rouge à lèvres

Monaco, Day 5

2012-01-04T07:48:00.001-05:00

Today is a very calm day...which is great! Jerry is feeling much better and I am so glad. As I mentioned, I hate to see him suffer and I was very worried about what to do in case he needed emergency care.

We had breakfast at the marvelous hotel restaurant today and then I went to do some shopping while he rested. I found so much cute stuff, but still have the problem of "no room in the suitcase".

Last night I ventured out again to the market to get a little bit of fresh air. Saw some great things there, including some yummy looking seafood (I can dream, can't I?) and some Disney Princess water.

Sadly, we found out today that the exposition on the marriage of the Prince closed on December 31...that was the number one thing I wanted to do, but oh well.

Most other museums are closed or on a different schedule, so I think our last day here will be a quiet one. Hopefully we will get to go back to my favorite restaurant tonight. Last night I treated myself and had the most interesting caprese salad and a haricots verts dish that I woke up still thinking about.

I am struck once again by the beauty of the ocean as I sit and listen to the calming rhythm of the dock and its nautical inhabitants. I am finally seeing someone on the HUGE yacht that is across the way. Save that one and one other, most seem to be deserted, giving everything a very peaceful feeling. I am guessing the owners are not currently here, because it is such a beautiful day that I cannot imagine they would not want to take advantage of the sea, sky, and their gorgeous yachts.

My other favorite thing--while shopping today, I met 2 dogs, both yorkies. ONe had on a black turtleneck and a rhinestone collar (#me.reincarnated.as.a.dog), and the other had on a true Burberry raincoat. So cute!

Ok, off to respond to student emails and read some more of the book I started about Napoleon's expedition into Egypt.

Monaco, Day 4

2012-01-03T05:55:00.002-05:00

The word for heating pad is "un coussin chauffant". I know this because Jerry's kidney stones are back this morning, and in trying to figure out the best course of action, I had several interesting conversations with employees at various stores. Apparently they are not very common in Monte Carlo, or at least in Fontvieille.

Right now, sedatives and cranberry juice seem to be the thing, but I'm fairly sure we'll end up needing to call a doctor in.

That being said...nothing interesting to post today except that it is extremely HOT here. I sat out on the porch of the hotel for a little while but had to come in because it was too much for me!

I am hoping that Jerry will feel better after some good rest--I hate to see him feeling so badly.

Monaco, Day 3

2012-01-03T05:53:00.002-05:00

The theme for today was "unexpected"! Jerry and I both woke up around 3:00 AM and couldn't fall back asleep...so we planned to just stay awake until it was time to get ready for the hotel breakfast that starts at 6: 30 AM and start our trip down the French and Italian riviera early.

We clearly fell asleep 30 minutes before we had planned to get up (there was a whole situation with not being able to find the TV remote--hidden in the corner of the duvet cover--which would have helped to keep us awake, but anyway...). so we woke up at 10:00 AM and rolled into breakfast as they were clearing it up. Nothing like chorizo and edam to start off your day!

ANYWAY, after much research we decided we should go to SanRemy in Italy. So we started out, but unfortunately our GPS was having a small-villages-with-skinny-windy-streets moment, so we spent a good hour and a half driving up roads that were only big enough for 1\2 a car, never mind a huge Mercedes sedan. After being yelled at by a policeman for going the wrong way down a one-way street and spending that long driving around some small towns, we finally found the A-8. Or the A-10. I'm not sure which. I should also mention that had it not been raining, and had it not been holiday for all of the shop owners, we would have gladly parked along the side of the road and explored all of these little towns. The previously mentioned factors kept us from doing so.

We finally made it to the highway (8 or 10, whatever), which is so high above the ground it takes your breath away. Living in the south of the US, these "villages perchés" are just unimaginable. I desperately wanted to take pictures of the craggy rocks and cliffs and how the houses sat as if partly suspended in air, but you can imagine that with the other cars whizzing by and the rainy conditions, we couldn't really slow down.

Driving along la Turbie was interesting and sad, since that is where Grace Kelly had her car accident. Very poignant.

The only great pictures I got were as we came back into Monaco. I'll post them when Jerry does an upload to his computer. As a point of reference for how lost we were going through all of those little towns, when we decided to go back into France from "way into Italy", we were only 23 minutes away from our hotel. We spent 2 hours driving to get to SanRemy and Ventimiglia. Our worries of "we're never going to find Monaco again" soon turned to shame when we realized we were 20 minutes away...about 1\4 of the time it takes me to get to work each morning!

At any rate, it was an interesting little jaunt and one of those travel experiences that you just have to smile about. I did love the amazing views and getting to see the little villages.

After returning, Jerry decided it would be a good day to go the casino since it is the only rainy one while we're here, and I decided that, given my lack of "big money, big money" and luck, I would go shopping for smaller fare. He is not back yet, but I can say that I learned two lessons today in walking around:

(1) no matter how much I know in my head that I'm pretty broke and I have NO MORE ROOM in my suitcase, the soldes at Camaieu will always tempt me to buy something...or somethings (as in PLURAL). And it will seem totally reasonable that I am considering making a box to send things back to the US and this idea has no relation at all to the fact that I am buying things I shouldn't. So, the lesson being, I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL during the soldes.

(2) No matter my intentions, I will buy a veritable truckload of cheese if I go into a French supermarché by myself. Our hotel mini-fridge is now filled with wine, juice, and cheese. Who's going to be able to eat this much cheese before we leave for Paris? I have no idea...that's saying something--not even I can eat this much cheese!!! So, the next lesson being, I HAVE NO SELF CONTROL with cheese. (at least I'm not eating my weight in bread at every meal, but, man, is that hard!)

Anyone notice a pattern here when I'm anywhere near France? As justification, all I can say is that the cheese tastes great as I'm waiting for Jerry to get home, and I got both tops and the pair of pants for 25 euros together. So there1

Ok, off to eat more cheese...Here are some pictures of the cartoon characters dancing to techno music in the Christmas village, just down the street from the Santa jazz band.

Monaco Days 1 & 2

2012-01-01T13:22:00.003-05:00

Well, we are ending the first day of the new year here in Monte Carlo...how lucky are we?!?!

You'll have to excuse any errors in typing--I'm still getting used to the tiny keyboard that comes with the iPad case that I bought just before leaving. It was absolutely the right purchase for this, because I have so much more portability and functionality, but after my cher MacBook Pro huge keyboard, I'm having some petits problems. :)

Let's see...recounting the last few days...we arrived in Nice late in the afternoon of December 30th, and Jerry got us upgraded to a MERCEDES!!! It is such a nice car (and makes all of the driving around on these twisty roads--getting lost--much more pleasant). We found our way to the hotel through a drive with beautiful scenery. They have planned the mountain roads here to show the beauty of the architecture and the land perfectly.

After arriving, it was late enough that we decided to eat dinner at the hotel and rest up for the next day. We are staying in a different part of Monte Carlo than last visit, so we needed a little bit of time to get our bearings in the daylight before venturing out.

The next day we had a beautiful breakfast on the terrace of the hotel that is just next to the dock.

The mountains are just on the other side of the hotel...

For New Year's Eve, we went out to do an open bus tour of Monte Carlo/Monaco, which was amazing because the open top of the bus allowed us to see everything. We tried our hand at driving around but with only a litte more success than before, given the winding, name-changing roads.

At any rate, we found our way to the city center that we recognized and bought some New Year's Eve necessities, etc. and oriented ourseles relative to the main port.

Me, outside the big rock enclosure

a bird on the top of the winding mountain trail that we climbed to get to Old Monte Carlo Village

There is apparently a special exhibit on the royal marriage in the ocean museum...I will clearly be spending an inordinate amount of time there!

Jerry outside the Museum..."we all live in a yellow..." ":)

An interesting winter display of penguins and woodland animals beside the palace...not at all to scale in size or grandeur, but cute all the same.

The guard outside the palace.

After the bus tour, we drove home and decided to walk to the main port for dinner and a look at the Christmas village.

After walking back and relaxing a little bit, we decided to get all dressed up for the hotel's celebration...

Here is Jerry looking handsome and debonair with his cuban cigar and drinks...I'm not going to post my picture because it doesn't show me in my actual sober state and not overindulging (all of you that know me recognize that every picture I take makes me look horrid...), but we had a great time. Of course I enjoyed my champagne, but the picture makes it look totally different. ANYWAY,

What an amazing thing to be able to kiss the new year in with such an amazing man in such a wonderful place.

Today we took it easy (see J above...) but I had a marvelous breakfast on the dock--it was postively HOT outside! Everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) was closed, so no shopping or wandering fun, but a day of rest, reading, and watching French news was great (especialy while listening to the rocking of the yachts and the gentle sea waves. I'll let Jerry tell you how he spend HIS day.... :)

About 4:00 PM or so. though, it got very cold. We opted for a wonderful dinner at the hotel and I'm now out here writing to the gentle harmonies of the yachts and the occasional car or pedestrian, narrated by a great selection of old jazz...case in point. Fred Astaire, singing Cheek to Cheek...

We are planning on driving down the Italian riviera a little tomorrow, so I'll be sure to post some more about that!!

Bisous

Well, here we go!

2011-12-07T01:27:00.001-05:00

After several weeks of unbridled
gluttony mixed with forced steroid use, continued cravings for the crap food I ate and (GAH!) weight gain, I've decided to go all out...Master Cleanse style.

Last time, it helped with a lot, though I was miserable for the entire time. Being a foodie and not able to eat is hard, but it makes me focus on WHY I'm a foodie, and--more importantly--how I can eat mindfully and be healthy, all while enjoying my passion.

So, here we go! I'm not looking forward to the fast itself, but I'm definitely looking forward to the concentration on becoming my healthiest self!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

some things just start out like that...

2011-07-31T22:13:00.005-04:00

so tonight i finally tackled the roll of polenta sitting in the gluten-free drawer of the fridge. i must admit that i've been rather puzzled about what to do with it--for some reason, i was determined to make something with polenta rounds--the idea of cooking it down just didn't appeal as a first go. but all of my recipe searches seemed determined to thwart my plans...that's when i decided to strike out on my own! i am always watching cooking shows and marveling at how chefs and master cooks know what they should combine for the perfect tastes. it is fascinating but also daunting at the same time. i continually wonder, "how am i going to be able to learn all of these different qualities and keep them straight when making combinations?" not to say that i'm anywhere close, but tonight i found myself using a little bit of the information that i've managed to store away.

i finally decided to push forth with my own recipe involving roma tomatoes, fresh parmesan-reggiano, and fresh basil, rosemary, and lavender from my garden. I used a food network recipe for roasted tomatoes for the time and oven temperature, but otherwise I was on my own. here's what i did:

1. cut 4 roma tomatoes lengthwise into 8ths, then half horizontally
2. toss in a large bowl with fresh basil (8-9 leaves), rosemary (approx. 1/4 tbsp), a tiny bit of lavender, and some sun-dried tomato basil infused olive oil 3. roast in oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees

4. in a large skillet, heat 2-3 tbsp. olive oil with some italian-blend seasoning thrown in.
5. cut polenta into 1/2 inch rounds, then place carefully into hot olive oil, turning frequently until each side is browned (approx. 5 minutes for each side)
6. as the polenta is cooking, season each side with fresh ground black pepper, french grey sea salt, and cumin

7. when polenta rounds are nicely browned, place on plate and top with the roasted tomato mixture.

8. grate fresh parmesan-reggiano cheese onto the top of each round.

the picture isn't great, but wow! this tasted amazing...

It's 104 degrees outside!

2011-07-22T18:30:00.003-04:00

time for the perfect summer dinner...caprese salad with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella...along with some basil and rosemary from my garden...

and some pinot grigio with fresh strawberries and blueberries...

cheers!

some little lovelies...

2011-07-13T21:52:00.004-04:00

the second summer semester is already moving too fast to even imagine posting a full paragraph, but here are some of my favorite things from the last several days...

the quinoa, baby spinach, baby portobello mushroom, broccoli, and sauteed tofu mix that has made me happy for the last 3 days at lunch...

one of my favorite ingredients, french grey sea salt. it just sounds sophisticated!

one of my favorite pictures of mollipops in one of my favorite frames...

the headband i bought while shopping with a dear friend on saturday because it reminds me of my sophie's glamorous collar...

a wonderful antiqued glass vase with some bright green flowers...right next to my bathroom sink ...

the tiny porcelain bird i found at the brocante in brussels...with the base of my grandmother's bathroom mirror in the background...

my antique locker basket with collected corks and some funky flowers...

A chance to take a breath...and a photo

2011-06-21T22:28:00.003-04:00

don't get me wrong--i love my job, i love teaching, and i'm very glad that i get to do it over the summer...but i am very, very, very happy to see the end of this first summer semester. not that the classes were bad, but the grueling schedule made it hard to stay healthy, and who doesn't love a short respite?

so, although i thoroughly enjoyed teaching this summer session, i am looking forward to a week of re-centering my body and clearing my head. given the aforementioned schedule, the fibro has been an ever-present companion so the more fluid schedule will be a wonderful period of rest and rejuvenation. i am also looking forward to preparing for next summer session and getting back into my research schedule.

today was study day, giving a little taste of what is to come. although it was a day filled with work, i had the delicious opportunity to do it all cuddled up at home...how i miss those graduate school days of working at home in my pink chair...

the day also afforded me the chance to work on my rice paper roll project. i have for some time been determined to make something with rice paper, and after finding this recipe on gluten free scallywag i was doubly inspired! so with only a fleeting sense of confidence, i embarked on this new adventure.

it was very fun and turned out well, especially for my first try. the hardest part was wrapping the rolls in a visually appealing way...and not eating all of them in one breath!

some gluten-free peanut and sweet chili sauce drizzled on top, and all was right with the world...

more adventures in gluten-free land

2011-05-27T20:03:00.003-04:00

so, after a brief hiatus from posting about my gluten-free adventures, i'm back with new tidbits--some "big," some not so big...

it looks like we're a breath away from being done with the upstairs renovation--the guest bedroom is set up, and all of the furniture has arrived for the living room. the last thing to arrive will be the rug on monday. it looks great! jerry has worked so hard to create a lovely family space for us--he is so wonderful!!

we had a great time in folly beach and charleston--very relaxing and wonderful weather! i wish we had taken more pictures, but i guess the fact that we were having too much fun to remember to get out the camera is a good thing in the end! :)

shortly before we left for the trip, i decided to start eating meat again--with a very large caveat, of course! only humanely raised, organically fed, free-range meat, and only when really necessary. this helps a lot with the issue of protein intake when being gluten-free and vegetarian. i noticed that i was eating mostly rice and veggies; although rice is a rich source of fiber, the proteins are incomplete, so i was always starving and week. by allowing a little bit of meat in my diet, i am able to supplement the protein with some healthy options every once in a while.

as far as gluten-free recipe adventures go, the bean dip that i put together a couple of weeks ago was great--it was all natural, so a dash of cayenne pepper and french gray sea salt made it PERFECT for munching on.

tonight i finally got the courage to make my gluten-free pizza crust. i'm not sure why, but i was completely intimidated by the idea of making a bread product. but the chebe crust mix made it so easy! i used a sun-dried tomato and basil olive oil in the mix, which i think gave it a very unique flavor. this being my first time making a bread mix, i think i added a little too much milk, but after wrapping and refrigerating the dough for about 10 minutes, it turned out great! i topped it with some gluten-free spaghetti sauce, fat-free mozzarella cheese, mushroom slices, tomato slices, and spinach leaves. it was AWESOME! especially since any of my add-ins/add-ons were fat-free, low-fat, or low-cal--it felt good to enjoy a little piece of heavenly pizza knowing that i had made it at least a little bit healthier...

as for restaurant adventures, my friend lisa and i found the black bean hummus at barley's in greenville to be amazing! and, after requesting no pita bread given our mutual gluten-free-gloriousness, they automatically provided us with corn chips. it was so good we ordered another helping!

i'm looking forward this weekend to trying out the gluten-free options at trios in downtown with jennie f.! very exciting to get to spend time with such wonderful ladies and experience new things at the same time!

ahh, well, now off to ride the motorcycle up to bi-lo with my guy...

i'm very much craving that tex-mex quinoa that i mentioned before--it was so good and filling!

WOW

2011-05-26T19:03:00.002-04:00

i was listening to this as i was walking (thank you, best of the left podcast), and i stopped dead in my tracks and just stood there with my mouth open going, 'wow. awesome.'

Rep. Keith Ellison Talks About What Liberty and Justice for All Really Means

a very interesting perspective...

2011-05-15T21:50:00.002-04:00

from the bill maher show, episode 212, regarding the celebrations surrounding the death of bin laden:

"i think that irshad [manji]'s point is that when we begin to see the evil in another person, and we begin to locate it there and not see that we're just as vulnerable to the same kind of stuff, we're not as humble as we should be. and therefore, we should be a bit more cautious about celebrating that." ~ michael eric dyson

just something to think about...

so much productivity!

2011-05-03T20:24:00.008-04:00

well, mes chers, this day has been a whirlwind! i ended up staying home from work because we had some maintenance going on, and although that doesn't sound like the best recipe for productivity, i was moving through some tasks! now, as it begins storming in a very delightful way, i thought i'd curl up here with a good glass of red wine and share some of the good news as well as what i've been doing in the kitchen...

we had the carpets steam cleaned today--all ready for the upstairs furniture to be delivered on friday and the new changes in the guest bedroom. i can't wait for family and friends to come and share our home!

so, not only did i finish grading compositions and my other work AND plant my roses AND walk 4 miles, i was also able to cook up a bunch of great stuff for the coming weeks! i did the asparagus frittata--very easy and gave me the chance to use the iron skillets that my mom gave me so long ago. i just had a piece--of course with ketchup, since i'm one of those "eggs with ketchup" people--and it was great. surprisingly filling and tasty for only 60 calories a slice!

i also finished making the lasagna--i still couldn't get the food processor to work, so i just decided to mix it by hand. i honestly can't believe that i didn't think of that the other night--the recipe only called for 10 seconds of food processing, so i wish it had occurred to me to look and see if i could just do it by hand. of course the noodles that i had cooked were mostly stuck together and wasted, but luckily i had six unused ones left over, so between those and pieces of the others, i was able to piece together the equivalent of 12 noodles. i would have just bought some more, but the only place i've been able to find the tinkyada lasagna noodles is in easley (grrrrr...), so that wasn't possible.

anyway, after a small taste test, i think it turned out great...i froze it for the next sunday when the family has our traditional lasagna meal. perhaps i'll stop by ingles in the morning to pick up some of the french bread mix that i saw.

i have to say, i am seriously craving some french bread and some doritos (not together of course!). i know, i know...a strange food identity to reference, but i love both so much!

i was also going to fix up some zucchini tempura chips, but i realized that the recipe called for a dehydrator, so i'll have to figure out a way around that or table that one for a little while. i did take the leftover veggies (asparagus, yellow squash, extra zucchini, and green onion) and sauté them with some jalapeno pepper flakes to then be mixed with rice. i think at this point i have enough food for 3 weeks, but it has been fun!

as an aside, the vegetarian times website has been an amazing resource. on this site, you can not only read interesting articles, you can search for vegetarian recipes with an amazing number of specifications, including gluten-free, low-calorie, low-fat, dairy-free, and vegan. it seems like filtering vegetarian recipes for gluten-free and low-calorie would turn up 0 results, but this site has an astonishing number of options! even when i added dairy-free to those options, i still got pages and pages of results. also, every recipe comes with a nutritional breakdown, which is very helpful for dieting and also for ensuring appropriate levels of proteins and other nutrients.

i hope that one day i'll be adept enough at this cooking venture to post pictures of what i actually make--not the recipe photos! of course, that would also require me to find my camera...hmmmm....

cooking it up this weekend

2011-05-02T12:11:00.003-04:00

this weekend was a great food festival! on friday night, we went to the lazy goat in downtown greenville for our anniversary--that was where we went on our first date--and the meal was amazing. the truffle fries were delicious as was the risotto that the chef prepared especially for me after i told the server i was a gluten-free vegetarian. it was honestly one of the best meals that i have ever had and the company was of course wonderful. :)

then on saturday i spent some quality time in the kitchen. my batch of hummus didn't come out as well as the first one, but the tex-mex quinoa was great. with the left over black beans and dr. mcdougall's black bean soup, i made up a little creation of my own--vegetarian, gluten-free bean dip! to the 1/2 of the box that was left and the approximately 1 can worth of black beans, i added a can of great northern beans (drained), some salsa, and some savory, then threw it all in the food processor...voilà! i must say, it tasted very good for something that was, shall we say, a bit aimless...

i also made up some gluten-free spaghetti as well as some brown rice with veggies and quorn. all great things for lunch and dinner. i started to make a gluten-free vegetarian lasagna last night with some tinkyada noodles that i found at wal-mart (of all places!), but couldn't get the food processor to work, so that was shelved until another try tonight. at least all of the ingredients are ready!

great!

2011-04-24T21:43:00.003-04:00

so i did the zucchini tomato gratin tonight for dinner, and it was great! didn't look exactly like the picture, but it was soooo tasty!

also tried my tinkyada gluten-free spaghetti for dinner tonight, and it was also wonderful...i love the feeling of my body regrouping and getting back to what's right!

getting back to the right place

2011-04-22T15:14:00.004-04:00

i have to say, i'm really loving the gluten-free decision! i can already feel my body regrouping and renewing itself. also, as i mentioned before, it has not only made me more excited about what i eat, it's changed my point of reference to food. after my 'aha' moment in the produce section last week (see previous post), i am just really enjoying getting back to the natural goodness of nature in my food.

now, that's not to say that i haven't splurged a little (even though in a gluten-free, vegetarian way)...for example, the load of spinach-artichoke dip that i scarfed down with some gf crackers at wild wings last saturday! CLEARLY not the healthiest or most natural thing in the world to eat en général, but the point is that what i am ingesting everyday has become so much more fundamental and simple. added to the awesome knowledge of exactly what is in my food is the fun of getting into the kitchen and cooking again.

purely as a matter of coincidence, i noticed a flyer for the farmers' market at clems*n on monday, just in time! it only happens from 11-2, but i was able to take 20 minutes and walk on over there. there were so many cool things for sale--fresh goat cheese, vegetables, etc. there was also a gluten-free bakery booth with AMAZING cupcakes as well as a booth with some potted herbs. i bought some gluten-free treats (although ended up giving them all away) and a potted savory plant. i had never heard of that herb, but apparently it goes well with beans and related recipes, so it will be great for my new endeavors. i plan on going back next week to get some of the cheese and another herb. hopefully soon i'll have a nice little herb garden!

last night i made up a batch of steamed brown rice and veggies...so simple, so cheap, so easy, and makes so much! i made enough for 3 days worth of food just from that! while steaming the rice, i just chopped up some garlic and tossed it into a pan with some of my new savory (yay!), then zucchini, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms, and broccoli. i have to say, the smooth feel of cutting the vegetables and handling every ingredient was awesome. i tossed the veggies in with the garlic and savory, added some herbes de provence and natural french gray sea salt, then just monitored and stirred so that they didn't get over-cooked. by the time they were ready to go, the rice was done, and i just tossed them together.

there was clearly a taste test...which was so good!

so, not only was it a stress-reliever to get in the kitchen with the veggies and herbs, it was an amazing, affirming experience.

this weekend, i hope to make some zucchini-tomato gratin. i'll try to remember to take pictures; perhaps there can be some good comparisons between my final product and the website picture!

still working on perfecting the quinoa...tastes great, but doesn't look like the pictures yet! :)

adventures in food, the sequel

2011-04-18T22:11:00.002-04:00

so, as some of you know, i recently decided to go gluten-free. this was a big decision in that i am already a vegetarian (thus already limiting what society deems "normal food"), but also in that it was not based on a medical diagnosis of celiac disease or non-celiac gluten sensitivity...just on my intuition of the latter. the more i read, i felt that i do not have the extreme symptoms of celiac disease, but i do feel that the non-celiac gluten sensitivity is probably a legitimate issue for me. as someone who experiences these discomforts with "only" a sensitivity, i cannot imagine how bad the suffering from celiac disease must be. i salute all those who have published such helpful information regarding the presence of these materials in different products and the constant support that they provide to such a wide community, and will continue to honor their hard work and dedication.

the intuition comes from the fact that i already suffer from and have a family history of autoimmune diseases, and from the variety of digestive symptoms that seem to coincide with this sensitivity. so, after some wise and judicious advice from friends and loved ones, as well as a lot of research, i thought it might be a good choice. that's making a long story short, obviously.

overall, it has been a great decision! it has been so long since i have been excited about my food...and that's really sad. how did i get this unenthused about what i ingest? and not only unenthused, but uncaring? how did it only become something to make me feel not hungry as opposed to something that can provide my body with needed resources in a specific context (in my case, vegetarian with fish and shellfish allergies)? at the risk of being too "eat, pray, love" (based on the five minutes of the movie i could stand to watch), why has there been such a disconnect between eating and providing good things for my body? whether or not the vegetarian or the gluten-free things become a permanent aspect of my life, the idea of thinking critically about what i ingest is an ongoing process through which i am always growing. although one of my last posts was about the celebration and enjoyment of food, this one is going a step further--the celebration and enjoyment of finding out how what one ingests helps and hinders a body. it's obviously a lengthy and totally individual process, but that is one of the most exciting things about it--it gives me a sense of agency and individualism as i focus on making changes that may benefit me in such fundamental ways. in turn, it helps my self-esteem to know that i am learning to value my physical self as much as my emotional self.

with this, i am excited about seeing how changes in my diet could help me in many different aspects of my life, and i realized that i was also excited about trying out new recipes. i have had so much fun cooking the new dishes and i am also excited about my meals for lunch and dinner now in a way that i haven't been in so long. the focus on how the different aspects of a meal can affect the human body is a fascinating and exciting aspect that i have not considered in a long time...

i also really enjoyed getting into the slicing, seasoning, and cooking of the fresh vegetables...it's so ironic that as a vegetarian, i don't spend much time in the fresh veggie/fruit aisle. because of time, money, and "good" diet concerns, i always headed for the frozen foods aisle to find the lean cuisines or the veggie burgers. but now that i know a little more about the benefits and FUN of cooking with fresh ingredients, i feel ready to conquer any recipe! to be sure, my quinoa isn't as great as an expert's and i had to do some last-minute substitutions, but this is definitely something that will improve as i continue to work on my nutritional lifestyle (notice i didn't say diet).

i'll keep everyone posted as i continue on this journey...

i heart bill maher

2011-04-10T19:10:00.002-04:00

thank god for these podcasts...one of my new favorite quotes:

"i know you [republicans] hate the media; it doesn't mean your image doesn't appear on videotape. you're hypocrites, not vampires."

(~on the republican about-face regarding the libyan air strikes)

adventures in food over the last week...

2011-03-26T16:27:00.003-04:00

well, i must admit, the last week has not been the most stellar of diet times. in fact, let's make that the last two weeks. what with the culmination of the moving process and the federal grant proposal deadline, there have been too many times when working out or finding healthy options were not possible, and the stress eating went through the roof. all of that on top of other school situations and the constant search for spikers. so, hello 3 extra pounds!

that being said, i was thinking about it today and stressing out, but then i remembered that i need to realign continually with a healthier viewpoint regarding that whole area. so, yes, it wasn't the healthiest week in terms of staying within my calorie limit, but i thought perhaps it would be good to capitalize on all of those extra calories and celebrate the tasty enjoyment!

it's been awhile since i've fixed a meal other than the lasagnas, etc. that we eat on sunday afternoons (and usually jerry does those and i have a more healthy option), so i thoroughly enjoyed our tuesday night dinner. after closing the door for the final time on my old apartment, i felt the need to celebrate...to celebrate a new household that is healthier in so many different ways--physically/medically, emotionally, and environmentally. the peace that comes with being with loved ones in a safe and thriving environment cannot be overstated, and this is what i wanted to celebrate. my first thought was to go to my favorite salad bar and load up on goodies, but then i thought, "why not cook a great dinner at home?" it seemed much more appropriate to share the celebration with everyone else! (and also get to use some of the serving dishes that i had so carefully transported from the old apartment...) then there was the conundrum of what to fix. it's been so long since i've made dinner, much less an elaborate one, that i was overwhelmed by the desire to go home and pour over my new cooking light issues to find some recipes that would satisfy the vegetarian and non-vegetarian appetites in the household but ALSO to fix one of my old favorites (black bean soup or the tortellini bean soup, with chips or crusty bread).

in the end, i went toward the middle and made a splurge-worthy dinner that was easy but also not an "old faithful" that i used to fix all of the time. to start, we had spinach leaves with natural feta and almonds, then as a main course we enjoyed some seared asparagus with mozzarella topping, breadsticks, and three-cheese tortellini with pesto sauce. it was sooooooo tasty and the fact that it was easy to prepare made for the perfect combination of cooking activity and fun celebration! the cabernet sauvignon that i chose at the store was great--i was expecting a basic wine given the price and unsophisticated appearance, but it was surprisingly good! for dessert, i made a devil's food chocolate cake with chocolate frosting. it was a little wonky because i forgot that the beaters that i previously had actually belonged to jennie faucett (so they had been returned...or so i hope...otherwise they're lost and i'll need to buy some new ones for you jenn), but it turned out okay. those of you who know me can probably already guess that i didn't partake of the cake--i would have much rather had another helping of the pasta! but it looks like that everyone enjoyed the different parts of the meal, which adds to the joy of the entire experience.

although there were splurges throughout the week that functioned just to get me through the mind-numbing writing process, the other one that i would really like to mention was our dinner last night. matthew came over on friday afternoon since jerry was leaving this afternoon for germany, so we went out for a wonderful italian dinner. once again, the great thing about this dinner was the combination of the company with the good food. i really love spending time with jerry and his kids, and this was such a great time. matthew was hilarious--it always makes me remember a phone conversation that jerry and i had when we first started dating. he was sitting outside grilling and eating dinner with matthew, and told me that Matthew is an "old soul" in that he just adapts to any situation and has awesome communicative abilities with people of any age. it's so true--we always have a great time when matthew is here, no matter what we are doing.

so, we went out for italian, and i was sooo hungry--there was definitely some splurging going on there...trio sampler of fried mozzarella, bruschetta, and spinach dip, of course with PLENTY of tasty, crusty bread, and a big bowl of capellini pomodoro as the main course. the laughter and the good food was a great way to end the week, and i hope that it was a good time for jerry as he prepared to go overseas. i will definitely miss him, because things just aren't as happy or exciting when he's not here, but i'm looking forward to his return next saturday and i'm glad we had a fun evening out before he left.

now, on sunday, as jerry is in flight to germany and i'm trying to wrap up my proofreading of the federal grant proposal (and then preparing myself for the massive amounts of grading that have piled up because of the HAB presentation and this proposal), i've sampled some of the pizza that i fixed for matthew for dinner (even just the crust is good). i'm so glad he decided to stay here tonight too.

tomorrow, i'm sure there will be more splurging, as it is the birthday celebration for audrey clair (as opposed to baby audrey) in charlotte at olive garden. while i'm certain that she will get some stuffed mushrooms and take the plate home with her (to return it the next time she goes back--don't worry, it's an established situation), i'm hoping that i won't be too tempted. i do love the salad and breadsticks, so i usually try to stick to the soup option, but it's great soup!

here's to good food in collaboration with living well and experiencing amazing changes and wonderful relationships. although i will certainly be looking forward to a break when i'm not sick or moving, i am so thankful for our household and my place in it. this is the most important thing--not overly stressful thoughts of calorie counts or workouts.

A Few Thoughts...

2011-03-10T11:10:00.004-05:00

..as I frantically search for the remote to change the channel from American Idol to something, anything else...and, of course, find a wonderful program on SCETV, our public broadcasting television station. I am so happy that I have the option to watch a representation of the Broadway version of Les Misérables over American Idol. [see note 1]

This is not to say that I'm opposed to pop culture or sensationalist phenomena. In fact, Two and a Half Men was one of my favorite shows for a long time, and mainstream programs from Friends to Gossip Girl have been a mainstay of my media environment for quite sometime. Can you get anymore frivolous than Gossip Girl? I don't think so! But here's the thing...if we didn't want to watch that or any number of programs on major networks at the same time (The Bachelor/ette, Celebrity Apprentice, or some iteration of the whole Law and Order situation), we knew we would always have the intelligent programming of the local public broadcast station.
Another story, that might seem unrelated at first, also demonstrates this principle. After having someone brake too quickly in front of me on I-85, I unfortunately spilled soup all over my radio. One might perhaps question why I had soup in the car, but that story, which involves moving my possessions in a Sebring convertible for the second time in a year, is better told in person. Suffice it to say that the soup was spilled, although I was being very careful, and it got into the electronic recesses of my radio. The downside of this entire episode is that at the time, for some reason, I had the radio tuned to a local pop station, instead of ETV radio, the NPR station that I listen to for 95% of the day. As a result, I can't listen to anything but this one station, and what an awakening this has been for me! After one morning's commute, I quickly downloaded several NPR and affiliated public radio iPhone applications so that I could listen to something intelligent. Not that the local radio station wasn't entertaining, it was. But, wow. I'm not sure that a discussion about cheating on social media networks, one that had apparently lasted for three consecutive broadcasts, is worth listening to at any point in someone's life.
So, now I drive the 1.25 hours each morning and again each evening with my phone broadcasting a simulcast of a public radio station. This brings up the fact that public broadcasting has been innovating in many different sectors, including the provision of access in wireless and other applications. While that is wonderful, all of it must cost a lot of money.

I could also speak about how, as I went through boxes of my childhood belongings earlier this year, one of the most exciting and happy things I found was my Sesame Street library. I can still imagine the thrill of reading Grover's adventures in the "P" volume. My mother will tell you that, because she and others in my life had worked so hard to instill the skills and love of reading at an early age, I was able to call any bedtime reader on skipped sections of these stories. I truly believe that Sesame Street (a public broadcasting mainstay) was a key element in these adventures. I also remember the number song from the television show...some of you that are my age probably know this...the late 70's/early 80's arcade/pinball illustrations of a song for counting from 1 to 12.

Number Song Compilation

So, the moral of these stories is that we should all consider the impact of public broadcasting on our own lives as well as in our communities. Sure, these organizations are not perfect, just like any other ones. But if you look into their backgrounds (The Street Gang is a great start for reading), you will see amazing good intentions and incredibly hard, thoughtful work.
I have posted short commentaries about this online as NPR and PBS have fought against the federal budget cuts that would zero out their funding from this sector. But the controversy over the ouster of CEO Schiller compelled me to write about my experiences. I know that these are my personal experiences and viewpoints, and so not necessarily those of many other people that might read this. However, the two key elements of that statement, namely that I am able to think about things in an open way and that I am able to accept and respect others' opinions, are a product of my thoughtful upbringing--one that allowed me to develop a dynamic worldview that respects all viewpoints while also being able to form an educated opinion on topics that I have had the opportunity to learn about. I thank my mother, my grandmothers, and numerous other mentors along the way for this. Without these strong, amazing people I would not have even a piece of the nascent sense of personal growth that I do now. [see note 2] But I am also thankful that I was introduced to NPR at a time when I was trying adult life out for my own. From my background combined with that experience, I have learned that good journalism will present viewpoints that make you you want to cheer out loud but also viewpoints that make your head want to explode...and, by extension, will make you confront your personal judgments and ideologies AND think critically about what you believe and why. And sometimes change your mind in a radical way.
What Juan Williams and Ron Schiller said in both accounts was wrong in so many different ways. But those of us who count on public broadcasting know that their singular statements do not reflect on the organization as a whole.

To Rep. Eric Cantor, I applaud you for listening to news events and considering how they relate to your world view. However, I think that you should parse through the various repercussions of what you are proposing, perhaps with a more open-minded perspective. First of all, does the viewpoint, however egregious, of one person represent the whole organization? In another context, as an example, do the viewpoints of junior Tea Party representatives present a comprehensive view of the Republican party? From what I've learned, that's not true, especially in budgetary issues. And I'm glad that I have been exposed to the varied viewpoints of American politics, whether or not I agree with them.

So, when you say that NPR and PBS should not receive federal funding because Ron Schiller (one person) has a viewpoint that is actually 180 degrees from the organizational mission, how does that exhibit careful thinking about public programs or how they affect and benefit our nation? We can even reference Juan Williams, whose sensationalist views at the opposite end of the political spectrum drummed up the same kind of controversy. Does R. Schiller's misguided viewpoint mean that NPR and PBS should not be a part of our society? To be even a little bit sensationalist, do his comments mean that programs like Sesame Street do not represent a worthy goal? Even though, in fact, federal monies represent a relatively small portion of NPR funding, they do represent a large part of PBS funding; in addition, other aspects of NPR funding rely on PBS as a larger organization, to the best of my understanding. Therefore, any cuts to federal funding for PBS will not only be detrimental to that programming, but also to the radio programming that is affiliated with this. It's much more complicated than just one man's overly-biased point of view.

As a corollary to that thought, if you are going to only listen to one voice, why not that of Susan Stanberg who has been with NPR for 40 years and who is not afraid to voice her opinions about the strengths and weaknesses of the management? She says, "The work that we do has been so consistently extraordinary. The strongest news organization in electronic broadcasting, and that has been untarnished. So that's the thing that I'm just trying, as a long standing staffer, to keep in my mind and keep focused on." How about considering another viewpoint before choosing to eliminate funding? How about choosing to consider the totality of reporting and work, including those that are in dangerous situations bringing us stories like the revolution in Libya, before writing off an entire organization based on the comments of two sensationalist and obviously ill-informed individuals? If this seems overwrought, remember that I'm trying to think about the issue from different viewpoints, as any good lawmaker should also do. Certainly, governmental funding should be carefully considered as it represents the dollars of all Americans. I do, however, believe that if we can consider funding a religious project supported completely by federal dollars in Kentucky, we can consider the effectiveness of funding for an organization that truly strives to be unbiased as a whole. In Kentucky, it seems like the fact that many people don't share the same religious views as that represented by this project is irrelevant. But when the reported liberal bias of NPR comes under fire, the issue of eliminating federal funding is framed in an opposite manner. Although I am a Christian (the religious affiliation of the Kentucky project), I would rather my tax dollars go to programs that are truly respectful of all beliefs and viewpoints, rather than just mine. This applies across all sectors. Even though I wholeheartedly do not agree with the Republican agenda, I feel like we should be exposed to, support, and consider all of the available viewpoints, and I am glad that I can hear about what is going on in different areas of our nation, and that I have the opportunity to listen and consider...whether when I do I feel happy or frustrated or like I realize I really need to rethink something.
Perhaps the point of this post is that a careful consideration of all sides of a story is a major impact of public broadcasting in this country. Imagine a young child who doesn't have access to programs like Sesame Street or Super Why--not because his/her family doesn't have a cable connection, a television, or programming information (or any number of other very real considerations in the varied communities across our nation), but because our society doesn't believe that this type of programming, this type of pedagogically effective technology in television, is not worth working to fund in many different ways. Of course, this also reaches to those that benefit from public broadcasting but who choose not to donate. We can't all always give monetary donations, but the actual burden of funding for these programs, in all of their modes, lies with the listeners and their donations.

Because the reported liberal bias of NPR has been so contextualized, I won't go into an imagination of life without the journalistic excellence on which I and so many others have come to rely. All I can say to this effect is to reiterate that, even when news stories are presented on NPR regarding viewpoints with which I may not agree, I can still appreciate the judicious reporting that seeks to delve into individual issues and bring them to the nation. Even when what the invited speakers or those persons being interviewed makes me want to scream, I can agree that I am glad to have a news outlet that presents all viewpoints.

All I can hope is that I will be able to continue having these opportunities, and that I would be lucky enough to hear that clear, deep, decisive voice say everyday, "This. is NPR."

Note 1: Yes, I did hear the interest piece on American Idol for Morning Edition this week. It was exceptional in that, while I could recognize the meta analysis consideration of such a phenomenon, I was totally bored after about 30 seconds...so, not that it's invaluable, but thank goodness there are other choices out there!

Note 2: I have been incredibly blessed in that the number of beneficial mentors I have had in my life is too long to list here--I am so thankful for their continued guidance, and I hope that one day I will have an opportunity to tell the world in detail about each and every one of them and how they impacted my life.

Brussels, Day 8

2011-01-08T13:16:00.002-05:00

Well, despite how busy we were today, not much to report on the exciting side. The best thing is that Jerry is feeling much better and was able to get out today and do some sightseeing. After having our overflowing toilet fixed, we went over to the Grand Place and then did some walking around and window shopping. Got a great souvenir for Mom today--I think she'll really love it, and it's definitely not something that you can find just anywhere!

Had a nice little lunch at an Italian restaurant, then we made our way over to the train station to try and get the student rail card situation figured out. Luckily, the representative at the guichet this time was much more helpful, so we have everyone situated, save those couple of students who did not send a photo (an easy fix once they arrive).

The students are winging their way over here as I type, and will arrive at 7:25 AM tomorrow morning...very early! Everything is ready for their arrival--we will have dinner at what looks like a very cool little restaurant tomorrow evening, then a chance for waffles on Monday (since all of the museums are closed), then the Museum of the City of Brussels on Tuesday before they go to Louvain-la-Neuve on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Chocolate Museum is closed until the end of January, as is the Magritte Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Hopefully the students will be able to visit those spaces later.

We are off to go walk around some more--after the late Italian food lunch, I don't think either of us is hungry, so perhaps we will work up an appetite for some true Brussels fare...

Brussels, Day 7

2011-01-07T14:22:00.002-05:00

Another low key day, as far as blog entries go. Jerry is still sick--I think with the flu, although he insists otherwise--so I just went around the city and tried to get everything confirmed, reconfirmed, and picked up for the students. The train station passes are still proving to be a problem (of course), but other than that, everything is set. It looks like we will have a great restaurant reservation and a great visit to the Museum of the City of Brussels!

Hopefully more tomorrow...

Paris to Brussels, Day 6

2011-01-06T14:47:00.002-05:00

Today was a day of travel and getting settled...no pictures to show, and really nothing exciting to tell, other than we took the train from Paris to Brussels and we are now safely ensconced in our "apartment" (only slightly larger than our little hotel room in Paris, but still perfect for what we need). HOWEVER, getting the chance to visit a new place--even better, a francophone country--is very exciting, so I guess I should amend that statement to reflect how awesome it is that we are in Belgium!!

What is a little bit sad is the prevalence of American chain restaurants here. Beyond even the presence in Paris, by which I was already heartbroken. It EVEN surpasses the abundance of KFC's in Malaysia (please note that every single one of my pictures from Malaysia have a KFC in them, except for the ones from Uncle Rick's apartment and inside the National Museum--even though you might actively try to take a picture there without a KFC, it's almost impossible :) ). Just in the 7-minute walk from the apartment office to our abode, there were two McDonalds, 2 Subways, 1 Pizza Hut, and 1 Dominos. Not to mention the Quick-type spinoffs...GAH!

Jerry is still battling his cold--miraculously I have not gotten it...yet. I fully expect to wake up with it tomorrow morning, since (as all of you who are familiar with me know) I have no immune system. Actually, this might be the first time in about 7 or 8 years that I haven't gotten sick when within 100 yards of someone who is! Let's keep that train of positive thinking going!

We had dinner in a little bistro near the apartment and we are now going to go rest in the hopes that we can soit get better, soit not get sick...

Paris, Day 5

2011-01-05T18:00:00.011-05:00

Although it doesn't feel like it, today was sort of a low key day. Neither Jerry nor I felt good all yesterday evening or this morning, so we decided to rest in the hotel this morning.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out the luggage situation--still no word from Air France. Although they declared that the luggage is "at the airport", their caveat is that they don't know which airport. My money is still on it sitting there at Hartsfield-Jackson after the mechanical problems on the plane. (Of course that bet doesn't include it still being there--I'm sure someone has walked off with it by now and is feeling very lucky for picking a suitcase with such a classy, well-rounded wardrobe.)

After we were feeling better, for lunch, we went to my favorite...l'As du Falafel!!! That falafel sandwich was every bit as good as I remembered, maybe even more delicious!! Abby met us there, which was really fun as well. I'm proud of Jerry--he tried the falafel! Although he declared it was "not bad" in a tone of voice that made us comment on how Americans have so many different ways of saying "not really my thing", at least he tried it even though he was skeptical. :)

After lunch, we walked to the Place des Vosges, then over to la Bastille and hung out in a cafe for a little while with Abby--it was so sad to say goodbye, knowing that I will not be able to see her for so long!

We then trekked over to the Louvre--it was open late today, until 10:00 PM, but as it turns out, neither of us were up for even the relatively small challenge of a four-hour visit. We saw our favorites (except for Mme de Pompadour), then called it a night, going back to the hotel for some Speed Rabbit Pizza.

Here are a few highlights from the visit today...

An actual helmet from Charles VI's reign, and a copy to show what it would have looked like "back in the day".

The Napoléon III apartments (n.b., we were having some trouble with the exposure on the camera, so some are a little blurry)

A decorative box brought to a church by Philippe le Bel containing some relics from Saint Louis.

The immense inside cours with so many sculptures--very peaceful...

My favorite shot of the day--Jerry and the Vénus de Milo, looking opposite ways...

The Vigée Le Brun for Mom...

Very interesting after the book I read this year on Diane de Poitiers--a bronze sculpture for over a door at Fontainebleau--it depicts the image of Diana, goddess of the hunt, which was at the time strongly linked with Diane de Poitiers.

And a few other images from the day...

Off to bed now to nurse our food troubles and the cold that Jerry caught (and which I will certainly have by 2 or 3 AM). Then onto the train for Brussels early in the morning...

Paris, Day 4

2011-01-05T17:36:00.006-05:00

Today was such a great day; we went to Versailles and, although I’ve been before—and even been on the “behind the scenes” tour—I’ve never seen the Galerie des Glaces or Marie Antoinette’s apartments. It was amazing to see both of these spots—perhaps I shouldn’t admit it, but I definitely got teary-eyed and even speechless (a huge feat for me in the middle of so much XVIIIe century history to talk about). Here are a few highlights from all of the pictures that we took…

The chapel, where Louis and Marie Antoinette were married (not the proxy one) on May 16, 1770. I’ve been inside it on the special tour, but when you have to stand outside the doors, it’s impossible to get a good picture of the ensemble. You have to just take a picture of the lower parts at first, then wait until you get up to the second level to take a picture of the beautiful paintings on the ceiling that correspond so well with the colors in the marble on the floor.

Some pictures attempting to depict the opulence of the rooms and the chateau as a whole, which is, of course, impossible. I was especially drawn to the chandeliers. They were spectacular, even down to the braided, silky cords from which they were hanging.

The King’s bedroom

The other “mothership” (Louis Vuitton on the Champs Elysées) being the one previously mentioned), the Queen’s bedroom—once occupied by Marie Antoinette. It was breathtakingly beautiful. I believe I heard a tour guide say that the bedspread was original to the chateau from her time in these chambers, although that’s somewhat hard to believe given what happened during those years and those directly following. It was a thrill to see the door through which she escaped when the chateau was stormed.

Looking forward to a good day tomorrow, which will hopefully include falafel J, the Louvre, and meeting up with Abby (as well as trying to figure out what to do about my luggage…).

Paris, Day 3

2011-01-03T15:07:00.012-05:00

03.01.2011

This morning we finally managed to get up on time…fank the yord! as Baby Audrey would say—so we got packed up and left Abby and Stéphane’s house (sad part!) and then went to the hotel. It’s the perfect hotel—just the right size, great staff, and in the middle of Passy.

After we got settled at the hotel, we had a short walk around Passy for old time’s sake…although a lot has changed, so much is the same. I think my favorite thing was seeing the flower shop where Mom and I used to go buy flowers because our apartment smelled so bad!

After our Passy moment, we went ahead to La Conciergerie. Of course the line for La Sainte Chapelle was horribly long. I thought that would only be the case in the summer, but apparently there are plenty of tourists here that would like to see the “dentelle de pierre”. I hope that we will be able to make it back there, as it’s been about 10 years now since I’ve been able to see it.

It goes without saying that La Conciergerie was amazing. I can’t help it—I absolutely adore the big, gloomy feel and all the revolutionary “stuff”. Part of my love for this museum dates back to my first visit, when I had just discovered XVIIIe century French literature. I was just walking up the stairs and around the corner when BAM! mannequins, dressed in period clothing, in jail cells where they tell you what each person’s duty was during the Revolution. I know it’s a little weird, but my favorite is the one with the man who prepared everyone for the trundle to the guillotine…cut the hair, shirts, etc.

And, of course, I took the obligatory picture of the guillotine blade. I must have 100 pictures of this thing…but, WOW!

And then there’s the Marie Antoinette aspect…I just get chills looking at the things that are there to commemorate her. She was such a complex person living in such a complex time, I find it impossible to not be absolutely enthralled by her.

The top of the monument to her, with an inscription penned by Louis XVI

The bottom of the monument, with an excerpt from her last letter, to the king’s sister, Elisabeth:

“Que mon fils n'oublie jamais les derniers mots de son père, que je lui répète expressément : qu'il ne cherche jamais à venger notre mort!...”

I love this quote—it makes one think about all of the complexities of a revolutionary period, which was clearly aimed for good, but did do some harm, a mother’s relationship with her children, as well as the ties between social, economic, and religious aspects that existed at the time. (And let’s not forget the ever-present censures that might have also played a part in her thoughts about what to write.) The entire letter is heartbreaking, but also amazing to read.

The remake of her cell, as well as her last picture and a fragment of the rug that she used in her cell.

After La Conciergerie, we went to Notre-Dame and walked around the chapel as well as the Treasure Room. This was something that I had never seen before, but that Jerry knew from his previous trip. I was so glad that he knew about it, because it was really very fascinating. There were lots of different kinds of reliquaries, chalices, and other extremely valuable objects. It was so interesting to see the reliquaries with actual bones or fragments in them—such a different way of thinking about honoring those who have passed away.

The first is a picture of Saint Louis’ (Louis IX) shirt that he wore for “punishment” or “absolution”.

There was also a beautiful Christmas tree out in front of the cathedral—it was awesome at night when we left.

Here are a few pictures of the nativity scene inside the cathedral as well as a couple of some new favorites on the portails.

And finally, some fun from outside La Conciergerie…

à demain, mes chers!

Paris, Days 1 & 2

2011-01-02T20:39:00.014-05:00

We arrived in Paris just in time to celebrate the New Year--we were literally in the car on the way back from the train (it took just a little bit longer than anticipated with the train situation...), but we got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle and all of the people celebrating everywhere.

Abby and Stéphane have been wonderful hosts and we have had a lot of fun spending time with them over the holiday. The meals that they made--risotto, verrines, tartiflette, galette des rois--were awesome!

As we arrived in Paris late on the 31st, there is not much to tell from that day, other than that we got to ring in the new year looking at the most beautiful thing in the world AND with great friends--that is an amazing way to do it!

On the 1st of January, not much is open in Paris, so we decided to go to St. Cloud and Versailles. St. Cloud was a royal residence that was destroyed during the Commune in 1870, but the parcs that surrounded the chateau are still there and they are beautiful. It is an immense place and it's awesome to see the artistry of Le Nôtre (the landscape architect that designed gardens at Versailles and Vaux-le-Vicomte) at work there.

We also went to Versailles to walk around a bit. It was closed, but it was quite interesting, actually, as that meant that we could have a clear view from the inside gate, without a million people walking around in front of the chateau.

Stéphane et Abby said they were going to act like "Parisiens"...

Jerry and I acting like Americans who are just happy to be in France.

The fountains were also quite beautiful because they were frozen, which made everything look very peaceful.

After this, we went tried to go to La Durée for some macaroons, but the line was so long that we decided to go to another place instead. We ended up going to a cool place that was very different than what we would see normally in the States--a car exhibition on the first floor (some prototypes that probably won't be sold, some that will be sold), with a café above. There are several on the Champs Elysées; this one was the Renault showroom, called Les étoiles de Renaut:

Today (Sunday) we accidentally slept until 1:45 PM! We were so jet-lagged, so I think we must have needed it. There are some excellent blinds on the window in the room at Abby and Stéphane's house, so it seemed very dark outside. I heard, in fact, both of them walking around outside the room, and I was worried, because I thought that perhaps there was a family emergency or something--I couldn't imagine why they would be up "in the middle of the night"! It was actually around 10:00 AM or something like that. I felt sooooo ridiculous! At any rate, they had set out an amazing Epiphany feast, complete with a "Galette des Rois"--kind of like the King Cake for Mardi Gras. None of us found the baby though...

Since we started the day so late, we didn't really have time for any museums, so we went walking down the Champs Elysées. It was so beautiful--they have light blue lights on all of the trees, plus these straight ones that seem like falling stars. At the end near the Ferris wheel, there is a Christmas market with trinkets and little foods. It turned out very well that we got to go today--I know it was at the top of Jerry's list of things to do, and it was neat to see the market since I've never known about it before.

You really can't even capture how beautiful it is in a picture, but we tried...

I wanted to go look around the huge Louis Vuitton store (notice I just said LOOK), but there was a line a block long to get in!

My favorite Christmas decoration was actually an advertisement to travel to Alsace for the holidays--the corner and sides of the building were covered in Christmas trees, lights and longs swatches of green and pink decorations...

After our walk, we came back to the apartment to meet our wonderful hosts and we went to dinner at a very cool restaurant called La Gare, which used to be a train station...

We had a great time and a great meal. Tomorrow we are going to check in to the hotel and then we are going to try to go to La Conciergerie and Ste. Chapelle...

Monaco, Day 2, Grand Casino

2011-01-02T20:34:00.003-05:00

very handsome!

Here we are at the Grand Casino in Monte-Carlo. It was so beautiful--unfortunately you cannot take pictures inside, but it was truly one of the most beautiful places to which I have ever been...

Monaco, Day 2

2010-12-30T11:48:00.008-05:00

Today was our first normal touristy day in Monaco (and, sadly, our last day altogether). After getting up and having lunch at what has become our "place" here in Monte Carlo, Bar Monaco,

We went to the Palais Princier and looked around in that part of the city. To get to the Palais, you have to walk up this winding hill that is part of the fortress of the castle. This is so great because it provides such wonderful views of the bay...

Up at the top of the hill, you can see the Palais, and you can go into a petit museum that has lots of treasures depicting Monaco's history as well as the Napoleonic era. Unfortunately they do not allow pictures in the museum; they had some very interesting things. I think my favorite display was a huge glass case shaped like a diamond that had all of the beautiful medals of honor bestowed on the princes. They were so beautiful--lots of jewels in exquisite designs. They also had some of the jeweled shoulder drapes that were beautiful as well.

After that, we walked around the older part of the city--lots of tiny, winding streets with cafés and souvenir shops. One of the most interesting things was the way the streets were connected to always come back to the palace. Of course, my favorite part was the "Parcours Princesse Grace"

We were able to find the cathedral where she got married, but couldn't find her grave. There was a part of the cathedral that was closed for renovation, and given the signs directing visitors in the museum, I assume that it was back there.

Needless to say, everything was so beautiful--there are so many amazing apartment buildings with rooftop gardens and yachts everywhere! It's definitely a place that pictures could never do justice, and when you describe it you run out of words for "beautiful", "amazing", "awesome".

We are back in the hotel now, getting ready to go to the Grand Casino after some dinner. I found a chic dress for 21e in the Centre Commercial--hopefully the dress and my accessories will override the boots that I have to wear. I'm sure that Jerry will look very handsome in his tux, so maybe they won't even see me! Don't worry, pictures to come of our James Bond experience!

Monaco, Day 1.5

2010-12-29T15:14:00.004-05:00

Et, nous voilà à Monte Carlo! After a long voyage (see Facebook posts as well as a possible future post of the email that I have sent to Delta--I'm worried that after reading that no one will want to be my friend...), we are finally here! Our hotel is super-cool and very modern...

our hotel is very much like a video game--here at the entrance there are some off-centered doorways in yellow neon, and then the reception desk is layered in neon...

our bed...katy perry watching over us for safety...

the egg toilet...

the hôtel ni bar...très chic and très cool...the walls change color....

So, despite the troubles with the baggage, all will be okay. Being with your true love in an amazing place conquers all--although I've had my moments of tears and frustration (thanks Mom and Jerry for all of your support...)--especially if you are in such an amazing place. I feel so much more fundamentally at ease in a European/Francophone way of life--things seem to make so much more sense to me, and to hear French everywhere is always a dream!

We went to the shopping center today to look for some inexpensive clothes to hold me over (until the AirFrance/Delta people stop laughing and possibly get a clue); I love stores like Carrefour--it is so exciting to encounter the differences and the similarities and remember previous experiences and create new ones. :)

We got a little bit of clothes for me and some 0.40e Perrier for Jerry (plus the vodka encased in it's own fur coat)

Jerry on frugality in Europe: "I feel better now that we've got vodka in the room" :) I found some 1.00e wine (which is much better than most of what we have over in the states) and now we are contemplating where to go for dinner.

so...although we love our hotel and our room, it's time for me to sign off for the dinner and the carnaval!

Beezous!

kittehs make everything better...

2010-08-18T18:33:00.005-04:00

i want to live at this place of business...

back to school...

2010-08-16T19:41:00.005-04:00

sometimes things just work out really well...after a decidedly difficult day today, three things happened today that made the world seem a little brighter. i have to admit, the idea of starting a new school year is very daunting.

i love my job; over the last year, it has often been what has seen me through some very difficult times. as i contemplated beginning a new year and thought about what i would like to change and what i would like to continue, i realized that it's hard to separate the different strands of life (work, friends, family, etc.) when you look back over a period of time. there have been many times over the past year when i thought that starting (another day, over, another class, lunch, a book, etc.) was too much, that it would take too much.

several times over the past couple of weeks i've really struggled with the question of expectations--who is right? the person who quotes les brown, saying "shoot for the moon. even if you miss it you will land among the stars" or the person who decides not to expect anything, because then you'll never be disappointed? i have tended towards the second one over the last several weeks, but maybe the answer is actually somewhere between the two?

i guess the past year has made me a little hesitant to go entirely with mr. brown, but i'm trying to get back to that viewpoint. on that note, back to the three great things that happened today...it just so happened that just as i was really dreading going out to exercise and wishing that i could just talk and get all of this scary out, my phone rang. i didn't think i would get to talk to my mom for several days, but, just like always, she seemed to have a second sense, and guess who was on the other line. and, just like always, her positive attitude, listening ear, and good advice were amazing blessings. following that conversation, i felt reenergized and had a great walk. in atlanta, i had a perfect walking route, and i've really missed that here. in some ways, that's been one thing that has made it hard to get back on track with the exercise after having mono. but today, i took a new turn--went another way--and found a really nice street with beautiful scenery. it was so nice to get out in my neighborhood and find new things to admire and new kittehs to play with on the way.

not to mention the great road sign fail that i saw on the way...

to cap it all off, when i returned chez moi, i found that the new edition of one of my two favorite magazines, cooking light, had arrived, with an especially interesting article: "deciding to be happier" (by kate meyers). this was so amazing to me, given the fact that my normally hopeful and happy self has been a little doubtful over the past couple of weeks. i liked the article and highly recommend that everyone read it. ms. meyer's conclusion is that "happiness is a lot like healthy eating or exercise--simple advice, hard to implement. the work is constant." it made me smile for two reasons--first, it was a nice reminder that i am a happy and hopeful person for whom happiness is not a super-hard, conscious effort. second, it was nice to be reminded that everyone, usually happy or not, has times in her life when she has to consciously decide to be happy with what is going on, whether that's three little beautiful things each day, or a million different kinds of beautiful things each day.

after reading this article, i realized that i've slacked on my three beautiful things; that is to say, i've sometimes been neglecting to conduct what ms. meyers calls the "appreciation audit"--basically, to look for the good things that make us happy, no matter how big or how small, in our everyday lives.

yes, the past year has been hard. but at the same time, i have so many things to be thankful for: a wonderful family, a fantastic relationship with an amazing guy, awesome friends, a great job doing something that i love, coworkers that i like and respect, a place to sleep comfortably at night, cuddly pets, good books...

i think that instead of trying to decide how much to expect, it's important to focus on the beautiful things in life. perhaps then the relationship between expectations and the fear of disappointment will become less important, because it will be easier to focus on good things and how they change life for the better.

looking for hammy when i come in the door...

2010-07-19T22:17:00.002-04:00

just shared this with a friend, and felt the urge to post...

"'We are still with you if you would just see us. I was your heartdog; but here we are everyone's.' Suddenly it became so clear to me. Finally I understood. They are now a part of that light from which all good things flow. They are the hush we hear in the night after a snowfall; the sweet scent after a summer storm. They are the beauty we see each Spring when the hills are bathed in hues of red, yellow and blue on a bed of green. They are the warmth we feel from the sun touching our skin. They are all things eternal. The coldest of Winters will give way to Spring which in turn will step aside as Summer awakens from her sleep. Now they are part of this cycle once more.

Isabel M. Gordon (1996)

i need one of these...

2010-06-28T11:22:00.000-04:00

...the kitteh, not the laundry basket...

the familiarity of being...

2010-05-03T15:56:00.004-04:00

so for any of you that have talked to me recently or read my facebook posts, you know that hamilton has cancer, that it is incurable, and that right now we are in a holding pattern as to whether or not the medicines that we can give him will help him to enjoy at least a few more weeks (or maybe even a month or so) with us. it's a horrible place to be in as his owner--how do you balance the fact that you can't imagine what it would be like to not have him by your side every day, but also the fact that he's not comfortable and the very least that one can do for such a good buddy is to be unselfish and to help him to be as comfortable as possible.

terminal illnesses always seem unjust--probably because they are. and despite the fact that some might say that hamilton is "just a dog", this post is dedicated to him and to all of his people that have loved and cuddled him, who have appreciated the humor, irony, and devotion inherent in his little being. to those of you who knew him from that first day that the westie rescue brought him to the apartment in bellevue, and those of you who have just now met him in clemson and greenville. to those of you who have turned off at a sonic restaurant especially for him, who have fed him hot dogs, and who know the feeling of just wanting to go home and take a nap on a rainy day with the cuddliest westie ever.

even though hamilton can't bark, we know he is "a storyteller with his eyes". it doesn't ever matter exactly where he is, as long as he has people that he loves and knows around him. we know that he loves to sleep on leather couches so that he doesn't have to get up when he gets hot. he loves to have his ears rubbed, and he loves to run around aunt sara's camp "naked". his favorite dog in the world is pepper/steve. he would do anything he could to protect the people that he loves and make them feel good. he can lick a plate or bowl until it is more than cleaned off or it disappears underneath a couch. A is for army. we all love (in a special way) the coughing that happens after he drinks some water.

we all know he's a good buddy...the best.

so here's to hamilton...aka hammy, hamster, buddy, buhbuh, buh, bud bud brooks, widgie woo, hoogie boogie, hamma lama ding dong...or whatever else you know him by...and here's to all of the canine companions like him who have guarded our hearts and have always been there for us.

"isn't that torrey pines road?" "no, it's la nino...oh...no, wait..."

2010-04-27T23:22:00.010-04:00

i realized today that it's been awhile since i've posted anything, so i figured i'd give it a go tonight as i'm winding down and listening to the new pornographers' new cd. i had a great trip to san diego for my first national conference...it was a little intimidating, but i really enjoyed all of the technology and language learning presentations that i saw, and i actually enjoyed presenting my work. i was nervous at first, but found the groove after a minute or so. the hotel was beautiful, and we were able to relax a little bit before the festivities started on friday night. saturday night, we ventured into la jolla--BEAUTIFUL--then sunday after the workshop, we went to rancho bernardo, a local winery about 45 minutes from san diego. it was definitely worth going for 40 hours without sleep due to the return trip timing. although, if you had asked me that as i was lying on the airport floor or scraping chicken off of my packaged salad because the only vegetarian food at the airport was beer, i would have probably said the opposite!

here are a couple more pictures:

anyway, it's nice to be home again even though the trip was so fun. i definitely missed the pets and just having the weekend to mess around, sleep late, and hang out with friends! this weekend will be a good time for that definitely--looking forward to some fun stuff with friends and just getting things cleaned up around here so that i can enjoy my week off. oh, yeah, and grading exams! :)

the house is almost set up--still working on getting my clothes situated and the sh*t room organized. it's starting to feel like home now, however tiny it is! it has been hard to move and deal with everything in the middle of the semester, but i really do think it was for the best, because it forced me to learn new ways to handle life's curve balls.

okay, off to bed now to dream of my new macbook pro...can't wait until it arrives!!!

peeps ARE important!

2010-04-06T13:43:00.002-04:00

i feel like all i've been posting lately is/are videos...well, can't help myself--here's another one!

for those few of you who don't know, i loooooooooove peeps! especially when they've been in the fridge for a few days and are a little crunchy...

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Easter Under Attack - Peeps Display

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

thanks for a great night, h.

2010-03-28T02:11:00.003-04:00

send love and shimmers

2010-03-21T11:29:00.002-04:00

so we have now found out that my friend's mom has breast cancer, not multiple myeloma. still an extremely hard diagnosis, but the doctor has pronounced good blood work and has said the crucial word "EARLY", so hope fills my heart as I know it does hers as well. please keep praying for/sending out healing vibes to/thinking of her and her family~~i truly believe they are helping.

on other fronts, going to lowe's today to get resources to hang pictures. i've realized that a house never really feels like a home until there is something interesting on the walls. i remember being totally unmotivated to hang pictures in my first apartment on north druid hills because the walls were a dark cherry pink. who needs pictures when you're dazzled by pure color with every glance?

but in my present living space i have what is, admittedly, the best neutral color on my walls, but it's not sparkly enough to slow the hanging of pictures.

there are only two real problems with the plan for hanging pictures that makes a trip to lowes essential--i have no tape measure, and the paintings by the greenville crazy lady on plywood are quite heavy and have no hanging mechanisms...sooooooooo...trip to lowes...wish me luck on my home improvement endeavors...

something to say

2010-03-21T01:45:00.001-04:00

"watered by tears and fed by truth, my spirit revives"

life is life

2010-03-18T16:46:00.003-04:00

i've just found out that my best friend's mother has been diagnosed with cancer--multiple myeloma.
i finished moving everything last night and felt a huge sense of relief. today has been a day of relaxation and serenity until i received the message from my friend...i am so glad that she called me to expand the enormous support network that she will have. i cannot even imagine what it is like for her to hear this news. if anyone is closer to their mother than i am, it would be this woman. her mother is a thoughtful, energetic, giving, and selfless person that has always been there for both of us--in fact, i consider her my second mother.
my friend is the strongest, most determined, most successful woman i know, and i am confident that this strength and determination will guide her through this journey and give her increased strength and wisdom for life ahead, whatever happens.

i guess the question may be: where is the balance of life? i know that the answer involves seeing the big picture, but what does that mean for the moments when we are mourning lost possibilities, doctors' determinations, and previews of what will come next? in my present situation (which can't compare to my friend's in the least), i have often wondered about this.
i feel in my deepest intuition that my friend's mother will get through this and be even more vibrant and active than she was before (a superior accomplishment, since she is so vibrant and active now!)
just some thoughts to put out there as i give my heart (as broken and unpolished as it is) to my friend and her family...
please pray, send wellness vibrations, or whatever, to her, her mother, and her family, even if you don't know them.

"yours, in professionalism, nard-dog"

2010-03-16T22:17:00.002-04:00

so weird...yesterday (the first day of spring break) i was able to sleep late and hang out in a calm space, but today really seems like the first day of spring break! even though i had to be sure to get up at 8:00 AM to meet the piedmont natural gas worker, i felt so great!
note, however, that the rep from the gas company had a window from 8:00 to 12:00, so i was up by 7:30 to make sure that they didn't mess up like yesterday, but the guy didn't get here until 11:45. at least i had the comfy pink chair and a warm westie to nap with until then. my favorite part of that whole drama (of course there is drama--it's me!) is that the guy had to do two things: (1) turn on the gas for heat, and (2) light the furnace. he called me down to the basement (ps--if anyone needs to store a body, this is the perfect place...scary!!!) to show me that the furnace pipe was broken. so the landlord said, "well, i'm sure that they left the gas on for the heat, but just didn't light the furnace--that's what i told them to do because my technician is coming this week". yeah, well, they did NOT leave the gas on for the heat, whatever all that means. so, we're all freezing again.
it was nice, however, to listen to the gas company worker make professional contacts with the construction guys across the street after he left my house. if i had known then what i do now, i would have added "doesn't follow directions" from the window (since i had it open to get some warmth in the apartment...)
seriously? once again, if i did my job like these people, i would be gone within a week...nice to know that there are jobs where you can be completely ineffective and still earn a paycheck...

c'est ton anniversaire!!!!

2010-03-15T16:35:00.003-04:00

okay...today is my friend matthew's birthday, which inspired me to post my FAVORITE youtube video of all time.

key phrases (and yes, i'm giving advance organizers on my blog...): "c'est ton anniversaire" and "ce n'est pas mon anniversaire" (i'm sure that y'all can use the web to find the meanings...)

and...maybe don't look at it in front of the wee ones, unless they've been sensitized to french "openness"...

inspiration

2010-02-28T11:26:00.002-05:00

The Resolution
~Jack's Mannequin

There's a lot that I don't know
There's a lot that I'm still learning
But I think I'm letting go
To find my body is still burning
And you hold me down
And you got me living in the past
Come on and pick me up
Somebody clear the wreckage from the blast

And I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution

And the bars are finally closed
So I try living in the moment
'Til the moment it just froze
And I felt sick and so alone
I can hear the sound
Of your voice still ringing in my ear
I'm going underground
But you'll find me anywhere I feel

That I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution

Tomorrow back from now.
Honey I'm almost home

You hold me down
You hold me down
I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness

I'm alive
And I don't need a witness
To know that I survived
I'm not looking for forgiveness
I just need light
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
I need light in the dark as I search for the resolution
I need light, I need light

Strictly Game
~The Harlem Shakes

Up from the basement to my best friend's farm
Where we'll work so hard, we can do no harm

We'll till the land and duck our debts
Underneath soft sun, chewing Nicorette

This will be a better year
This will be a better year

Make a little money, take a lot of sh*t
Feel real bad, then get over it

This will be a better year

Oh I keep pushing boulders
I stay game till sun'll shake my shoulders
Oh, I keep feeling older
I stay game, stay game, stay game

The East Coast kids, man, we just don't know
Singing wait, wait, stop, drop me, go, go, go
But I'm taken by the hand to a blue pay phone
We can break blue laws with our skin and bones

And now I'm back in the city, I'm counting frick frick frick
Heard of milk crate kings, speaking soft and thick
He said, "If life gives you lemons, then thus god bade.
So put a little bit of bitter in your pink lemonade"

I'm sick of thee sheep, I'm sick of thou shepherd
Sick of dressing like a human when I'm feeling like a leopard
I'm sick of slow rock, I'm sick of quick quips
Sick of holding on to nothing when I just want to hold your hips

This will be a better year
This will be a better year

Make a little money, take a lot of sh*t
Feel real bad, then get over it

This will be a better year

Oh I keep pushing boulders
I stay game till sun'll shake my shoulders
Oh I keep feeling older
I stay game, stay game, stay game

a great quote

2010-02-18T18:23:00.001-05:00

saw this on my friend lucie's facebook page and thought it was a great sentiment:

Selfishness is not living as one wishes to live, it is asking others to live as one wishes to live.
~Oscar Wilde

2010-02-14T16:27:00.004-05:00

at the recommendation of my friend susan, i found the idea of posting "three beautiful things" (after a blog which which she is familiar) an amazing way to keep my mind and my spirit focused on my creative center, which is where my positive reality II being will be nourished.

How cute is this kitteh???

2010-02-03T15:20:00.003-05:00

things i am thankful for...

2010-01-19T17:36:00.004-05:00

in the face of the terrible tragedy in haiti, it is of course most important to ask ourselves how we can contribute, monetarily or otherwise. but, perhaps, after that, we should remember for what we are thankful.

(ps--this is absolutely not in any order of importance--i have, in fact, scrambled the entries, and this will be added to daily...AND i don't know why it's doing the weird line spacing thing...)

mom and rick
molly's sweet little face smiling at me, and sitting up all night talking with her
how baby audrey says "i wanh to sit next to auhh keyh because i yuv heh sooo much"
baked scoops
martinis at surin in the highlands
the elderly men who try to pick me up each time i go to the bi-lo beside our house
rice and beans at la fonda on ponce
audrey clair page
how princess isabella sophia the ballerina lets me cuddle her however i want
red wine and french fries at the pub with carrie and lucie
thai restaurant in greenville (and yes, that's the restaurant's actual name)
how hard my mom has worked throughout her life
hgtv--especially vern yip
a great job
bagels at belly general store
how hamilton's bed is right beside my side of the bed so that i can put my hand down and pet him during the night
my amazing brother and sister, gray and amberly, and every moment spent with them
guitar hero (balls to the wall!!)
l'as du falafel in the marais
home movies (the brendan small show)
PARIS PARIS PARIS PARIS---i.e., a lifelong driving passion for learning and amazement
the pictures from molly and audrey on the wall in my office
pedis
books about marie antoinette--especially caroline weber's book
good wine (even if it's cheap)
lucky ducks
femme-bot
trying to hold both molly and audrey on my lap at the same time!
the fun of going out to a great restaurant to eat dinner--be it a hole-in-the-wall or a zagat's favorite
having finished my dissertation
susan c-h and her feisty and loving support throughout our time at emory--my life's wish is to be as strong as you!
louis vuitton
the earl
the spinach salad at figo
having tried the master cleanse once
spikers t. cat's insolent attitude
laughing with jennie faucett--from the days at two in the morning (john e. johns hall or denny's) to now
feeling better after mono
convertibles
gossip girl
my friends and their amazing spirits, which are unique, individual, and indomitable
my private office in strode 301
the vegetarian chili at the righteous room
dishing and girl-power-ing with carrie and lucie (and how they carried me through some of the hardest moments in my life)
days when i don't have to run errands in easley (sorry easlians)
the office--especially those special moments between jim and dwight
nice paint colors that brighten up a room
Granny, Granddaddy, Grandma, and Grandpa
the increase of advertisements on the web and tv about adopting a shelter pet
my old apartment on ponce place
times with saundra, sandra, and rebecca...GIRL TALK!!!!!
the crack-kroger
reconnecting with old friends (you girls know who you are!!!) on facebook
the wonky doorways in my house in greenville
JOSE! and the eclc
fakin' bacon (so that i can still have the savory flavor without the murder)
princess bingo
that cabbage roll thing at that vegetarian restaurant in the 14th
susan clay and her enduring cheerfulness that always comes across no matter the circumstances
when hammy makes his westie-nestie

family moments

2010-01-14T10:21:00.005-05:00

here are some more pics of the new kitteh! we have finally settled on a name for her: princess isabella sophia (the ballerina).

[editorial note: if the last part of the name is puzzling, it's a family thing...after sparkles the mermaid--who is a male hamster--all animals have to have a "the ______ " suffix on the end of their name]

so now we can call her bella or sophie...whatever strikes us. of course, audrey has said that she will continue to call her "dude" so that spikers the cat will know that he can't push her around.

she's getting more and more playful--it's just taking her a while to get warmed up to her new home, but she's already established her favorite place to nap: on the green chair on top of enough pillows to keep her right underneath the reading lamp. squeee!

spikers t. cat is getting more comfortable with her...mostly right now we're getting cattitudes like this one:

first day of class!

2010-01-06T15:56:00.002-05:00

i love the first day of classes! looks like i have some great students who are game to go for it in french 101...so things should be fun! let's just hope that no one decides to try to navigate the drop/add system...i'd hate to lose any of them...
also trying to get geared up for the big stuff coming up this semester--conference presentations, tech presentations, auralog uploads, etc. etc.

new kitteh!

2010-01-05T09:50:00.002-05:00

quickly posting a picture and video of bella, our new kitteh...she is about three years old, and we found her at the greenville humane society petco station last night. it was so hard to choose between all of the wonderful pets that they have at the society's headquarters and the station, but when she cuddled right up in my arms and started purring, i knew she was the one!!!

staying at home...being jealous of people who have "outdoor rooms"

2010-01-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

so i guess sometimes a good decision can sometimes still make you sad...i decided not to go to atlanta today with shawn, and although i'm really sad to miss out on seeing friends and family, i know it was the right decision to stay here and rest some more before going back to work on monday. still trying to decide which combo of mono + bronchitis or mono + flu most matches the description of my last week. i guess whatever the name, the non-stop fun is indisputable! (don't ask why getting the doctor's opinion turned out not to be possible, even after the 2.5 hours spent in his office.)
anyway, christmas, new year's, and an impromptu living room redo to incorporate the new coffin bookcase that shawn got for christmas have left our house feeling rather...cozy...let's say. i have GOT to do some cleaning before going back to school! the holidays were GREAT! mom and rick's visit to g'vegas was really fun--if you ever get a chance to go to the lazy goat in downtown, definitely do! the truffle oil fries (of course!) and the italian grilled cheese are wonderful, and the lazy yet uniquely mediterranean atmosphere is very nice.
new year's eve was also wonderful, of course, since shawn is traditionally in charge of the entertainment on that night. we have always done a dancing activity, so after video ballroom lessons the last two years, this year we rang in the new year with dance dance revolution and on tv...as always...the univision new year's eve celebration (with occasional forays onto cnn to see anderson cooper embarrass himself with kathy griffin).
here's wishing everyone a wonderful 2010, and fulfillment of dreams and/or resolutions as applicable! for this year, my resolution is to do more in support of organizations (big and small) that aid homeless and abandoned dogs and cats...

santa had a kitteh fail...

2009-12-26T12:39:00.000-05:00

well, since we weren't able to bring coco chanel the tuxedo cat (yes, that IS her full name) home for christmas, i figured i would post a picture of a kitteh analogous to spikers t. cat on christmas day. (that is, before i go back to bed to placate the mono gods)

see more Lolcats and funny pictures
don't worry, there will be pictures ALL OVER of coco as soon as she arrives (her stocking is still ready for her...
yes, we began shopping well before christmas for stocking stuffers for the pets (stop laughing all of you who don't have pets as cute as ours...), but we found their major presents at big lots the night before christmas eve. a specialized nesting blanket for dogs...yes, i'm not kidding, hamilton has actually started a "westie nestie" trend, even among dogs that aren't fortunate enough to be westies...and some kind of springy, noisy toy for spikers. typically, spikers is totally NOT impressed, but hammy loves his westie nestie blanket, and he has used it extensively already.
the above picture is the most accurate impression of how spikers t. cat feels about his christmas present. after playing with the bags and boxes for a little while, he retired to the gray chair, which just happened to have my coat with a (fake) fur collar exposed for optimum cuddling. hmmmmmm....
for us humans, christmas was great--lots of eggnog, champagne, and presents. i'm looking forward to a gossip girl seasons 1 & 2 marathon while reading the book written by the show's stylist, and shawn will be busy recording vhs and dvr programs onto dvd...last, but certainly not least, i will be sporting my new trench coat and then coming in from the cold to watch our collection of EVERY episode of home movies ...
here's to an equally fun and pet-filled christmas for everyone out there...
bisous, and good luck in the after christmas shopping sales!

i just can't resist!

2009-12-17T11:47:00.000-05:00

catching up on my hulu while working down in the lab today (it's so quiet, i keep it on in the background), i had to stop and watch this...i know, i know, don't say it...but i can't help it! i guess when you're NOT a "stoner", you can have fun watching????

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Snoop Dogg

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

U.S. Speedskating

just a little holiday happiness...

2009-12-09T22:18:00.000-05:00

my favorite holiday song, hands down! for so long, i only had the audio version, and i was so jealous of the people actually in the audience because i couldn't see exactly why they were laughing. of course, if you listen closely to dean martin, you can surmise why they are laughing...but i still wanted to see it for myself.
love it!

mystery and excitement!

2009-12-08T13:28:00.000-05:00

it's funny how some words or phrases can evoke such different emotions at different times in your life. i've been thinking about that a lot as exam week has descended upon us here at clemson. when i was an undergrad, exam week was the most frightening thing i could ever have imagined. i remember the night before my first french exam during my first semester at furman, sitting in the little common room of our freshman dorm hall, when i found out that there was actually a grade point average differential between an "a-" and an "a". at that point, i was convinced i was going to be a pediatrician--thus i was a biology major--but i was taking an intermediate french class, and i wanted to make sure that i got an "a". (hello, kelly, extreme anxiety about an elective class????? time to change your major, perhaps?) so i emailed my professor and then showed up for the next exam (at 8:00 AM) to ask him if i could take it at the later time--he looked at me like i was crazy and, of course, agreed (since he had already given us that choice earlier in the week and said it didn't matter). and, here, a belated thank you to dr. patton and dr. allen for EVERYTHING that they taught me, both about french language and literature, and about how to be a caring and effective professor...
flash forward quickly through the horror of the 500 organic chemistry flash cards accumulated--to no avail--over a semester, and i come to the night that i spent in furman hall with various friends (i was in the room THAT long) while studying for the 18th century literature exam--but this time it's not a memory of panic, but of pure happiness while diagramming the different interpersonal relationships of les liaisons dangereuses on the board and making sure that i could recite what happened in each letter throughout the book (and helping several people with severe relationship crises off and on).
unfortunately, grad school seemed to have killed that pure bonheur, as the next memory i have is of wearing a pink t-shirt while editing (for the thousandth time, because maybe then i might understand the fundamentals of what derrida meant) my first lit crit paper. the memories of anguish and anxiety over grad school final papers continue (but attain a normal level after my arrival at emory), but then segue into a memory of thinking, 'final papers? pleeeaaseee! i wish! how about a dissertation defense!'
anyway, now the relief from the other side of the desk is palpable! what a great feeling! but, oddly enough, anxiety still exists...even though now it's that of a teacher for her students, it's just a different kind of heart-rending, and makes me want to give out hugs for extra credit just before the exam...

"adult figures charging toward a concrete toadstool"

2009-12-05T13:36:00.000-05:00

after spending several hours cleaning the house (kitchen--hands and knees to scrub the floor...NOT the princess i wanted to be...i prefer aurora, thank you), everything smells so nice (candles in every room!) and i'm anxiously awaiting the arrival of shawn's big christmas present...it's supposed to arrive today, and so i'm hoping that it will get here before he arrives home from atlanta. unfortunately, when i went down to the basement today to get the wrapping elements, i realized that there wasn't any paper--just gift bags. so, the wrapping and arranging under the tree will have to wait, but the possibility of the personalized presents that i ordered arriving all week is so exciting!
[pause for noise of ups truck sound...i know, very ironic at this moment, but i promise...]
yea! both shawn's and rick's gifts are here! i'm so excited! looks like there will be a trip to the store soon to get some wrapping and tissue paper! (as well as some thank you note cards for my tooo generous colleagues...i'm still flabbergasted by my holiday surprise!)
anyway, for all of you ladies out there, in the vein of holiday gifts for yourself, here's my top recommendation...mostly i'm posting this because these boots engender a wildly thankful and exciting feeling in my soul every time i wear them.

i absolutely didn't think that would be the case, but i'm telling you, they are the break-out shoe purchase of the year (for me, at least). be warned, however, if you do succumb, you will have a major decision to make every morning--wear the magic boots, or wear something that matches? the bright side of which is, of course, that you have so many blessings of different kinds in your life that this CAN be a major question...

"best knowledge of disaster damage prevention and favors to ask of you..."

2009-12-04T10:29:00.000-05:00

this was the start to my morning today...ironically, this one actually looks like spikers t. cat a little bit! with the colder night temperatures, the hibiscus plants have to come inside, which apparently causes some sort of metaphysical crisis of conscience for spikers. the last couple of days he has actually been pretty good about not chewing the leaves, but as soon as i opened the door this morning to go get my shoes, he shot right in there and just starts gnawing away at one of them...as if he didn't have two full bowls of food sitting in the living room. so, predictably, about 15 minutes later as i'm walking toward the front hall, all of the leaves reappear. we'll leave the description at that, but i'm just wondering where is the sharp animal behavioral instinct in this process? it's like there's absolutely no recollection that, 'hey, dude! every time you do that, you get sick!' what is it with the leaves? even on the rare occassions when he's in the room and NOT eating the plants, you can tell he is constantly aware of their presence...there's a sort of tension that vibrates almost unperceptibly throughout his little body. well, i guess that the only thing to do now is to just keep shaking the coin can when we catch him, and be proud of him for having such a passionate devotion to something...

ok, so here's the deal...

2009-12-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

i am not sure what happened over thanksgiving break (especially since only one day of it was really resting), but i have been completely loathe to rejoin the normal living world over the last two days! and it's not really anything specific...that's what is so weird...i like coming in to work, i like doing things around the house...but i really just want to stay in my living room and read novels about monks and look at our christmas tree, with an occasional outing to the grocery store for pinot grigio while listening to david sedaris on cd.

what gives me pause is the fact that it's not a desire mutually exclusive with any other activities that i can or have to do this week. i like coming to work and i like running errands on my way home, but both of those desires subsist equally with the desire to stay home and look at a tree. a fake one--decorated with the biggest, gaudiest lights available at wal-mart. yes, all of you who thought that would never happen...i have become a less-than-semi-regular customer at wal-mart. perhaps i'll post about that later...i'm still coming to terms with the vying capitalistic practices versus the centrality issues, i must admit...trying to work it all out in my head...

anyway, here we go, embarking on another flurried tuesday afternoon, preparing for the wednesday when there are multiple classes to teach and the computers in the lab seem to equate "hump day" with "done day"! i guess we are all waking up from break and getting ready for the next hurtle through exam week...

2009-11-29T20:18:00.003-05:00

helping...

seriously? grocery shopping made fun...

the pink tree (and, yes, it did fall on my head as usual this year...

the pop culture tree...

a sampling of the coolest vintage ornaments ever...merry christmas rosemary!

giving thanks...and merry christmas rosemary!

2009-11-29T20:14:00.000-05:00

what a great thanksgiving holiday weekend! lots of love, good food, and laughs! to give me some time to rest, shawn and i stayed here on thursday and had a vegetarian thanksgiving feast of our own, then we drove down to atlanta on friday afternoon to have some family time and some black friday shopping...although i must admit i was far below par with my black friday activity this year--we didn't get there until friday afternoon, which is almost sacrilegious. mom and aunt nat went to target, etc. at 5:00 am though, so we had some family representation. given my unfaithfulness to the shopping gods, i didn't even try to go to the lenox macy's shoe department--they would have struck me down! we went to perimeter mall, and, as is usually the case, i found many more christmas presents for myself than for others! but i was good and did buy some things for those on my list! i guess the list of gifts for others that i have already cued up on amazon made me less stressed than others about that...
anyway, here are some highlights of the decorating--our first together! we had (of course) my pink tree, th pop culture tree, and (as a surprise to me) a big tree in our dining room! we decorated it with vintage ornaments that we found in my grandmother rosemary's collection...perfect combination of beautiful colors and time-worn patina to make our hearts melt...

starting off on some things, but clearly not others...

2009-11-25T11:10:00.000-05:00

when i got in to work this morning, knowing it would be pretty quiet around daniel hall today, there were two things on my "to do" list: (1) grade compositions (2) lesson plans for the rest of the semester. and here i am now...writing my first post...
so, procrastination issues aside, i'm starting off on my blog journey, and almost too embarrassed to do so, since that means i haven't had a blog before this. but thanks to super susan's inspiration, here goes!!!!
but, oh, well, we're working with what we've got today...