Frozen "Precip"

From January 2009

It's pretty, but...

From January 2009

Drat.

Etsy-ness!

From Blogger Pictures

We'll see what happens, buuut...



I'm on Etsy now! Check it out and let me know what you think. Too pricey? Not good enough? Just right?

What else can I sell? I want to go to France this year!

More Canines

From Kate and Mark and Meeb

Kate and Mark and I went to an art show at the 930 building on Friday, after Kate's singing lesson and pizza at Impellizeri's. It was called "Animal Nature/Human Nature" and featured drawings by Matt Loeser and Douglas Miller. Doug is Kate's neighbor, so it was great to see his fantastic art. We REALLY had a good time. Can you tell by these pictures?

From Kate and Mark and Meeb

From Kate and Mark and Meeb

From Kate and Mark and Meeb

Music was by Brooks Ritter. Excellent!

And I love this picture of a girl and her puppy:

From Kate and Mark and Meeb

We now have many inside jokes, including:
> Chuckles is late
> Kate is a drone of the Apple Corps
> Alma Mater
> and maybe one other thing I can't recall. Mark?

Happy Birthday, Xavier!

From xavier's 1st birthday

We had a fun time at Xavier's first birthday party. He was quite the gentleman, and so well-behaved. Smiles, laughs, toddling, and even sharing his new toys with cousins and his friend, Van.

I was excited about my present to Xavier - a painting of his favorite dog, Arthur.

From xavier's 1st birthday

I've discovered that pet portraits are so much easier than people portraits.

From xavier's 1st birthday

Happy Birthday, Xavier! What fun we had with you.

Our Daily Bread

From Open House 2008

What a fabulous open house we had yesterday! Thanks to everyone who was able to stop by and enjoy some chili, Eric's homemade bread and some great company with us. We are so thankful for the time we can spend with family and friends.

From Open House 2008

St. James strolling was today, and the weather was so perfect. We bought Eric a knife crafted from walnut - it's like a bow-shaped saw that cuts bread really well. We didn't have a serrated knife, and this ensures that Eric make copious amounts of leavened heaven. :)

From Open House 2008

I love this time of year. And I LOVE living in Old Louisville on days like today.

We will be continuing our weekly dinners on Wednesday evenings. Please let us know if you can join us one week! We'll be sure to set you a place, so please come visit!

Open House This Saturday, October 4!

From Around Louisville

Please join us for our annual Open House this Saturday, October 4, starting at 11:00 a.m. If you need directions or have questions, please leave a comment! We will have multiple chilis, fresh veggies and hummus, Eric-baked homemade bread, and a number of other edible creations and libations. Park at our place and walk to the St. James Court Art Show!

After the Storm

From Wind Storm 08

Well, the past few days have been gorgeous outside, and yet the remains of a tumultuous Sunday afternoon are grotesquely spread everywhere. With power out at home and school, I spent the daylight hours touring around to see the effects of the wind damage. It was pretty impressive.

From Wind Storm 08

From Wind Storm 08

From Wind Storm 08

We were so lucky to have the giant oak tree in our front yard stay put and only lose a few limbs. And the amazing weather we've had has certainly been blessing for families with children. I witnessed a group of kids eagerly making a fort out of a fallen tree. It was so energizing to watch their excitement and teamwork.

I think the next time we have a power outage, we should organize a community cook out to use up all that food that will go to waste. It seems so ridiculous to have everyone fighting for take-out after chucking their food, when, if we had pooled our resources, many could've been fed and community could've been built. Now I know. Who's with me? :)

Stuff of Dreams and Nightmares

I got to go riding yesterday. I still ache. But there's nothing like cantering around an open field, surrounded by woods, haystacks, wind, butterflies and sunshine. It's the stuff of dreams for horse-loving girls like me, and I am so grateful to Debbie for giving me this chance. I might not have it for long.

There's talk of developing this paradise in Oldham County. The idea makes me sick. I am starting to get quite disturbed by "progress" when it levels out our rolling fields and puts asphalt over burrows. We're becoming increasingly distant from nature, and I think we're being forced to see the implications of that choice.

I remember traveling through the Midwest and seeing all the strip malls and the supercenters. Each one looks the same as the one before. I don't want Kentucky, which I think possesses a distinctive visual portrait, to fall for that kind of peer pressure and succumb to the plastic surgery of "development." Just look at that amazing area off 64 just outside the Watterson. The rolling field and barn in the distance represent Kentucky for me. Very soon, it too will succumb to development. To see the "real" Kentucky, well, that will take you about 45 minutes from downtown. By car, of course.

Which would you prefer?
or ?

Why can't we cultivate the little greenery we have left within our county instead of leveling it? I feel like we're learning that we still have a lot to learn from nature. Let's make sure everyone has access to it.

Eric and I frequent Central Park, and I am thankful the Olmsted Parks Conservancy is such a prominent institution here. And the "City of Parks" movement (if achieved) is inspiring. I maintain that we need still more nature for more people in more accessible places.

I'll leave you with a quote that reminded me of my childhood (so much spent in trees, creeks and the magnificent Atlantic Ocean):

“And this our life exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in every thing. I would not change it.”
-Duke Senior, from Act II, As You Like It

A Little Thing I'm Doing...

Why worry about November when you can vote now?

Recent Work - just kidding!

While my hallway is still in the "Work in Progress" stage, I enjoyed this mural at the DuPont Mansion Bed and Breakfast on Fourth Street, near Central Park. I attended an appreciation party for volunteers of the Old Louisville Garden Tour. I was unable to make it to all the gardens, but I so enjoyed greeting people at Garden 8 on Fountain Court. I am going to do it again next year! I met so many wonderful neighbors. I love living in Old Louisville - have I mentioned that?

Some shots from 410 Fountain Court:

Grace, Clara and Margaret Day(s) of Fun

Earlier in the summer, Grace and Clara worked together on their list of what they wanted to do for their MeeBee day. The picture above illustrates their wishes.

> Swim - check!
> Zoo - check!
> Hike - (does hiking around downtown and the zoo count?)
> "Plae" (with cats) - check!
> Play with Stephanie and Margaret and Kate - check!
> Park - check!
> "Saup" - this needed translation..."Stay Up!" - check!
> Ride on the "Charlie" (Trolley) - check!

Bonus:
> Girl band ("The Hi-Tops") concert at the Wolf Creek pool!
> Slumber party with cousins!
> First viewing of "The Wizard of Oz" at the Palace Theatre!
> First ride on the TARC bus!
> First visit to Creation Gardens!
> Eric-made chocolate-chip waffle breakfast!
> Gardening at Meeb and Eric's!
> Magical traffic light changing opportunities!
> Eating lots of ginger snaps (they called the cookies "energy bars")!

I can't believe we did it all in such a short amount of time. The girls were such troopers - Explorer Girls through and through. You have to check out the photos to get an idea of the gallons of fun we had, despite the intense heat.

I'll leave you with this photo and quote from "The Wizard of Oz":

"Poppies! Poppies will make them sleep!"

P.S. Clara was worried about how Dorothy was going to get home after the hot-air balloon and the wizard floated away unexpectedly. I whispered, "She does something with her feet." Clara asked, "Does she kick down the wall?" Hee hee!

Henry Day(s) of Fun

Henry is so much fun to be around. He is insightful, clever and kind. We had a great time together. The annotated list of what we did:

> Saw "Wall-E" - AMAZING movie (I need to see it again to really appreciate it, methinks)
> Played the Wii and made some pretty interesting "Miis"
> Went to Kentucky Kingdom; rode ALL the water rides
> Got a tattoo
> Ate pizza, ice cream, and *some* healthy food (Henry LOVES Eric's homemade wheat bread)
> Stayed up too late and slept in
> Went to Flame Run to see the Beatles exhibit

All in all, a very fun visit. Henry - I have a bunch of the pictures you took, and I'll try and send them to you on a CD.

Full photo album here.

I'll leave you with this image of the fifth Beatle:

What a Catch! (and that guy's cute too)

I love my husband. He agreed to go with me to Kentucky Kingdom. He DID ride Chang. He did NOT ride the Wheel of Terror/Wheel of Death. Fun times!

Sigh. See You Next Year (and I'd Better Win *Something*)

Churchill Downs' spring meet closed Sunday. Thankfully, I got in two visits - one on Mother's Day and one on Independence Day. But both were on dreary days, so the "sun shining bright" was left to the imagination. And I just never cash anything. Ever. I guess that's a sign that I need to make a living by hard work and thoughtful planning. :) But is it too much to ask for just ONE exacta? Just one? Mom, it's time for another streak, methinks!

Better luck next year!

Louisville Love Part Deux

I love this city! Check out some shots here from our garden and on bike rides down the RiverWalk. Our house to Chickasaw Park and back is about 18 miles, and we're going to try nd do this about twice a week.

Congrats to our BIL Chris, who made it from WOLF CREEK to our house in less than an hour. In rush hour traffic. Oh yeah - ON HIS BIKE!

Thanks to Stephanie, Christopher and Margaret for going on a walk around the block with me and helping to identify trash that needed to be picked up. And plums! :) Some parting shots of Margaret and Christopher, tending the crops:

What I've Been Up To

Have I mentioned how much I love summer? My ten-page to-do list probably consolidates down to only about three pages now. I have time to pursue so many different ideas, chasing them like Alice chasing the White Rabbit. Hopefully, I'll have a colorful array of completed projects in my pocket before the fairy tale ends. So, here are a few of the characters in this summertime story:

Our Hallway

My wonderful mother-in-law, Kathleen, and I are experimenting with Pompeii-inspired murals in our hallway. It is coming together nicely. It will be so different, but I love this style, the colors, and a vision of what it will look like is slowly revealing itself. Which brings me to...

Louisville Faux website
Do you love the look of Venetian plaster? Do you have a ceiling or accent wall that you want to stand out? Look no further than Louisville Faux for samples and ideas for your next redecorating project. :) (We're only a day old, so check back often for updates!)

Louisville Love

With all the love for Louisville I've seen, I want to exploit it as much as possible. :) I do love this city, especially living downtown. I want to my fondness with other "lovers" through the pictures I've taken. Here's a mock-up of what I have in mind. I'm experimenting with details, like whether or not to "seal" the bottom, to write "Louisville" on it, etc. Another idea, for notecards:

The seals are made from hot glue gun glue. I tried many, many ideas that incorporated reusing stuff I had (crayons, candle wax, etc.), but this seems to be the most consistent.

Organization

I don't know about you, but I hate looking for things. I want to be able to have the super power of knowing where any one thing is at any one time. It helps to have purged so much stuff over the years. I finally feel like I have just the right amount of things; enough to make me able to do certain projects, but not too much to be unusable or unmanageable. I've organized all the closets, the pantry, and now my art/craft supplies.

I've managed to also spend some time in the garden and trying out a few other crafty projects, not to mention catching up on reading, visiting with friends and family, being outside, painting portraits, and researching all sorts of ideas.

Next up:
> figure out Etsy and CafePress
> delve into more portraits and painting
> test the vast waters of sewing and upholstery (!)
> try more new recipes
> make more areas of our life more sustainable - rain barrels, anyone?
> ride bikes further and more frequently to prep for a long anniversary trip in late August (any thoughts on destinations within about 30-45 miles of downtown Louisville?)

What have you been up to this summer, or what future plans are you anticipating?

K8 is 8 and Gr8

It's been a week of fun with Kate! She is really growing up to be a thoughtful, creative and brave young lady. I got to hang with her on Thursday for a while, and then we were able to see her Broadway performance on Sunday. I hope to post some videos, but for now, her bow (and more pictures here):

Today (Tuesday), was our "Kate and Mee Bee Day" at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather! And, attention cousins: this photo is all you need to know:

I said a boom-chicka-boom!

STOP! Check out the updates!

I've cheated again and updated life happenings approximately around the times the events actually happened. So scroll down and relive April and May, if June's already too hot for you.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was rainy and cold, but we still had a blast with Eric's mom, Kathleen, his two aunts, Mary Lou and Margaret, his Uncle Teddy, and his grandma, ValJean. I'm glad the moms in the group had more luck winning than I did! I am so bad at betting on the ponies.

Derby 2008

Unfortunately, Derby Week for me wasn't all that fun, as I was pretty sick. No matter - my family partied like Rock Stars at Oaks and Unstable Clown. I did make it for the Boat Race and for Unstable Clown prep, as well as some Derby morning brunch. Next year...next year....