Drewmeister

Fun socks

2012-02-12T09:51:00.000-05:00

I was talking with my sister the other day about how fun colored socks can be. My parents send me some for Christmas every year and I love wearing them around the house. They are so much more exciting than boring white socks.

Just chillin'

2012-02-11T21:48:00.002-05:00

I often see squirrels run across the fence on my balcony, but have never seen this before. He looked so comfortable and stayed for 15 minutes before running off.

Jewelry

2012-02-05T13:21:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I got together with 2 friends and 3 of their girls and we made bracelets and necklaces. I think they turned out adorable. While I had plans to make something new, I was feeling super mellow and not creative, so just restrung some bracelets that needed to be fixed.

Final class: Civil War

2012-01-30T17:32:00.002-05:00

I am just starting my final class for my master's degree in history. It's about the Civil War, but it's an English class and not a history class. The focus is on culture and politics rather than the military aspects of the Civil War. I'm excited about it. Here is my reading list:

New Clothes for Christmas!

2012-01-09T19:17:00.004-05:00

So happy to update my wardrobe. My mom wanted to see what I bought and I wanted to update my neglected blog, so here they are--thanks for the Christmas money Mom and Dad!

K vs. the dinosaur

2011-10-23T16:09:00.005-04:00

My nephews C & C recently received some dinosaur toys from their cousins. C & C love the dinosaurs, but their 9 month old sister K isn't so sure. When she first saw the dinosaurs she was terrified. The boys left them in front of the cupboards, which is one of K's favorite play areas. When she came in the next morning, she went straight for the cupboards until she saw the dinosaurs, then she turned right around and went the other way. She's not quite as scared now b/c it's been a few weeks, but she still doesn't like them and my sister still uses them as a deterrent to keep her from getting into the cupboards.

My sister tried to get a picture of her being scared, but she refused to even look at the dinosaur, so we didn't get the scared look. She says K looks at anything with a face, whether it be a stuffed animal or a toy, and decides if she likes it or not depending on how friendly the face is.

My 9/11 story

2011-09-11T18:03:00.004-04:00

I was just finishing up my internship in the analytic section of the headquarters of Victoria's Secret on 9/11. I didn't have a TV or radio in my cubicle and first heard about the news when my boss' wife called him after the first plane hit the World Trade Center. He turned on the radio, but I could only hear bits and pieces. I did remember feeling barraged when I heard about the 2nd plane hitting the towers, and then the Pentagon, and then the crash in Pennsylvania. I remember the fear that comes with uncertainty of not knowing what will happen next and the rumors that were spread that day of more attacks.

I couldn't get onto any of the news websites to learn anything, although I eventually was able to get onto the BBC website. Eventually we crowded into the break room to watch TV. The images were unimaginable. I remember the images of people running and then walking miles to get home. It was strange to see the bridge roads filled with people rather than cars. I remember the heroism of so many 1st responders and so many others.

Many of the buyers at VS headquarters knew the people who worked in the VS store in the shopping concourse under the World Trade Center and were very worried about them. Since that was my last week, I never did learn if any of them died. One woman at work whom I didn't know found out her mother was on one of the planes used in the terrorist attacks and she was devastated. That is the closest I came to knowing someone who lost someone on 9/11.

The next week I started my final semester of grad school and started interviewing for a job. My first interview was in Boston at the end of September. I remember receiving the plane tickets in the mail with a note saying they hoped I could come since at that point Logan Airport was still closed indefinitely. It did open in time for my interview and I'm glad I had to start flying so soon after 9/11. I didn't have a choice if I wanted a job, so it made me face something that was difficult. I was on my way back to the airport in DC after an interview when news broke about anthrax in Daschle's office. I had one more trip to Boston and ended up taking the 3rd job that I was offered.

The news coverage today and images of the planes crashing into the World Trade Center still affects me today as much as it did 10 years ago. But I have more hope now and there is less uncertainty than there was on 9/11/2001.

Fall to-do list

2011-09-05T14:43:00.003-04:00

I came across my summer to-do list today. I wrote it on my blog and then forgot about it. I accomplished about 1/2 of it. Not too impressive. BUT--I did complete the most important task: to find a thesis topic and get it approved.

Here is my fall to-do list. It is shorter than the summer to-do list b/c I am now back in school

1) make progress on my thesis proposal

2) come up with a name for my photo card, paper card and jewelry business. Turns out the winning name in my contest is too close to another business' name. If I'm really ambitious, I will also start a blog for the photo cards

3) eat healthier and exercise

4) If time permits, start work on a new genealogy lecture

5) Take some time to enjoy fall and get outside with the leaves and pumpkins

Hurricane Irene

2011-08-28T16:35:00.006-04:00

Due to all the hype and severe warnings about Hurricane Irene, I was a little worried about my floor to ceiling wall to wall windows surviving anything that might be flying through the air. But all was well--the winds weren't very bad and didn't last as long as I thought they would. I did try to get a picture of the trees bending in the wind (which they did), but I never had my camera when it was gusting. This is the best picture I got--the trees are moving and bending, but I don't think you can tell from this picture.

As far as what's on the ground in my complex it's just leaves, not even any downed branches, and no power outages.

I know many people had it far worse and my thoughts and prayers go out to them.

Aunt Marilyn

2011-08-25T20:30:00.005-04:00

My mom and Aunt Marilyn July 2010

My great-aunt Marilyn passed away peacefully today. I am so glad that I planned a trip to to see her last year with my mom. I also saw my grandfather on that trip. My mom is named after Aunt Marilyn and they have always been close. I have been close with her too, tied together with our interest in genealogy. She will be missed but she is now with her family on the other side and I'm sure she is having a wonderful reunion. As far as I know, all of her children were present in her last few days and able to spend time with her.

My New Kitchen

2011-08-14T19:54:00.005-04:00

While I was on vacation back in June, one of my friends painted my kitchen cabinets white and removed the shelving over the counter. I think it looks so much better and more open. Now I just need to replace that 70's light fixture...(and the linoleum, and the refrigerator, and the counters)...

I love seeing this place take on my personality slowly but surely.

Here is what is used to look like: drewmeister13.blogspot.com/2008/02/my-condo.html

Invitations for Church Activity

2011-08-14T19:50:00.003-04:00

I was in charge of making invitations for a Church activity. I think they turned out very nicely. I used vellum paper & had no problem printing on injket vellum from my inkjet printer. It was only $4 for 10 sheets at Paper Source. I then printed the information on cream cardstock and tied with a chocolate brown ribbon. The color image on the vellum is a picture of Christ surrounded by children.

It was so easy that I think I'll try this again. It does take time to assemble 20 invitations though.

Naming Contest--Entries must be received by August 27

2011-08-13T16:51:00.010-04:00

I am starting a new business selling photo cards, paper cards and jewelry. I'm going to start with the photo cards. I need a new name for this business and since I got such great ideas from all of you for my genealogy business, I'm running another contest. The name I am currently using for just the photo cards is LLP Photography, but as I mentioned, I want to expand to jewelry and paper cards eventually and so the name must be inclusive of various crafts and not just photography.

Rules: Multiple entries are encouraged. Feel free to share with your friends and ask them to submit. If I don't know you, please leave an email or blog address so I can get in contact with you if you win. There must not be a website or blog already using your submitted name. Entries must be received by midnight August 27 to be eligible for prize.

Prize: The winner will get 5 of my favorite photo cards.

I am also running this on Facebook if you want to see some of the ideas there.

Here are some samples of my favorite photos, paper cards and jewelry.

Miami & JSM

2011-08-07T18:39:00.006-04:00

View from my hotel room in Miami

I went to Miami this week for the Joint Statistical Meetings--the main national conference for statisticians from around the country and the world in all kinds of disciplines--medical research, economy, government statistics, sports statistics, etc.

I presented on challenges and approaches to teaching a non-credit series of seminars to medical residents and fellows in a variety of medical specialties. The presentation went well, and I had fun reconnecting with people from BYU, as well as others who teach statistics to clinicians.

I stayed in a room with an oceanside view--it was awesome. I'm really missing that view right about now, although I still have a great view from home.

I went out early to get some sunrise shots one day. The sunrise is about an hour later in Miami than Boston, so I didn't have to get up that early. It was so foggy that my camera lens fogged over, but I still got some nice shots.

Southwestern food

2011-07-08T16:06:00.001-04:00

I was keeping a running list of all the new foods I tried on my trip, but right now can only remember a few.

1) Buffalo hamburger. It was pretty good.
2) Jalapeno peanut brittle. While I probably wouldn't buy any, it was surprisingly good. You couldn't really taste the jalapeno until a few seconds later.
3) chocolate-covered cinnamon bears. I haven't been able to find cinnamon bears out in Boston. They don't know what they're missing. I prefer the plain bears to the chocolate-covered bears.

A few years ago when I was in Montana, I had some rattlesnake. It tasted like chicken.

Kids says the darndest things

2011-07-07T16:02:00.000-04:00

Favorite "kiddisms" from the reunion

#1: 5 year old R is worried about going into kindergarten, so always wants to practice math. I spent a few minutes helping her and she told everyone that I was so smart. My dad asked if I was smarter than him and she said 'Yes, she knows about 2+3 is'.

#2: also by R. "My eyes got really scared, but not my mouth" when we were on the simulator and the bouncing around scared a few kids. Translation: My eyes got scared, but I didn't scream.

#3: 4 year old C asked his parents "Where are my people?" when they were eating breakfast at the hotel on their way home. He was used to seeing all his cousins and aunts and uncles at the breakfast table in the hotel. I love that we're his people!

#4: 4 year old M trying to explain to his mom with words and hand actions that he just couldn't eat the hamburger b/c it was THIS tall but his mouth was only this tall.

I'm sure there were many more, but these were the ones that I heard and remembered.

De-junking

2011-07-06T15:54:00.000-04:00

I'm somewhat of a packrat. I think I inherited it from my dad. But lately I have been making a concerted effort to go through and donate things that are in decent condition that I don't use, and trashing things that are in bad condition. I think trashing things is the hardest for me, because I think that surely someone, somewhere could find a use for it.

Here are just some of the bags I have toted to the trash or Goodwill, probably less than a fourth, and it's an entire cartful.

Reunion

2011-07-05T15:41:00.000-04:00

It was so much fun to see all my sisters and their families. We're up to at least 30 people in the family now, including brothers-in-law and nieces and nephews. People straggled in on Wednesday night and we were on hand to greet them all.

Thursday morning we went to a lake and had a picnic. None of us were used to the heat (it was over 100 degrees every day), so the water was a welcome treat.

That afternoon we hung out at the hotel and the girls all made flower barrettes. They turned out really cute.

My cousin's wife, a professional photographer, was kind enough to take pictures of us all together and each family group separately. Many of the girls wore the flower barrettes and they looked great.

My dad is very much into Western attire, so as a surprise, my mom made each niece and nephew a vest, and they got pictures taken with Grandpa.

That afternoon we walked around Eastern Arizona College and met up with my cousin who goes there, who gave us a tour.

We had a birthday party that evening. Three kids had birthdays during the reunion, so we celebrated those, but all the kids got a little something. And I got an award for traveling the furthest.

Friday morning we went to the Discovery Park. It's one of those wonderful places that very few people know about, and it's all free. You can ride a space shuttle simulator on a tour of the galaxy and learn all about gravity and space through their interactive displays. The kids had a blast.

After that everyone made their way down to Virden where we had a BBQ dinner that night and lots of visiting. Breakfast, games and a birthday party and dinner, with lots more visiting, was held on Saturday and most people headed home either Saturday or Sunday. I flew back into Boston very late Tuesday night.

It was such a fun trip. Sometimes I wonder why I'm living out in Boston when my home is really the intermountain west, but Boston is where I belong for now.

Drive down to New Mexico

2011-07-04T16:27:00.000-04:00

Monday afternoon we started driving down to New Mexico. My dad was doing business on the way down, so it took us a few days. Bless his heart, he did try to pick some fun things to go see.

We drove over 1800 miles in the 10 days that I was out there. Of the 10 days on vacation, there were only 3 where I wasn't on a plane or in a car for most of the day. But still very much worth the one-on-one time with my parents.

My dad found this store a few years ago and for obvious reasons I've always wanted to see it. It was fun to check it out and meet the owner. I bought a nice pair of earrings as a memento.

While the fires burning in eastern Arizona and New Mexico didn't impact the reunion at all, we did have to trace out alternate routes to go around them. This is smoke from the fire in Raton, New Mexico.

As a funny aside, my sister and her family, appropriate named the Burns family, seemed to be right in the middle of the action of all the fires. They were driving near Raton when the fire started, they were at Carlsbad Caverns waiting in line when they saw a fire start up the hill. A few minutes later the Caverns were closed. On their way home, they saw a brush fire start on both sides of the road, delaying them again.

Some dancers in Taos, New Mexico

We spent part of the day in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There is so much history there, but we only had time to see part of it. Many Native Americans come and sell their wares at an open-air shop. These pictures are from one of the oldest churches in the United States.

We arrived in Safford, Arizona on Wednesday afternoon and spent the next 2 days with just my sisters and their families. Then we went to Virden, New Mexico for the big family reunion celebrating my grandpa's 90th birthday.

Visit to Colorado

2011-07-03T16:04:00.010-04:00

I started out my summer vacation in Colorado where my parents live. I flew in on a Saturday and had my parents all to myself for several days. We went to a yummy (authentic) Mexican restaurant on the way home from the airport and then took it easy the rest of the day. On Sunday we went to Church. I was tempted to sneak into Primary and see how they do things there, but resisted the temptation.

Sunday evening we went to see Laura and Dan Gillespie and their 6 kids. They lived here in Boston for a while and were really good friends. It was amazing to see how much their kids have grown in just 2 years. It was really nice to catch up with them.

Monday morning we went to some cliff dwellings. It was hard to image entire families living in such small rooms.

After that we stopped in a fun little town called Manitou Springs. They have fountains all over town that pull water from some of the springs. Some people bring a collection of empty water bottles to try all of them. We window shopped and bought some fudge. We had lunch at the StageCoach Inn. I tried a buffalo burger. It didn't taste much different from a hamburger, but is supposed to be healthier.

Just Promise Me

2011-06-02T16:56:00.000-04:00

My friend Simeen recently published this book. She never really thought about writing a book until about a year ago. At two consecutive book clubs, she read the assigned book and thought "I could have written this." Once she decided to write a book, the ideas flowed. She could have written the first draft in a week if she didn't have a family and job. As it was, she finished the entire process of writing, editing and publishing within a year. I just finished the book and thought it was very good.

I was impressed when I first heard her story and thought it was such a great "girl power" accomplishment. I look at the incredible women in my life and all the wonderful talents that they have. I certainly hope they have enough confidence in themselves to follow their own dreams. You can order the book here: http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/2200825

Work-Office

2011-05-31T17:10:00.001-04:00

My almost 4 year old nephew C recently told me he was frustrated getting to his "work-office" b/c his family had just moved and there were too many boxes. I asked his mom more about it later and she said it's quite serious business. In the morning he and his little brother C will pack up a lunch and then kiss her good-bye. C will tell her that he's really sorry he has to leave her, but he has to go to his work-office b/c that's how we get food to eat. Then both C and C go into another room to do their "work."

I think it is adorable and love such a good work ethic in someone so young. I asked his mom what I should get him for his birthday and she thought a calculator and a new notebook would be perfect for his work. Apparently the notebook he already has is all filled up with his pictures and doodles and work.

The Middle of Nowhere

2011-05-29T16:27:00.006-04:00

I told one of my friends at work where I was going for a family reunion later this year. He wanted to know what the "middle of nowhere" looked like so he pulled up this satellite view. This particular "middle of nowhere" is one of my very favorite places to visit.

My grandpa and all his children were born and raised here. It was settled in the early 1900s by two sets of my great-grandparents and other Mormons that had left the Mormon Colonies in Mexico to get away from the Mexican Revolution.

Everytime we go down there, I get to see so many aunts and uncles and cousins and we have so much fun riding horses, playing in the old school, dutch oven cooking, hayrides, playing slip & slide baseball in the cow field, picnics, cutting down Christmas trees in the hills... For a city girl, it sure is fun to visit the country sometimes.

I wrote a poem about Virden in the 8th grade that won an award in my school district (I think it was 1st place for my grade level in the district). Here it is:

Virden, New Mexico

A small town full of family,

Full of dust and rusty pick-ups.

Full of ancient houses built by a pioneer's hand

And full of priceless memories.

Memories of my grandfather's house

Where the boards in the hall go cr-r-eak,

c-r-reak.

With the white picket fence around the play area

And the swings that have swung for many a year.

Memories of roaming the open desert hills

And finding "forts" owned only by us.

Going to the cemetery where lay Baby Elizabet

and Grandma Jones.

Going to the old school to explore

And most of all talking forever to the

unquenchable

Mrs. Stamper.

Yes, Virden is a small town full of family,

Full of dust and rusty pick-ups,

Full of ugly old sheds.

It is my heritage.

Solar System

2011-05-23T16:46:00.000-04:00

I was over at my friend's house and was impressed at the solar system she helped her 3 and 5 year old sons make as part of home school. It's hanging up in their bedroom. Can you tell which planet is which?

Here's a close-up of some of them.

Summer to-do list

2011-05-22T16:50:00.001-04:00

I took my final a week ago and am looking forward to a summer with no classes! I still need to find a thesis topic and do a lot of research (if I can sneak in time between playing with my friends), but no deadlines, papers or tests until next fall. Now if only the sun could find it's way out from behind all the clouds!

Here is my to-do list (not in any particular order)

1) Paint my kitchen cabinets white and kitchen walls chocolate brown, peel off the 20+ year old corkboard on my bedroom wall & other household maintenance/cleaning tasks

2) Make some jewelry and paper and photo cards

3) Get through my summer reading list. It's rather eclectic--a mix of history, genealogy and fun.

4) Play with my friends. Fun things include: dinners, musicals and day trips

5) Celebrate my grandpa's 90th birthday at a family reunion

6) Come up with an idea for a new genealogy lecture and start putting it together

7) Come up with a thesis topic and begin preliminary research--THIS IS THE BIGGIE

8) Stick to a healthy diet and exercise program

9) Give a presentation at a national conference for work

10) Try to get some R&R and sleep in between accomplishing all the items on this list!

Dayton's Legs

2011-04-03T16:49:00.002-04:00

This inspiring video is about my cousin's son, Dayton, and about Dayton's friend Spencer. https://lds.org/youth/video/daytons-legs?lang=eng

Superstar

2011-04-02T17:20:00.003-04:00

I mentioned on Facebook a couple of weeks ago that my nieces and nephew C, S & M were putting together a surprise for me. That surprise arrived in the mail this week. They gave me "Superstar Sheri" (build a bear) b/c they think I'm a superstar. What a nice surprise! They even included a saying for me that I can replay by pushing a button on her wrist. I am so lucky to have such great nieces and nephews!

Franklin Family History Conference

2011-03-27T18:36:00.006-04:00

I participated yesterday as a speaker at the New England Family History Conference in Franklin. This is my 2nd year as a speaker, and my 4th year as an attendee. It's one of my favorite conferences b/c it draws a lot of people and good speakers and it's free. I tried out a new talk yesterday and got good reviews. It was a little challenging b/c it was about educational opportunities in genealogy and there are so many types that it was a lot to cover. But the audience was great. I also gave a talk on using the library e-resources that I have given a few times before. Other than the talks, one of my favorite parts of this conference is the cupcakes the young women make as a fundraiser for camp. They decorate them as grandmas and grandpas.

This conference treats their speakers well. They are not paid, but we are fed and this year they went all out on the gift basket for each speaker. It was done up very nicely and contained food items from each of the 3 countries that were highlighted during the talks: England, Italy & Ireland. They included African-American recipes as that was another topic, as well as some nice European chocolates and other goodies. My next speaking gig is not until July, so I can focus on school now. I'm speaking at the Massachusetts Genealogical Council annual meeting and also at a free conference in Lynnfield MA in September.

CVS Gift Bag

2011-03-21T16:24:00.000-04:00

I went to CVS this week to pick up a prescription. Along with my prescription I was given this nice gift bag. Wonder if I was customer #100 or something?

My new bathroom

2011-03-20T16:19:00.003-04:00

The bathroom is now painted and decorated. Although the color is a little darker than what I anticipated I still love it! It's hard to see the color, but it's the same color as the light blue on the shower curtain.
Also brightened up the interior doors with a fresh coat of white paint

Remaining projects for the summer: paint the kitchen cabinets white and the kitchen walls chocolate brown. So excited to finally get some color into my place

Thoughts about Friends

2011-03-19T17:30:00.002-04:00

Due to some temporary circumstances, I have recently been more on the receiving rather than the giving end of friendship. Many people prefer to serve rather than receive, and find it difficult to receive help due to a sense of pride or independence or because they don't want to be a burden on their friends. I felt some of those feelings, but have also found some unexpected benefits in allowing others to serve me when I needed help. When one of my friends came over to paint a long wall that I was physically incapable of painting, I enjoyed several hours of discussion with her and some playtime with her daughter, and a strengthened friendship. When I was in the ER into the early hours of the morning a few days ago, friends took turns staying with me to make sure I was receiving the care I needed and to keep my family up to date. One took me into her home for what was left of the night just in case I needed help. Again, there were unexpected hours to catch up and chat with friends, even though it wasn't the best of circumstances. I also learned how many people care. I have received dinners from a few and sincere offers of help from many others. While I hope these circumstances soon end and I can go back to a more even reciprocity of giving and receiving, I am grateful for all those who have helped and offered to help, and for the friendships that are stronger as a result.

My New Wall

2011-03-06T16:58:00.005-05:00

At least it seems new to me. After almost 4 years of living with a white and green wall, I now have this lovely warm beige brown wall. My friend came over yesterday and did most of the painting while I entertained her daughter. I love my new wall. I especially love it in the morning when the light is better because it looks almost like honey and is such a warm color.

Here are a couple of pictures to help you see it, but the color isn't quite right. It's really much more warm and brown this this shows.

Part of this wall is in the living room and part is in the hall. In the living room the opposite wall is my red wall.
And here is a blank palette of about 5x5 feet where I can display some of my photography. I'm excited to choose some for the wall. This is also a beige color and not gray/white.

Creative Cake

2011-02-07T16:07:00.000-05:00

My niece M recently turned 2 and my sister made this great cake. M's favorite song is "Going on a Bear Hunt" The bear hunt involves a fance, tall wavy grass, a muddy marsh & a cave, all of which appear on this cake. Isn't it great?

Unexpected Road Trip

2011-02-06T15:36:00.005-05:00

I set out yesterday morning for what I thought would be a quick trip to Target to pick up an outfit for my new niece. But when I get there the store was closed and I saw this:

three cranes and 140 people on top of the roof removing snow to prevent a possible roof collapse. They would fill a tarp full of snow and then dump it in the woods. One of the men in charge talked with me for a few minutes and said that as he drove down the highway earlier this week, he saw cranes everywhere trying to remove snow.

Since I was on a mission to get this outfit, I got directions to the next closest Target in Methuen. I have never been to Methuen before, but loved the mall that I found. I also found several more cranes removing snow from roofs.

When I first drove into the mall, I was confronted with several parking lot "aisles" with about 10 feet of snow on either side so I couldn't see which store was at the end of the aisle. I felt like a little kid blindly choosing my "favorite" aisle.

On the way home I saw a front-loader scooping up the snow that was in between the highway and the merge lanes so drivers could see better. Before, it was very dangerous to merge onto the highway since the snow was so high you could not see oncoming cars until you were already on the highway.

And I find a really cute outfit at the Target in Methuen:

I was wishing my nephews were with me b/c they would have loved seeing all the big trucks and cranes taking care of the snow before the rain came that would make it very heavy.

Here is a video of a roof that collapsed earlier this week in MA. I am learning this week that usually when a roof collapses, it brings down the walls with it. (It won't embed but here is the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdo8Yu4M1UQ).

For my AZ friends & family

2011-01-30T17:23:00.012-05:00

Some of my family and friends in Arizona and New Mexico have commented that they can't even imagine 6 feet of snow. We don't actually have 6 feet of snow on the ground as some of it has melted, but there are a good 2-3 feet currently on the ground, with another 6-12 inches forecast mid-week (plus maybe another storm for the weekend). I went out yesterday with my camera to show what it looks like here.

The black lines you can see in front of the tree are the tops of the backrests of benches.

Snow on a lake.

The blue entrance sign for a fast-foot restaurant is almost buried in piles of snow.

View down a side street

These icicles are wicked-long. They looked about 4 feet long.

Brrr!

2011-01-24T20:13:00.003-05:00

It was very cold today. The actual temp was below zero and windchill was about 20 below zero. But it's not the coldest weather I have ever been in. Nebraska has that honor. I was home from college for Christmas. Actual temp was 12 below and windchill was about 70 below.

I treated myself to hot chocolate tonight. My friend gave me what looked like a big marshmallow and a chunk of fudge with instructions to stir them into steamed milk. Yummy!

Card-Making Fun

2011-01-23T18:56:00.009-05:00

I met yesterday with Laura, a Stampin' Up consultant, and we made 20 cards, 5 each of 4 designs. Laura designed all the cards and had everything pre-cut, so I just needed to stamp, color & assemble. It was fun to learn a few new tricks and add to my card collection. In the evening, I met with another group of friends to mass-produce some of my own designs. I didn't finish any though--will post when they're finished.

Here are the cards I made based on Laura's design:

Snow Days

2011-01-16T18:46:00.010-05:00

After several quiet winters, we have really been hit by the snow this year, and it's only mid-January. We got about 20 inches right after Christmas and 24 inches this past Wednesday. Luckily most of the Christmas blizzard snow melted before the new snow came. Here is what 24 inches of snow looks like for my friends who are having a hard time imagining it:

This is my car about midway through the storm--maybe 12-18 inches.

A fence that is about 7 feet high (thus snow piled that high after the plow came through midway through the storm.

Bushes on the main garden level

Trees lined with snow

Snow-covered bush

View from my balcony

Happy Scarf

2010-11-30T19:31:00.000-05:00

One of my friends knitted this scarf to me for my birthday or Christmas a few years ago. I usually don't wear a scarf, but I love wearing this scarf b/c it's so bright and cheery. Even on a gloomy day, it lights everything up.

Harry Potter & Tangled

2010-11-29T19:23:00.000-05:00

I saw Harry Potter and Tangled over the long weekend (took Wednesday and Friday off to work on my paper).

I saw Harry Potter on Wednesday. It was quite intense. It followed the book fairly closely, and was mostly a set up for the final movie. So looking forward to movie #7.

I saw Tangled with some friends. At the time I saw it, it wasn't my favorite Disney princess movie, although it was very good. But now that I'm thinking about it, it's growing on me.

Christmas Decorations

2010-11-28T18:45:00.008-05:00

I put up my Christmas tree and decorations today. I love everything about this season except for the crowds in the stores. My very favorite decoration is the lights on the tree. I love that they are so bright and cheery. I also love the symbolism that goes along with them--that Christ is the light of the world.

My 2nd favorite Christmas decoration is the nativity set. I made it on a mission I served for my church in California.

I forgot to take a picture, but my sister made me a very cute wreath a few years ago that hangs on the outside door.

My mom made this Joy banner.

Bring on the Christmas music!

Mail Call

2010-10-17T17:14:00.003-04:00

One of the nice things about coming home from a long trip is a nice big stack of mail. Some of my favorite magazines came while I was away.

Trip to Indiana

2010-10-17T16:55:00.008-04:00

I went to visit my sister and her family in Indiana over the long Columbus Day weekend. It was so much fun. Her husband is in grad school at Notre Dame and they have two little ones--a 3 year old boy and a 1 year old girl. Due to my sister's concerns for privacy and safety, I won't be posting pictures of my niece and nephew. You'll just have to take my word for it that they are adorable.

I gave my nephew a car and truck puzzle for his birthday--he loves his birthday "president". Jiggity-jiggity-jog, being read to, and playing cars and puzzles are some of this favorite things to do. My niece was fascinated by my jewelry. She always wanted to wear my bracelets and necklaces. When she found out I was wearing earrings, she would touch first one earring, then swivel over to the other ear to touch the other, and then back again to the first earring. Whenever I opened my bag, she stopped whatever she was doing and made a beeline over, determined not to miss anything fun that might come out of that bag.

My sister and I took a day to ourselves and went to Fort Wayne to check out the Allen County Public Library, with a large genealogy section. It's the 3rd largest genealogy library in the US. Having been to the other two (the Family History Library in Salt Lake and NEHGS in Boston), the Fort Wayne Library seemed a bit small. But for a public library, it's quite large. The library was beautiful and everyone was very friendly and helpful. After checking out what they had, my sister and I headed to Olive Garden for lunch. With a 4 hour round-trip drive, we had a lot of time to catch up and talk.

They also finangled tickets for me to a Notre Dame Game--part of an early Christmas present. We all went up to a tailgate party sponsored by my bro-in-law's grad school department. On the way we passed the football team entering the Basilica for Mass prior to the game. They were all dressed up in suits.

After the tailgate, my bro-in-law and I headed to the game. Notre Dame is full of traditions. One of them is to have everyone in the student section stand every second of the entire game--I'm way too old for that! Surprisingly though, my legs were fine the next day. The game was a lot of fun, esp. b/c Notre Dame won.

I had so much fun with them this weekend--glad I made the trek even though I hate flying. I used all that airplane time to read about 300 pages for my class.

General Conference

2010-10-03T18:12:00.002-04:00

I love the first weekend in October. This is when members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can listen to 8 hours of inspired talks from our leaders in Salt Lake. Due to technology, we can now listen over the internet in the comfort of our own homes. I took advantage of all that listening time to create some jewelry that has been on my to-do list for over a year.

What a Lucky Girl

2010-09-27T18:55:00.004-04:00

I am so blessed to have such a wonderful family. Last week was a bit rough and they surprised me with flowers and this smiley face vase at work. My mom was so funny trying to get the information without tipping me off. She said she needed to know my work address so she'd know where to find me for an emergency. So I gave her the street address and floor #. That was all fine. I started getting confused when she was pressing for a suite # or room # and wondering how they could find me when all she had was a floor #. There are only 20 people on my floor so I didn't think it would be a problem to find me, but she kept pressing for more information. I finally gave her my office # and she thought that "might be ok." But the flowers arrived just fine and were a huge surprise and totally made my day. Thank you!

Class #6

2010-09-13T16:01:00.000-04:00

This is the 6th (of 9) classes required for my master's in history. I'm definitely making progress. This year's class is a seminar--meaning the professor does not lecture, but the students guide the discussion for each class. We are reading books about 20th century US history, but the focus of the class is on how/why the books were written, rather than to learn about the topic of the book. The class is on historiography, which I understand to be the study of the writing of history. Which methods did the author use in his writing? Which questions were addressed and which were not addressed? Do I agree with the questions? How did he set up the structure of the book? It seems like a really interesting class, but there is SO much reading (16 books + some articles). This doesn't count the additional 6-9 books we need to read in order to write a paper evaluating them. Guess I'll be spending a substantial amount of time on my couch reading this semester.

Football season

2010-09-12T15:56:00.002-04:00

Fall is my very favorite season for a number of reasons. I love the cooler weather and watching the foliage change. I think pumpkins and gourds and scarecrows offer great seasonal decorations. School starts up again. And most important, college football starts up again. I'll often turn on the TV on Saturdays to a college football game. It doesn't matter who is playing--the roar of the crowd and the commentators are my preferred background noise while I am cleaning and doing other chores around the house. I got cable again this year (after a few years without) b/c I really missed not being able to see my teams play. They are BYU, Ohio State and Nebraska. All look to have good seasons this year. Woo hoo!

Tomb Adventure

2010-08-15T18:15:00.007-04:00

I went with some of my friends to the Tomb Adventure on Friday night. It's an interactive entertainment experience in downtown Boston. The premise is that an ancient Egyptian tomb has been discovered in downtown Boston and they need the help of us "archaeologists" to get into the tomb, and use our problem-solving skills to successfully avoid all the Pharoah's traps. It was fun.

Playing around in the sarcophagus before our session started.
Sporting our "Indiana Jones" duds after successfully navigating the Tomb.

Vancouver, Canada

2010-08-08T15:23:00.013-04:00

I went to Vancouver, Canada for a stats convention this week. I presented a poster on a training program we have developed to teach stats and research to clinicians. The convention center is right on the water and we had a great view of the water and the mountains. I wish I had a car out there so I could drive into the mountains--there wasn't a lot to do without a car. But it is a beautiful city. Here are some of my favorite pics:

The convention center was right on the water. One of my favorite things to do between talks was watch the sea planes land and take off.

Canada Place is a nice place to be and is just a few feet from the convention center. Many of the cruise ships to Alaska leave from here.

This week in pictures

2010-07-31T20:06:00.003-04:00

You have to look closely b/c this is just a cell phone picture, but they really do have to unroll the top of a truck when it gets stuck under a bridge.

Animal-themed cupcakes at a work party

Several walks around this lake with friends this week

Blast from the Past

2010-07-26T20:02:00.000-04:00

As a kid, my family used to spend Sunday evenings watching the Hardy Boys & Nancy Drew TV series. It would come on around 6:00, so we would hurry home from church and eat grilled-cheese sandwiches or popcorn for dinner while watching the show. I loved that family time together. I just found out that it's on one of the local channels and am enjoying re-living memories as I watch it tonight.

Sisters

2010-07-25T19:09:00.007-04:00

I am so lucky to have 5 sisters. We are scattered across the US but are always there for each other and talk on the phone often. I love that we have so much in common, even though we are all at different places in our lives. When I was out in Utah, 4 of them were able to come for a short visit with their families. Whenever we get together we have to take sister pictures. My youngest sister wasn't able to come, and we really missed her and her family. Our favorite picture is the pyramid picture. My mom had to stand in for Chelsea, but usually Chelsea would climb up on the top. Maybe I'm just getting old, but it's getting rougher there on the bottom!

So that you can see us all, I have included a picture of us all dolled up at our family reunion last year. My mom is in this picture too. Chelsea is 2nd from the right in the back row.

ProGen Friends

2010-07-19T17:43:00.000-04:00

I am just finishing up an 18-month genealogy study group. Study group is a bit of a misnomer because we have practial assignments every month in addition to a reading assignment and online chat, and each practial assignment takes several hours to complete. I wasn't expecting it to be so much work and it's been a little rough to try to fit this in between a full-time job and grad school, but I'm so glad I did. I have learned so much, but more importantly, I have made some wonderful friends.

I mentioned Marilyn in a previous post about my trip to Utah. Another friend from ProGen is Donna, who I first met in person at a regional genealogy conference when the study group first started. We were able to get together again last week. We had lunch at the Inn in Concord and then went to the Orchard House (Louisa May Alcott). Just like with Marilyn, it was so fun to catch up with Donna and hang out with her.

(Sorry there are no pictures. We wanted to take one of us at the Orchard House, but it was raining and photos were not allowed inside).

Baby pictures

2010-07-18T17:40:00.000-04:00

When I was out in Utah, my mom let me borrow a photo album that has lots of my baby pictures in it so I can scan. The album is one of those awful magnetic albums and the pictures are already starting to fade. I couldn't get any resolution if I scanned in the pictures individually, but had much better resolution if I scanned in the entire page. Here's my favorite. Since it's the whole page in one little .jpeg file, you might need to double-click on the picture to make it larger.

My Family Trip to Utah Part VII

2010-07-17T17:29:00.000-04:00

For the last couple of days of my trip in Utah, my family came up for the July 4 weekend. While they mostly live in the West, they all live in different states, so it was fun to all get together. They came in Friday night (all except one sister who couldn't make it). We went to a city water park that night-8 adults and 14 kids, most 6 and under. That next day we went for a picnic and took my grandpa and grandma. The kids loved the playground there. That night we just hung out in a hotel room and by Sunday morning everyone had scattered to return home. It was short and sweet, but wonderful.

The trip overall was one of the best I have ever had. There was a perfect combination of being with family, friends and being on my own, and of taking it easy vs. going out.

Here are some pix of my nieces and nephews (my camera battery died during this time so I only have some of the nieces and nephews).

DUP & Janet Trip to Utah Part VI

2010-07-16T17:19:00.000-04:00

The next afternoon, while my grandfather was napping, I went down to the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum. I had a wonderful time chatting with the volunteers there about my ancestors and about genealogy research in general. I was looking for a family artifact, and they were wonderful to try to find it. We found something that might be it, although I'm not 100% sure.

I was also able to visit a friend, Janet, from my high school days who later moved to Utah. I haven't seen her since college, but we talked like we had just seen each other the day before. I love having friends like that! It was so much fun to catch up with her. She has 6 kids now.

Grandpa Price Trip to Utah Part V

2010-07-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

As mentioned previously, one of the main reasons for my trip was to see my grandfather Price and his wife. He just turned 93 and is still pretty healthy, although he moves slower than he used to, and tires easily. I last saw him about 4-5 years ago, so it was definitely time for another visit. I rented a car for the drive to where he lives--a small town about 3 hours east of Salt Lake City.

A mandatory stop on the way was Granny's in Heber City. I used to come up here sometimes when I was in college for their shakes and burgers. It was worth the long drive. Yummy!

The Utah mountain desert is gorgeous in any season, although very different from any views you'll see in the East. This year was especially green in the desert due to the large amounts of snow and rain they received up through the early part of June. I wanted to stop every 30 miles or so and take a picture, but these will have to suffice.

I arrived in my grandpa's hometown about 2:30 in the afternoon. My grandpa was waiting for me and we chatted for a while. Once I could tell he was tiring I suggested I might take a nap so that he could. After the nap, we went to visit with my aunt at her job. My grandpa's sister, Marilyn, also stopped by for a chat. She is the genealogist on the Price side of the family, so we have become close the past few years. It was so fun to see everybody and to have some time all to myself with my grandpa and with Joyce, his wife. Grandpa doesn't say a lot--he probably talked more to me than he has in several weeks!

He brought out the family pictures and told me who was how--this time I made sure to write it down for future reference. I don't have copies, but I did take pictures of the pictures with my camera. I should probably play around with them in Photostop before I save them food good, but here are the raw images.

This is my grandpa when he was younger

This is my grandma when she was pregnant with my dad

And this is my dad with his family. My dad is on the far right, and I think the baby he is holding is me.

This is my Grandpa Price with his siblings and parents

these are my grandmother's parents: Effie and Heber

Christus Statue Trip to Utah Part IV

2010-07-14T16:53:00.000-04:00

My favorite part of Temple Square is the Christus Statue in one of the visitors centers. I love it enough that it deserves its own post. I love how in this statue Jesus Chris is holding out his hands inviting all to come unto Him. As I have heeded that invitation in my own life, I have found peace and happiness.

Temple Square: Trip to Utah Part III

2010-07-13T16:18:00.016-04:00

The Family History Library is just across the street from Temple Square. As a Mormon who spent part of her life in Utah, Temple Square holds a special place in my heart and I always spend some time there whenever I am in Utah. As a kid, we would sometimes come up during General Conference and sit on the lawn as we listened to the prophet and Apostles speak. General Conference is a twice-yearly conference for the entire Mormon church where all our leaders speak and it is broadcast to Mormon churches all over the world. When I was in college, we arrived early enough one General Conference Sunday to sit inside the tabernacle with the prophet and apostles and hear them speak in person. That was a powerful spiritual experience. My sister got married in the Salt Lake Temple. I have been there frequently during the Christmas season to see the manger display and the beautiful lights.

I got off the Trax one stop early each day so that I could walk through Temple Square in the morning (and evening) to enjoy the peace and beauty. It set the day off right.

Here are some of my favorite pictures from this trip.

Salt Lake Temple

Assembly Hall

Landscaping

Tabernacle (home of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir)

Reflection of the Tabernacle in the Visitor's Center

Family History Library: Trip to Utah Part II

2010-07-12T15:47:00.000-04:00

I went out to Utah for 3 things: Visit Aunt Marilyn and Loretta, visit my grandfather (and my parents and sisters and their families for a weekend), and spend time at the Family History Library (FHL).

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were my FHL days. I took Trax (the above-ground subway) in and out of the city. It was so nice. It didn't run as often as the trains in Boston, but it was nicer and less crowded. It dropped me off right by the FHL. I came out with a nice research plan, but it kind of fell apart when I was there as I decided to focus on books (that don't circulate to family history centers) rather than microfilm (that does circulate). I copied about 150 pages, and took photos of another 300 or so pages, so I have plenty of things to sort through now that I'm back.

I was disappointed that I couldn't find probate or church records on microfilm for the Kentucky ancestors that I am particularly interested in and wanted to make the focus of my trip (part of the reason my research plan fell apart). I wanted to use the son Marion in a proof argument, to show that he either was or was not the son of my ggg-grandfather and grandmother. He shows up in the family group sheets, with a few details about his life, but currently have no hard evidence such as census records, probate records, vital records or newspaper articles to prove that he exists. But without the church and probate records I couldn't prove anything either way. I did get some nice histories of the area, including some newspapers that covered the rural area, that will be helpful in future research.

Over 2 million reels of microfilm make Salt Lake and the Family History Library a genealogical mecca. This is one of about 10 rows of filing cabinets where microfilm are stored. One of my friends, Marilyn, works at the FHL, so we went out to lunch twice and dinner once while I was there. We met through ProGen, a rather intense genealogy study group for people who are thinking about becoming professional genealogists. We met in person in March when we both were speakers at the Franklin Family History Conference and found we had a lot in common outside of genealogy. It was so wonderful to spend some more time with Marilyn while I was out there. Her friend Patsy, who also works at the FHL, joined us a couple of times.

From left to right: Patsy, Marilyn, Lori Lyn

We went to eat the Lion House and the Nauvoo Cafe. Both were absolutely delicious, and the conversation was wonderful. Here is the ham sandwich I had at the Cafe--the best ham sandwich I have ever had.

Trip to Utah part I

2010-07-11T15:33:00.007-04:00

I just got home from a fabulous vacation. I went to Utah to visit family, and it's one of the most perfect vacations I have ever had. I got to see so many people and had just the right mix of being laid back and getting out and doing something.

I started out by staying with my mom's Aunt Marilyn (left) and cousin Loretta (middle) in the Salt Lake area (my mom's on the right). I flew in on a Friday night and we just took it easy. Aunt Marilyn is the one who holds all the Ison genealogy books, so I spent some time on Saturday going through them and taking many pictures of various pages/documents to print out later at home. In fact, I took so many that I needed to go buy a new memory card for my camera.

Saturday night Loretta and I went to a Bees game (minor league). I love minor league games. There are plenty of minor league teams where I live, but somehow I never make it to a game. I need to rectify that. I especially loved the view of the mountains. I'm a mountain girl at heart and really miss the mountains.

As twilight set in I enjoyed watching the mountains become "purple"

Beading Night

2010-06-19T18:29:00.009-04:00

Once or twice a year I get together with Cami for dinner and beading. It motivates us both to dig into our beading supplies and create some nice jewelry.

Last night I introduced her kids to strawberry shortcake. I think it was a hit! C practically inhaled his and B asked for seconds and thirds.
I also finally finished some jewelry for my mom that was supposed to be her 2009 Mother's Day gift. I wish I picked up another set of beads to make an identical bracelet for me--it's such a gorgeous combination.

Cami uses hemp to make some really cool jewelry. She made these last night. Maybe someday I can learn more from her.

My niece has requested some earrings for her birthday this summer, so Cami and I have a good excuse to get together again. Looking forward to it!

Smart kid

2010-05-29T14:38:00.006-04:00

I was talking with my sister today and she put her almost 3-year-old little boy C on the phone. I was very impressed when he told me I lived in "Massachusetts" (he lives far away in another state and has never been here). He's into maps, so his parents marked with a sticker each state where he knows someone and he points to the right sticker for Massachusetts. I'm excited to see him and his family this summer. What a smart little guy!

Another scorcher

2010-05-26T05:38:00.004-04:00

Going to be another scorcher today--90+ and humid. I'm melting w/o AC and am looking forward to cooler weather this weekend. That's 4 days thus far this year that are 90+ and summer hasn't even started yet. Usually, we only get 1 or 2 days this hot all summer.

Turning over a new leaf

2010-05-23T18:15:00.004-04:00

I went shopping yesterday for items to help me make some changes in my life. My goal is live a healthier life in terms of exercise and diet, and a hopeful side-effect of that is some weight loss. I bought some yellow workout shorts to remind that this is a happy process. The pedometer is to get a sense of how much I walk each day to and from work and around my neighborhood.

I already had the videos, but will now start using them on a more regular basis.

I'm putting this out here so I have some accountability. I'm allowing myself a small piece of chocolate once a week, but that is all. I will continue to walk to and from work, and will also use the videos 3x/week. One of my meals each day will be a salad. I hope it works!

I'm back

2010-05-16T20:03:00.001-04:00

I don't have anything interesting to say right now, but I'm back! My class is over and I have the summer off. My to-do list includes getting together with friends and family, painting my boring white walls, finding a thesis topic, developing a new genealogy lecture, travel and other fun stuff.

My Day Off

2010-04-18T15:01:00.004-04:00

I took advantage of the fact that I turned in the first draft of my 40-page research paper for my class on Wednesday to declare this weekend "time off" from my normal routine of classwork over the weekend. It was certainly a much needed break and I had a wonderful day.

My very favorite thing to do is read cozy mysteries, so stocked up on all the newly released books. I also made sure I had some chocolate and a couple of good Netflix movies. Friday night I read the new Mary Higgins Clark book. Saturday I spent a good few hours cleaning, organizing and doing laundry. I read the new Barbara Colley book in the afternoon, did some research to further document the Ison line, and then watched the Star Trek movie that came out last year. It was so relaxing!

May 14 is when the last thing is due for my class, and I'm not taking any classes over the summer. The middle of May is not so far away anymore, so I am starting to plan things: a beading night with Cami, a scrapbooking night with the girls, some more relaxing weekends like this one....

Flooding Pictures

2010-04-03T21:25:00.007-04:00

I took some pictures of the flooding from our most recent storm on Wednesday. During the 2nd 1/2 of March my area received 20+ inches of rain.

This is a bridge to what is usually an island.

Another view of the island--you can see the top of the bench is barely above water.

This is normally a parking lot. Note the red light way towards the back.

This is a zoom-in shot of the picture above. The place that looks like a river is really a road.

A flooded lake

One of my favorite places. The part towards the bottom of the picture with the ripples is a muti-step fountain in normal conditions. The steps are under several feet of water now.

And finally, what I would normally call a stream, but the locals call a river. Right now it looks like a river--it's probably 4-5 times as wide as it usually is.

Reward Time

2010-04-03T09:02:00.003-04:00

The last week in March was crazy. Within a 6 day span I turned in a 20 page comprehensive outline to my TA, met a major deadline at work, taught 4 genealogical lectures to over 100 people and aced (I think) my mid-term. Everything went well, but I was so stressed and am now so ready for a break.

My reward: New Moon

Boring Life

2010-03-21T15:45:00.002-04:00

Before I was in school, I used to do all kinds of fun things. When my sisters called, I would regale them with stories from my trips, my latest craft projects and other fun things. Life is certainly different now from September-May. One of my sisters asked what I have been doing and I said work and school. She asked what else I have been doing and I replied work and school. It took a little while to convince her that lately that is ALL I do. Hence, the lack of blog posts since I don't have anything exciting to say. Can't wait until May 15 and summer break!

A Whole Lotta Rain

2010-03-15T12:23:00.002-04:00

We are getting SO much rain. Check out all these roads closed due to flooding. The schools in many towns are closed due to flooding, either of the school or the roads surrounding the school. Some weathermen are calling this the 25 year storm, meaning a storm like this only happens every 25 years. We've gotten about 4 inches where I live.

Ain't it the truth?

2010-03-14T16:48:00.002-04:00

From the whiteboard in the kitchen at work last week. We enjoyed a few glorious days of sun before the rain returned.

Hysterical Instruments

2010-03-02T19:11:00.001-05:00

I always giggle as I walk past this room. I have no idea what hysterical instruments are, but I imagine a bunch of scientific instruments running around the room hysterically.

If you want to know the story, click here.

Berkshires

2010-02-28T19:25:00.004-05:00

I went out to the Berkshires (western MA) this weekend for our annual girls weekend out. We stay at this awesome house, bring tons of movies, snacks and projects and spend the weekend hanging out. It's such a fun & relaxing way to spend the weekend. Some weekends we go out, but this weekend was snowy and it was a perfect time to stay inside. Funny we never seem to end up with any pictures of us on these weekends. This might have something to do with the fact that it's a no make-up/no done-up hair weekend.

One of the women has two children that she brings out. These pictures are taken in the room I stayed in this time. We call it the "pink room". This room has pink curtains and seriously glows pink, even from way down the hall. When the door is closed, the pink glow even oozes out underneath the door and down the hall. I opened the curtains during the day to tone it down a bit.

Story Revealed

2010-02-28T08:32:00.004-05:00

I have lived my entire life in the US, with only a couple of short visits outside the country. When I was in 9th grade, one of my friends told me I had an accent from Czechoslavakia. Over the years I have been told all kinds of things--from perfect diction and no accent, to accents from England and Ireland. I've never actually been told I have a Utah/Idaho accent until the previous posting. I have had people who are native to Ireland and England tell me that I have an Irish or English accent. Seems to be the perception of the people I am talking to, rather than an accent I do or don't have.

Do I have an accent?

2010-02-22T16:51:00.000-05:00

Just curious. Do you think I have an accent? There is a story behind this question, but I won't tell you now because I don't want to sway your answer. If you think I have an accent, please leave a comment telling me which region of the US, or which foreign country, it comes from. If you don't think I have any accent, please leave a comment to that effect. Will tell the story once I hear back from people.

History and Genealogy Fantastic Weekend

2010-02-21T16:44:00.002-05:00

The historian and genealogist parts of me had a fantastic weekend.

Friday night I went to an panel event about writing history at the Harvard Extension School. The panel was great, but the reception afterward was even better. For the first time, I felt a part of the history graduate school community. I was able to talk with a lot of different people and get ideas about classes and how to choose a thesis. I spoke to a director from the Mass. Historical Society about records they have that could be useful for my thesis. I talked to so many people that I was among the last 3 or 4 to leave. It's such a good feeling to be part of the community.

Saturday NEGHS and Ancestry.com sponsored an all-day genealogy event. I have subscribed to Ancestry.com for a while, but certainly wasn't using all its search capabilities. After 2 classes taught by Ancestry.com staff, I can now make much better use of my time on Ancestry.com. I ran into several people I knew there.

View Outside My Window this Morning

2010-02-17T20:58:00.002-05:00

Valentine's Day Treats

2010-02-14T17:10:00.004-05:00

Yesterday I treated myself to a milk chocolate caramel toffee candy from the local chocolatier. The caramel was a bit too stiff, but otherwise it was excellent. I'll definitely be visiting them again, Good think the $2 price tag for just one piece of candy will help limit my visits, which will be good for my waistline.

Today I made chicken pot pie. I'm not much of a cook (mostly b/c by the time I get home at the end of the day I'm exhausted and just want something quick). It turned out quite well. I think I'll be branching out some more with some new recipes.

My niece's happy news

2010-02-08T16:57:00.002-05:00

My 11 year old niece (in the pink shirt) sent me an email yesterday proclaiming she was taller than me. They went to the science museum in their area and measured their height in the health area. She's 5'4''. What does that say about me? I'm really short! I'm only 5' 3.5'' (and that 1/2 inch is important--even at my age). The funny thing is that two of my other sisters are my exact height, so K's already taller than 1/2 of her aunts on her mom's side.

I was the tallest in my class when I was her age too, but then I stopped growing shortly after that. The weird thing is that after years of not growing at all, I grew another couple of inches in my early 20's.

Cute Frame

2010-02-06T08:29:00.014-05:00

I don't think I posted about the wonderful girls-only lunch my sister treated us to when we were together for a family reunion in summer 2009. We went to ArtChicks, which is all about girl power. You get all dressed up, are served a simple but elegant luncheon, and then get to strut your stuff down the red carpet.

There are also a couple of other stores in the same small town catering to the women who visit ArtChicks.

I found the perfect frame at one of those stores to display the picture we took. I gave that one to my mom for her birthday, but found another online. Isn't it perfect?

My office wall

2010-02-02T18:11:00.008-05:00

I've been wanting to hang some of my photos on my work wall for months. I finally had someone help me with it in early January. I love looking at my new wall art!

This is one of my favorite photos. I took it at sunset in Montana. The colors and the picture itself are so muted it looks like a painting.

This was taken looking out my office window.
Another favorite taken at a pond nearby.

The top part is Gettysburg. I have a thing for cannons--not sure why. The bottom photo is sunset on the Mississipi in Illinois.

Homemade Snickers Candy

2010-02-01T20:37:00.003-05:00

I first came across this recipe about 10 years ago. It's time-intensive and a little expensive, but SO worth the effort. This cell-phone picture doesn't do it justice. I meant to take a picture BEFORE I ate most of it.
RECIPE

2 12 oz pkg milk chocolate chips
1 12 oz pgk butterscotch chips
1.5 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 c butter/margarine
2 c sugar
1/2 c evaporated milk
3 c marshmallow creme (2 jars)
2 tsp vanilla
3 c. chopped, salted peanuts
1/2 c whipping cream
2 pkg caramels

Bottom:
1 c (6 oz) milk chocolate chips
1/4 c butterscotch chips
1/4 c creamy peanut butter

Filling:
1/4 c butter or margarine
1 c sugar
1/4 c evaporated milk
1 1/2 c marshmallow creme
1/4 c creamy peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c chopped, salted peanuts

Caramel Layer:
1 pkg (14 oz) caramels
1/4 c whipping cream

Icing:
1 c (6 oz) milk chocolate chips
1/4 c butterscotch chips
1/4 c creamy peanut butter

Hints:
For top and bottom layer, start melting the butterscotch chips before
adding the chocolate and peanut butter b/c it takes longer to melt. Chop
peanuts before starting to make filling.

1) Combine the first three ingredients in a small saucepan, stir over low
heat until melted and smooth. Spread onto the bottom of a lightly greased
13x9 pan. Refrigerate until set.
2) For filling, melt butter in a heavy saucepan over med-high heat. Add
sugar and milk, bring to a boil; boil and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from
heat, stir in marshmallow creme, peanut butter and vanilla. Add peanuts.
Spread over 1st layer, refrigerate until set.
3) Combine caramels and cream in a saucepan; stir over low heat until
melted and smooth. Spread over filling; refrigerate until set.
4) In another saucepan, combine chips and peanut butter. Stir over low
heat until melted and smooth. Pour over the caramel layer.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour, cut in 1" squares, store in refrigerator.

80s songs

2010-01-30T14:46:00.003-05:00

I'm downloading some music from iTunes and am looking for some suggestions on favorite 80s songs. I mostly listened to Top40. Any suggestions? It was such an fun era of great music, fun clothes and big hair.

Class starts tomorrow!

2010-01-26T19:11:00.004-05:00

My class starts tomorrow. I'm always excited about a new class. Something about new books, a new professor, the promised learning experience...all lead to a really exciting first week of class. I'm taking a world history class this semester from 200-1500 AD. The professor will be my advisor when writing my thesis proposal, so it will be a good opportunity to have a class with him.

Favorite Cold-Weather Meal

2010-01-24T20:15:00.001-05:00

I just had one of my favorite cold-weather meals: grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup.

I Voted

2010-01-19T19:26:00.001-05:00

It felt great to vote today in an election where my vote actually made a difference. That hasn't happened since I lived in Ohio. I don't know who will win, but I love that the result is not pre-determined like it usually is.

Now I hope the politicians on both sides will play nice and act like adults rather than junior high kids.

Budget Delights

2010-01-18T20:54:00.005-05:00

Way to stay within my grocery budget of $100--the total came to $99.66. The mini-scanners I can check out when I arrive and scan in items as I shop really helps with this.

I've already made these yummy foods from what I bought:

Brown vs. Coakley

2010-01-17T20:08:00.005-05:00

It's been an interesting week here in Massachusetts. Billed one of the most liberal states, with most voters tending to vote for the Democrat candidates, it's amusing to see the race for the US Senate seat tighten, and the Republican candidate pull ahead in some polls. The Democratic candidate hasn't campaigned all that hard until now, apparently thinking she would win the election without that. It's been especially amusing to see the Democrat Party get scared and bring in the superstars like Presidents Clinton & even President Obama. That's not something you see very often. Massachusetts Democrats usually don't need any outside help.

Castle

2010-01-14T20:40:00.003-05:00

I just found this show a few weeks ago and absolutely love it. It's on ABC and is a homicide TV show, but with a family-friendly side. I especially like the characters and how the show focuses on their development. I am going through Season 1 episodes via Netflix.

A little eye candy is a bonus.

Well, I'm off to watch the next episode.

Egyptian Pyramids

2010-01-13T17:03:00.002-05:00

I saw this article about workers' graves discovered near the pyramids and it brought back memories. I was there almost 10 years ago. The pyramids are huge--the stones on the bottom are almost as tall as I am. I paid extra to go inside. We had to walk up a really steep ramp and came to that room that was about 20 feet by 20 feet and maybe 10 feet tall. This room was where the pharoah was buried with all his earthly possessions, and everything he needed to get to the next life. They even found some boats buried outside the pyramid for the journey down the river. As far as I could tell, this room was the only room in the pyramid. Everything else was just structural or for show. I found it quite ironic that such a small space (comparatively) was used in such a magnificent structure.

Love this book!

2010-01-11T19:06:00.002-05:00

I saw this book advertised in a genealogy magazine, but it's not about genealogy. It's an intriguing fictional plot that entwines the lives of a modern-day graduate student and a woman apparently accused of being a witch in the Salem Witch trials. I haven't finished it yet b/c I had to put it down at page 78 to do other things, but it was hard to put down! Highly recommend this book based on what I have read thus far. The trailer on the website is interesting.

2010 Goals

2010-01-10T13:05:00.005-05:00

I have been thinking a lot the past few days about which goals I would like to set for this year.

As I have been perusing other people's blogs for ideas, these are the ones that struck me
1) Have a gratitude journal on your blog. One blogger had a goal to list 3 things for which she was grateful at the end of each post. Another blogger dedicates an entire blog to gratitude and some beautiful photos to illustrate the thing for which she is grateful.
2) Make a list of 50 things to do this year. They can be as simple as learning to make a new dish or visiting a new place. Here are some examples from this blogger.

My goals for 2010:
1) Be more healthy (exercise at least 3x/week as part of my commute, eat the recommended daily servings of fruit and vegetables, & cut way back on sweets).

2) Include one thing for which I am grateful at the bottom of each blog post.

3) Develop compassion for those around me--especially for people I don't know and who may be momentarily making my life difficult (bumping me on the subway, cutting in front of me in the road, etc.).

4) Develop and act on a "20 things to do this year" list.

My gratitude post: I am grateful for my condo. I love having my own space that I can decorate and fill however I would like.

Miracle

2010-01-09T18:32:00.003-05:00

I was sorting through DVD's the other day and came across this one:

I remember thinking I should watch it again. Today I found this article on Mike Eruzione--the team captain who scored the winning goal against the Russians almost 30 years ago at the Olympics. I saw this movie when it first came out, and Mr. Eruzione was in the audience, although I didn't realize that until somebody pointed him out to me after the show. I think it's movie time!

New Chair

2010-01-07T18:55:00.002-05:00

I am constantly trying to figure out how to make the best use of space in my small condo. Months ago I relegated the table to storage b/c it was a magnet for clutter. That however, left me without a space on which to eat, make cards, and put my laptop and assorted papers for work, school or genealogy. I finally solved the dilemma with the purchase of this bar stool. I love it--it's just the right size and now my kitchen bar does double duty as food preparation site and work site. It also gives me an extra incentive to keep clutter off the bar.

3 Cups of Tea

2010-01-04T20:31:00.002-05:00

I haven't read this book, but I did listen to this talk today by the author, Greg Mortenson, at a BYU forum. It's available in video format. It was very uplifting. I highly recommend it (and I'll track down a copy of the book to read).

Christmas lights

2010-01-03T19:18:00.002-05:00

My favorite Christmas decorations are my Nativity set and Christmas lights. Some years I've kept my Christmas tree up far into January b/c I love the lights so much. This year I decided to pack away everything but the lights. I hung them up around my sliding glass door. I love plugging them in at night b/c they are so cheerful. This picture doesn't do them justice--they are much brighter.

Clean House

2010-01-02T17:20:00.001-05:00

I took down my Christmas stuff and cleaned today. My house was in such dire need of cleaning. Now it smells so fresh and clean. Love it!

Late Christmas

2010-01-01T14:45:00.006-05:00

I was a little behind this year and only sent out most of my Christmas packages after Christmas. These 2 little boys were pretty excited about the gifts tho.

This little one loved Lightning McQueen.
Since I have more than 15 nieces and nephews, I spent about $2-$3 on each. What do you get for an 11 month old though? Most of the cheaper toys like cars and dinosaurs say 3 & up. My solution: Goldfish. Look like they were a hit!

I gave Bunco to my sister and her husband, but the boys seem to like that as well.

Bleak House

2009-12-31T21:17:00.002-05:00

I finally got around to watching this show this week on a blockbuster DVD. I wasn't expecting to get pulled into it. now I only have a few more episodes, but have to wait for blockbuster. bummer

Happy New Year!