jefferson Memorial which overlooks a tidal basin. We didn't get to see it today. In the spring perhaps when the cherry blossoms are in bloom we'll pack a picnic and make a visit. 
The view at 500' looking east down the Mall toward the Capitol Building. Look at all those museums needing to be explored. So much to see, so little time...
The White House to the North; Looking out this window you can see the DC Temple way out in the distance, so beautiful, white and majestic.  We're talking way out there. (I am motioning with my hands to show how far.) Pictures didn't catch it well, but from the top of the monument the Temple sits among a sea of trees with nothing else around, like a light or maybe a candle. Made me smile more than anything else up there. Can you hear the metaphor taking shape in my mind? I'll spare you today. :)

Sis' to-do List

Yesterday Sis went into her room and except for some singing was quiet for a good chunk of time. Occasionally, she would poke her head out to ask how various words are spelled. This is the result. She came up with this perfect little list. I never thought about whether or not she noticed my list making - guess so. Another OCD habit perpetuated, oh well! The thing I love about it... all fun things; a perfect day you might say.  For those of you who can't read 7-yr. old it says:

SIS

do valentines.

play dough.

play with the cat.

play Lego.

Read.

watch a movie.

PARcheesi

FRACTILES

You know what? I think that is exactly what we will  do today after our read-a-thon. A perfect day.

Facebook and Doors

So first, something I love... doors. I kind-of touched on this in a holiday post regarding the stoops in Bolton Hill. I think I even mentioned my new-found love affair with doors that began in Italy. I took more pictures of doors in Venice than any other single thing, including bridges or canals except maybe pilings.  I'll post those another day. Here are a few of my favorites:
This one reminds me of our Provo house. So clean, simple, beautiful...
We passed this doorway every day in Venice. I really fell in love with it.



They are like people. They each have a different personality. Someday I want to print a huge picture of the doors and pilings of Venice. 

Oh yeah, Facebook. I finally broke down last night and signed up. It's nice to see old friends and see what people are up to. Turns out, we're not so different. In that I mean, we're many of us married, with kids, plugging along at life, doing the best we can. It's so different from how I remember high school and how I thought things would be at this point in life. I like the way things are and how life has turned out.

Mmmmm... Dark Chocolate

For today's edition of things I love, I will be writing my regular post because they are one and the same: dark chocolate.

I told you I was going to make delicious desserts for Valentines' and last night was a winner: Vanilla Caramel Chocolate Tartlets from MSLiving Feb. '05. (I would have made a link but the website didn't have the recipe. If you must have it and don't have a back issue, let me know and I'll shoot you the recipe.)

We have started having the missionaries over for FHE every week. Most nights we don't eat dessert, but for the Elders and FHE, we absolutely do. Last night I tried something new.

I know the picture isn't that impressive but I can't take another because every last morsel is gone.  These little tartlets were simply amazing.  Imagine caramel from scratch infused with vanilla (instead of port), 60% dark choc. and heavy cream, poured over toasted walnuts into dark choc. tart shells and topped with vanilla ice cream and more nuts. Are you in heaven yet? Well we were. 

A New Member of the Family

I do not like mice. I might go so far as to say I HATE mice. Strong words I know, but true words. Anyone who lives in the city will tell you that mice, or worse rats, are a part of life. I know that is probably true, but that doesn't mean I have to accept it. So what's a girl to do when she sees a mouse run across her kitchen counter (besides scream)? My first response was conventional traps to which I found still baited traps sans peanut butter. Next we tried sticky traps which actually caught the nasty little bugger. Mind you, this was all pre-New Years'. All is well. Right? Wrong!! Last week, we saw another mouse(probably the afore mentioned rodents' cousin). Did I mention how much I dislike mice? Did I also mention I am not a cat-lover? I'm not sure why, but they are just not my thing. You must know I am at the end of my rope when I start talking about getting a cat. However, a second mouse is the final straw. I don't love cats, but I really HATE mice, so you guessed it... We got a cat! And what some of you might find even more surprising than the actually acquisition of said feline is that I really like him. I do! Weird huh? 

So our furry feline is male, without a name* and of unknown age, but still a kitten. He is quite skinny and a little skittish still, but is slowly warming to us. Jack is another story altogether. He and Jack do not get along. We have tried to keep them in separate ends of the apartment and slowly allow more face-time between them. I think Jack is most curious and kitty is just plain mad. Only time will tell. 

Okay, I will be the first to say that I encouraged Jack in the chasing of cats when we lived in Utah. I didn't like what they did to my garden, nor how one winter they took up residency in our garage. But the fact is, we are city dwellers and we live in an apartment which means no matter how fastidious I am about cleaning, storing food, etc. we will probably have mice - unless we have a cat. So I welcome him to the family with open arms. Now get to work! :)

*As far as names go, we have been calling him Claudio. Jack is named after Jackson Pollock. I picked Claudio after Claudio Bravo an artist I really fell in love with in Italy. Kind-of random, but Jon had just finished a piece that reminded me of Mr. Bravo's. I think it fits him, but the jury is still out. Et calls him Claude which works as well.

Phantom of the Opera

I listen to the Phantom of the Opera a lot. Sis loves to dance around while I fix dinner with Christine singing in the background. Today though we did something different - she started asking questions. She wanted to know who was singing and she couldn't hear enough about the Phantom. I told her the story and why some songs sounded sad while others were angry and still others tender. She disappeared for a little while and when she returned she was no longer Sis, she was the *Phantom. Truly she would not answer to her name, only Phantom. She wore this costume through dinner, even saying the prayer in character. 

We watched the movie together tonight. Sis kept turning to me and saying "Mom I love this movie". A million more questions were asked before the movie was through and when it finished, she wanted to listen to the score again. I can see this is a girl who loves music in all forms: singing, instrumental, opera, musicals, etc. 

I love this side to our own little Prima Donna. She's absolutely one of a kind!

*Funny thing, I had not shown her pictures yet, nor the movie and she nailed the costume perfectly. When I asked her, she said she just knew what he looked like.

Smart Pooch

I could pen some hilarious line about Jack and his off-the-charts IQ, or tell you how he is working on his thesis about the symbiotic relationships that exist between cats and dogs living in the same household. Perhaps you would believe we just discovered his near-sightedness and made a visit to the vet for corrective lenses. What about the idea that glasses really attract the ladies?  

Well, I won't waste your time with any of that. Really we like to test Jack's tolerance for having various objects balanced on his muzzle in exchange for delicious pressed imitation bacon treats. Pretty smart looking dog though, wouldn't you agree?

Favorite Friday... Sisters and Cereal

I have realized that I am unable to post a single picture on any post. Blogging is journal-keeping to me and every picture reminds me of a different memory or experience. So rather than apologize everytime, here is my disclaimer: I am a visual person. I like photos. I will post more pics than I need to every time. That's just the kind of gal I am. The end. :)

My favorites this week:

CEREAL!! We love cereal in this house. Jon has always been a cold cereal guy. Even as newlyweds, I would offer to make Jon pancakes or waffles for breakfast, but he simply prefers cereal to anything else for his morning meal. My kids love cereal too. They already have their favorites. I don't prefer cold cereal for breakfast. (I get hungry very quickly if I only eat cereal in the morning.) I like my cereal in the evening, sometimes right before bed. Funny thing, if Jon can't sleep he always eats a bowl of cold cereal and it does the trick. My favorite, not pictured as I finished the box two days ago, is TJ Vanilla Almond Granola. BTW - that was not a box I was anxious to finish.
The bigger favorite of the day is my sisters. For some reason I am missing them terribly today.
They are two of the most intelligent, accomplished woman I know.
I feel so lucky to be their old sister, which I have to point out is really just a matter of timing. I say this because I learn more from them than I could ever teach.
L is a mom of two amazing, beautiful children. Her hubby is doing a residency in surgery after having graduated dental school. She just finished writing her first book, which is so terrific. She is a runner and a darn fast one at that. Aside from my mother, she has the most beautiful hair and I have to say I am impressed that she never cut it short after having children. L is stubborn, strong-willed, speaks her mind and is completely genuine, all things I love about her. She is raising stubborn, terribly intelligent and adorable children. I love you sis! 

J is a pastry chef in NYC and she is so good at it. She's dating this fabulous guy, L, that we adore. She is my brave, thoughtful, funny and sparkly eyed youngest sister. She is so smart, sometimes too smart I think. :) She quotes movie lines more than anyone I know. I admire her tenacity in life. She always makes me smile when we talk. I love her beautiful dimples.  I feel like we are twins separated by five years. I miss you sissy!


So today my challenge to you: If you have a sister(s) call and tell them how much you love them. I know I will. FYI... Sister Day is the first Sunday of August. Mark your calendars.

Tivoli

Today was another day I was thinking of things I loved and Tivoli came to mind. 

Tivoli is a relatively small hilltop village outside of Rome. We spent a short afternoon there at the Villa d'Este on our way to Cinque Terre. Knowing my affinity for gardens, the owner of the B&B we stayed at in Rome told us we had to stop and see for ourselves. Our focus was not on the villa, in fact we spent almost no time inside except to navigate through the house to the gardens where the real beauty was.

I know these pics cannot begin to show how beautiful and enormous it truly was, so to help you get the idea, I decided to post not one or two pics but ten. :)

The gardens were set on different levels with fountains everywhere you looked. There were hundreds of fountains.
The day we visited was gray and threatening to storm. As a result the gardens were nearly empty. Couldn't have planned it better.
There were private little gardens tucked away. Some were filled with sculpture and others primarily fountains. All of it was breathtaking!


This stretch of fountains was one of my favorites. Its called Le Cento Fontane (The Hundred Fountains). At 100 fountains in length x 3 levels, we're talking 300 fountains on this walkway alone.

If you look closely, you can see the bottom row of fountains are faces, animals and people alike.
I especially loved this fellow. 

Little bit of this, little bit of that and a whole lot of love

*For rest of February I am going to post pictures of things I love. They will almost certainly have nothing to do with the post, but I don't care. 

This pic is from Lake Como, ITALIA. We spent our 11th anniversary at a B&B on the lake. I couldn't believe the hydrangeas at this villa. A little piece of heaven huh? Truly magnificent!!

So maybe its a little early to have Valentines on the brain, but I do. Being the sporadically ambitious girl I am, I have decided to make valentines this year instead of sending the store-bought variety. In such an effort I have been perusing old magazines for ideas. 

Sidenote: As an anti-clutter gal, you might be surprised to hear that I keep old magazines. I do. Tis true. There are only a few that I really rely on for ideas and creative inspiration and I keep them organized by month not year. That way when I am looking for valentine ideas, I go to the closet and pull out the Feb. case. Viola! Everything I need is at hand. You might wonder why I don't just look things up on the internet. I do, but there is something about being able to hold something in my hand and wander the house and read in bed and read while fixing dinner and look at ideas while folding laundry and...  you get it? I read. I migrate. I read. It's what I do and familiar magazines are a guilty pleasure for me. Getting back...

So this year I am going all out. I am going to pen love-notes to Jon and bake ridiculously indulgent desserts to share, write letters and post them in beautiful handmade envelopes to my parents and siblings, create special gifts for my amazing kids that they will treasure forever and send lovely notes to dear friends far and near. I am going to get caught up in the season of all things red, white and pink.  

Happy Groundhog Day to All!

We're suffering from a raging spring fever here in Charm City!
Yes that is 2" of ice sprinkled with the needles from a discarded Christmas tree underfoot.
Can you tell we're big into bubble blowing around here?
The strategy of Jungle Tag involves a lot of waiting for the chase and staying on higher ground.

Esther trying to plant a little kiss on Et. He's having no part of it.
Could Mother Nature be more generous? Yesterday the weather here in Baltimore was 60 degrees. There was no wind. It was wonderful. We walked Jack, went to the school playground for a round of jungle-tag and wandered the neighborhood in our flip-flops.  Today is nearly as warm, currently about lovely 55 degrees. 

The cruel part about this changing of the seasons is how it teeter-totters back and forth, making you yearn for spring. You know though, there is this little part of me likes the anticipation of it all. I like the little peek-a-boos of spring and how you just know it is right around the corner, like a friend playing hide-and-seek waiting to pounce when they are discovered. You know it is going to be glorious and lovely with new scents floating in the air, new songs from the recently returned birds, and color! Glorious colors will be everywhere, hanging from tree branches and poking their heads out of newly warmed soil. You'll see color and warmth on the faces of people strolling down the street. Spring can do that you know. It can make you stroll instead of walking with a purpose. It can lift your head to the sky instead tucked down in your scarf. It can put a smile on an otherwise weary and worn face. 

I know Phil saw his shadow today, but I say phooey to that. Spring is nearly ready. She is going to burst forth. One day I will wake to see the magnolias in bloom. It will happen overnight. The air will feel different, changed, renewed. The lovely burden of winter will have passed and with it all things changed, brought to life again. I love spring. 

BTW - Can you spell Punxsutawney? It's a tough one!