KATADAM

Photographic Evidence

2012-02-17T15:16:00.001-05:00

I think our state of "expectancy" is public knowledge for all our regular blog readers, so I figured it was time for some proof. Hard to believe that 25 weeks of this process are over and we've only another 15-ish to go before our house is a little fuller...and my midsection a little emptier! Considering the "tickling" of my ribs that's happening at the moment, I think that's a good trade-off.

My house should never lack

2012-01-07T17:50:00.002-05:00

A can of old-school tomato soup.

Poor, Sad, Ol' Blog

2012-01-03T17:51:00.000-05:00

This space is so neglected! But tonight I have a free night all to myself before my regular weekly routine returns now that the holidays have wound down. Options:* go to a movie* take a bath* paint my fingernails* knit* organize the office (new bookcase ordered from Staples today - on sale w/ free shipping wahoo!)* do laundry* put away Christmas decorations/linens* strip guest bed* write

Not a lot of original content here these days...

2011-11-16T13:34:00.002-05:00

...but here's an amazing video to watch: OFFF Cincinnati 2011 - Let's Feed The Future from OFFF, let's feed the future on Vimeo. Enjoy, friends! Perhaps there will be more written here next week, in the midst of Thanksgiving day preparations. Adam and I are endeavoring to make a most delicious apple pie. Found on Design Mom.

Whoa! Revolutionizing Garlic Peeling!

2011-10-27T09:40:00.001-04:00

a.k.a. The Randomness of the Internet How to Peel a Head of Garlic in Less Than 10 Seconds from SAVEUR.com on Vimeo. Found on Design Mom.

My parents don't want you to know this, but they're in Italy.*

2011-10-15T15:31:00.000-04:00

Which means we have their dog. Living with us. With us, in our house, with our two cats. Excuse me while I go take a nap. TK (abbreviated to protect his anonymity*) arrived Wednesday evening. It is now Saturday afternoon and while all the living creatures who currently reside here are still alive, we're exhausted. We're exhausted by 7:30 am when TK comes bounding out of his crate with all the

Robert Reich on Cynicism, and Other Things

2011-09-19T09:37:00.003-04:00

I just shared this, Robert Reich's speech at the Summit for a Fair Economy, on Facebook, but wanted to include it here, too, along with this link to a separate article that also addresses one issue touched on by Reich: the intentional cynicism the GOP is working to create to fulfill its prophecy that government is wasteful, inefficient, and ineffective. Some will dismiss Reich as a progressive/

True

2011-09-15T14:10:00.002-04:00

This is from earlier this summer, but I just re-found the image. Still feels true. I also "re-found" a trunk I used in college, covered in stickers I had long forgotten. One of them says, "Under Republicans, man exploits man. Under Democrats, it's just the opposite." This also still feels true. These days, it feels like politics are not the answer. That said, I'm still choosing the Democrats.

A Good Morning...

2011-09-14T22:52:00.001-04:00

...for coffee on the deck. Hope your morning was just as good!

What Doing?

2011-09-07T13:56:00.001-04:00

When my brother was little and wanted to know what we were up to, his question was always phrased, "What doing?". I find myself saying that still, and getting a little laugh out of it every time. There were a lot of Andrew-isms in our house when he was little, but that is a topic for another post. So, what AM I doing these days? Well, the unpacking is mostly done; things are at least on the

Raindrops on Nasturtiums

2011-09-06T19:07:00.001-04:00

Hydrangea Heaven

2011-08-30T08:46:00.001-04:00

In advance of Hurricane Irene, I cut most of the blossoms off our two hydrangea plants in the front yard and spread them around the house. I've always loved hydrangeas, but having them growing in our yard has given me a renewed appreciation for them. They're hardy (the blossoms I left on the plants survived the storm mostly intact), and their color variation now, at the end of the season, is

Signs of Life: at Home

2011-08-22T15:07:00.000-04:00

Friends stopped by last week and commented that our kitchen made it look like we had lived here forever. Definitely a good sign. Bedroom looks that way, too. It's good to be home. In vacationland!

Lessons Learned from Moving In

2011-08-18T16:46:00.001-04:00

* People are dirty, dirty creatures. If you're moving in to a place that has been inhabited by others, bring your sponges, rags, spray bottles and other implements of cleaning. Ick. * Contact paper is a necessary evil. Its application is helped by NOT rushing. * Measure twice and shlep once. i.e. don't carry that giant piece of furniture from one floor to another without measuring first (twice)

New House Pictures

2011-08-06T20:00:00.002-04:00

We've uploaded a bunch of photos on Picasa. More to come after we get some more boxes out of the way!

Lessons Learned from Moving

2011-07-29T15:00:00.000-04:00

I could live happily without 4/5 of my wardrobe. Many boxes are required to pack up a kitchen. More than you think. If you're moving, and packing a kitchen, go get more boxes. NOW. I want a kindle. It will always be humid on moving day. Murphy's Law. I should teach something other than reading...something that requires lighter materials to cart around from classroom to classroom. Though I guess

Photo from the Archives

2011-07-25T20:35:00.000-04:00

Came across this in our album from our Maine vacation two years ago and thought it was pretty neat. Photo by Adam.

Counting Down

2011-07-17T23:47:00.001-04:00

...25 days.

Before and After!

2011-07-11T16:52:00.000-04:00

Tomato Soup Living Room with Pea Soup Mantle Normal Living Room!

3 Days...

2011-06-27T16:58:00.002-04:00

... 'till we close on our first house!

Breakfast

2011-06-19T08:55:00.003-04:00

Julia Child's quiche lorraine with VT eggs purchased from our CSA.

MAINE

2011-06-16T00:06:00.002-04:00

Daydreaming...

2011-06-13T21:51:00.000-04:00

...about Maine.

Dove Soap: Making You Thinner and Whiter

2011-05-14T10:05:00.001-04:00

Flipping through the June issue of Real Simple magazine, I stopped upon seeing this ad: Being a linear thinker, I immediately read this message as meaning that Dove soap will make your skin whiter and your body thinner. And your hair blonde, too, I suppose. Ridiculous. And a major blunder for Dove who maintains (or attempts to create) an image of open-mindedness towards beauty through its "

Tree Music?

2011-05-05T22:16:00.002-04:00

This is a pretty amazing project: (even if it is an advertisement)

Poem

2011-04-24T22:58:00.004-04:00

The Pitchforkby Seamus HeaneyOf all implements, the pitchfork was the oneThat came near to an imagined perfection: When he tightened his raised hand and aimed with it,It felt like a javelin, accurate and light.So whether he played the warrior of the athleteOr worked in earnest in the chaff and sweat,He loved the grain of tapering, dark-flecked ashGrown satiny from its own natural polish.Riveted

Yo-Yo Ma & Lil Buck

2011-04-21T20:19:00.001-04:00

Whoa...From Spike Jonze: "The other day, I was lucky enough to be at an event to bring the arts back into schools and got to see an amazing collaboration between Yo-Yo Ma and a young dancer in LA, Lil Buck. Someone who knows Yo-Yo Ma had seen Lil Buck on YouTube and put them together. The dancing is Lil Buck's own creation and unlike anything I've seen. Hope you enjoy." Via www.dooce.com

"World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements"

2011-04-20T12:22:00.001-04:00

Today's lesson: learning is loud. This is a trailer from the film, "World Peace and Other 4th Grade Achievements." This week, on vacation, I'm seeking out inspiration to carry me (and my 4th graders) through the rest of the school year. I'm reminded of my high school biology teacher, Mr. Pond, who we thought was crazy for shouting, at the start of each class, "It's great to be alive!"

Adirondack Ambassadors

2011-04-18T15:09:00.001-04:00

I am so impressed by this video that was created, filmed and produced by our good friends Josh & Colton Clement. From beginning to end, this is worth watching! I'm hoping to see more tours from the 'daks, guys!

Glogster

2011-04-13T18:22:00.002-04:00

Poetry

2011-04-11T22:51:00.001-04:00

http://newspaperblackout.com/

Good Thing, Bad Thing

2011-03-27T23:58:00.000-04:00

A tradition that started around the dinner table of Adam's cousins is continued over email, and across many miles, every week. Each Sunday an email arrives in our inboxes with the subject heading "GT/BT". Upon opening it, we read the sender's top-of-mind good thing and bad thing about the previous week. And after reading, we think about and add our own, and hit reply-all. Today's was easy for

Japan

2011-03-13T13:48:00.000-04:00

The devastation is beyond my comprehension. The only thing uplifting is the thought of helping in some small way. Go to Network for Good for links to donate to various organizations responding to Japan's growing crisis.

Why we need the arts

2011-03-12T18:42:00.006-05:00

In the midst of the terrible news out of Japan and the ongoing and endlessly frustrating debates over the national budget, I felt the distinct need for some inspiration and levity. So, over to iTunes I went to downloaded some of my favorite highlights from The Sing-Off: Season Two, the a cappella performance competition that Kate and I got hooked on this past December. I posted video clips of

What Do You Think?

2011-03-01T21:49:00.000-05:00

I am doing research about Digital Literacies for a class (one of my final two!) and came across these video segments. I'd love for you to watch them both and share your thoughts...they're each about 1 minute long. Good Internet - 2 Translation(s) | dotSUB Bad Internet - 1 Translation(s) | dotSUB

Poem

2011-02-27T22:48:00.002-05:00

A Kind of Darknessby Betsy SchollButterflies--those sailboats of the insect world, serene among engine gunners, like our best thoughtsrising without fuel, free of ambitions guzzle.But once, jogging an old farm road, I sawa rabbit carcass swarmed by yellow wingsnibbling, sniffing, not budging when I stomped,the way in some parts of town figures huddleto pass a needle or pipe, so starved for itnot

Writing

2011-02-15T23:46:00.003-05:00

We're all about writing here on Katadam lately. Adam shares original works...I am merely copying and pasting words of inspiration ABOUT writing...or will do so momentarily. And why, you ask? Because tomorrow I will be supervising fifteen fourth-graders as they spend their ENTIRE school day writing a 6 paragraph essay. That is not a typo. We begin at 9 am and they are expected to work on their

Poem

2011-02-13T12:58:00.005-05:00

The Science Sacramentby: Adam KesslerSuddenly, Nature waits upon you, upon your report of fields encroaching the horizon, the human formula, and the Science Sacrament, scarcely abroad, but here, now, passing the present period, overtaking our quality, separating us from ash and soil, affecting any year. March light up on the lawn, lost as we trade away the farthest tree and the solitary

Transition Time!

2011-02-03T17:27:00.000-05:00

I've been enjoying the past four weeks a lot...the month of January felt like a bonus month because classes didn't start until 1/25 and I was substituting just 2-3 days per week (which I used to think would be hard but now realize is not...it requires no prep!). It was a welcome respite after the madness of the holidays and end-of-semester crunch. But, all good things must come to an end. On

We've Moved

2011-02-01T16:28:00.001-05:00

Poem

2011-01-30T20:33:00.004-05:00

Upon Discovering My Entire Solution to the Attainment of Immortality Erased From the Blackboard Except the Word ‘Save’by Dobby Gibson If you have seen the snow  somewhere slowly fall  on a bicycle,  then you understand  all beauty will be lost  and that even that loss   can be beautiful.  And if you have looked  at a winter garden  and seen not a winter garden  but a

6:55 am

2011-01-27T06:58:00.000-05:00

Let the cacophony of the snowblowers begin. It really did snow another 12" last night.

An Ode to My Hometown

2011-01-25T20:57:00.008-05:00

A friend just posted this on Facebook...I know nothing about the origins or the artist, but the song's all true... it's COLD in Saranac Lake!

In honor of MLK

2011-01-17T19:04:00.006-05:00

We saw the below play when we lived in NYC. It was incredible; creative, thought-provoking, emotional, instructive, and well-acted by a richly diverse cast. At the end of the play, they passed around this small handout. Kate and I have had these two items on our fridge for years; daily reminders of history that must not be forgotten and the complexities of race and race relations (especially

5 Days...

2011-01-14T14:16:00.002-05:00

...until skiing!

Words to live by

2011-01-12T14:53:00.002-05:00

"His own heart laughed; and that was quite enough for him." ~From A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

Adam's Albums - 2010

2011-01-06T23:18:00.004-05:00

A list of music I purchased this past year, stemming from my highly successful "two-new-iTunes-album-per-month" policy. Well, more a "guideline" than a "policy," since there are more than 24 albums on this list. Whatever.Chronological starting January 2010:Wilco (The Album) -- WilcoNickel Creek -- Nickel CreekThis Side -- Nickel CreekYouth and Manhood -- Kings of LeonMuswell Hillbillies -- The

2011

2011-01-02T22:45:00.003-05:00

To our readers -- friends, family, and strangers alike -- best wishes for a peaceful, productive year ahead.

Poem

2010-12-30T22:51:00.004-05:00

Postcards from Church Streetby Adam KesslerMy walk to the T, bathedin the golden late-afternoonlight that is only possibleat 5pm in the middle of October.***A lamppost's black shadow,cast at a sharp angle to the sidewalk, cuts a dark slash up across the throbbing red brick walls of a local pizzeria.Hooded windows blink candlelightbefore the dinner crowd arrives.***A sidewalk tree stands ablaze,

RIP Chief and Beaumont

2010-12-20T22:49:00.004-05:00

We learned recently that two of our favorite dogs (who, unfortunately, we only got to visit with once a year, around the holidays) passed away in the last year.Chief, on the left, and Beaumont, looking at the camera.Chief and Beaumont are the reason that Kate asked for a Leonberger puppy for Christmas this year -- a wish that will, for the time being, remain unfulfilled. But, 'tis the season for

A Baby in Baltimore

2010-12-12T22:58:00.000-05:00

Zoey Maria! Meet Zoey Maria, the daughter of our friends Liz & Ivan. We got to meet her last weekend and she is a cutie, as you can see. We had a wonderful weekend with her AND her parents and only wish we lived closer! (Thanks for hosting us...hope to see you again before Zoey breaks in all those summer clothes!)

Poem

2010-12-09T00:25:00.002-05:00

The Day I Made My Father Proudby Michael MoranThe doorbell jarred metoward consciousnesson a sultry Sunday morningwhen I was nineteen,a college sophomore.I had slept where the bourbonlaid me-on an old couchreclaimed from a curb.The party had sped by,left me road-kill,limp and snoring,so my roommates said,and now I stumbledto the buzzing door,remembering what I had nevercompletely forgotten-my

A Note on the Poems

2010-12-08T23:00:00.001-05:00

Sensing a trend in my posts? Seeing poems -- mine and others' -- popping up on Katadam?I love poetry. Always have. Creative writing was a favorite course of mine in high school and I took a few poetry courses (reading and writing) at Bates. But, like with a number of other topics/interests, I never really pursued it seriously. Some days, I question why not. Or, more accurately, I harangue myself

Bear Down!

2010-11-29T01:46:00.004-05:00

On the eve after a nice victory for my beloved Chicago Bears against the Philadelphia Eagles, I present to you the team's fight song -- first introduced in 1941 and performed here by the Chicago Symphony. At home games in Soldier Field, this is played and sung (LOUDLY!) by fans after every score. "Bear down, Chicago Bears, make every play clear the way to victory;Bear down, Chicago Bears, put up

Poem

2010-11-23T22:00:00.011-05:00

On the Bus to Vermontby Adam KesslerThis isn't even the poem I startedwhen I pulled out my pencil in the terminal. That was on another subject entirely -- one that could surely benefit from two uninterrupted hours seated in the same spot hunkered againstthe bus window, a thermos of black coffee at the ready.But, here I am, staring out the window for long stretches of time and expressway, pencil

A new paradigm

2010-11-15T21:35:00.003-05:00

"Dogs Playing Poker?" I see and raise you "Cat Playing Cribbage."

Adam's renewed commitment

2010-11-15T21:21:00.005-05:00

Oh poor, neglected blog.Kate has gamely been trying to keep up with the posting, but she is busy with school work (student teaching) and class work (her Master's program classes) and I have not helped one bit. What readership we have -- Hi parents! Hi Holly and Ashley! -- has likely vacated us for more regularly updated shores.Well, in the midst of feeling a rather desperate need to do a bit of

A Day Off

2010-11-11T14:38:00.000-05:00

I can't think of a better way to spend (at least half of) it than by sleeping in and watching Julie and Julia in our pajamas. The sun even came out for the occasion. I won't tell you what I'll be doing for the afternoon (it rhymes with shudying). It's not nearly as delicious.

Darkness

2010-11-09T17:34:00.000-05:00

The pitch blackness at 4:30pm is doing nothing to help my productivity. It only confirms my desire to become part of the genus ursus and hibernate for the next six months.

October Flowers

2010-11-03T18:34:00.002-04:00

I've been amazed by how well our plants have been holding up and had to take some pictures, as evidence. These days, it's anybody's guess as to whether they'll be alive in the morning, or frosted over. I did move the lavender plants indoors and took some cuttings of the basil. But the flowers are on their own now. The morning glories have been beautiful for months!

November Just Got Longer!

2010-10-17T16:25:00.002-04:00

We discovered today that November has one more weekend than we thought it did! It's like winning time!

You know what would make class better?

2010-10-10T13:00:00.000-04:00

A Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale. With cinnamon & sugar on the rim of the glass, of course.

Impulse Buy...and So Excited!

2010-10-01T06:58:00.000-04:00

Friends, I just bought a ticket to see Esperanza Spalding at Sanders Theatre (a favorite venue of mine) tomorrow night. I have become mildly obsessed with her since hearing her interviewed by Bob Edwards on NPR this past weekend. Sadly, Adam is away for the weekend so will miss her show, but I did notice that she's performing at the Village Vanguard in January 2011....

Carrier Monkeys

2010-09-14T23:11:00.002-04:00

From my favorite movie, One Fine Day: “Check if my amoxicillin prescription still has refills available...do you know that kids who seem perfectly healthy can give you strep throat without you even going near them? You know what I think of when I see them? Carrier Monkeys.” Day five in 3rd grade and I’m popping Tylenol and Sudafed. Carrier Monkeys indeed.

40,000

2010-08-13T21:28:00.003-04:00

In honor of passing the 40,000 mile-mark on the Prius, we thought we should post this collection of pictures taken over the past three years. And to think we almost didn't test drive one because we thought it looked too small. Don't be fooled. The Prius packs a punch! July 2007 - The Inaugural Summer The Prius loves the Adirondacks...who doesn't?! October 2007 Tailgating at West Point,

Fun & Games, Wisconsin Style

2010-08-11T12:44:00.003-04:00

Butterfly "hunting" Adam, on the back 40 (you really must zoom in for the full effect!) Missed the target but shot right through the stem of a weed! Diane, shootin' & Matthew supervisin' Kevin, marking our shots, and giving up all his bullets.

Old Friends

2010-08-01T17:24:00.000-04:00

Our trip to Wisconsin was wonderful for a bunch of reasons, but not least of all because I got to spend nearly a week with a friend I've had since I was five! It was so much fun to catch up with Diane on her butterfly farm and we'll be sharing lots more from this trip in coming posts.

The Most Beautiful Day!

2010-07-31T13:49:00.000-04:00

I am sitting on our small back porch in what can only be described as PERFECT weather. 74 degrees. Sunny. Wispy clouds. A lovely breeze. Compared to two days ago when it was 93 degrees with high humidity this is, literally, heavenly. My plants seem to agree with me. The morning glories that blossomed this morning have yet to wilt and the nasturtium leaves are turned to face the sun. The peppers

We're Back!

2010-07-15T19:23:00.000-04:00

We returned yesterday from our week in Wisconsin. It was a GREAT week and I think it felt extra long because of our lack of emailing/facebooking/cell-phoning. Another good reason to live in the sticks. We have a ton of photos to sort through but will try to get caught up here one of these days. We're trying out a new photo program and are having some technical difficulties finding things. Argh.

Things I Found While Cleaning My Desk

2010-06-29T11:22:00.000-04:00

2004 Saranac Lake Winter Carnival Button Mouthguard from Bates Rugby, circa 1997 Swimming goggles with disintegrating rubber band Materials I bought for a project in 2001 (but never made). Parting with 50% isn't bad...

Presque Isle, ME

2010-06-17T13:59:00.001-04:00

Photographer Adam took this photo in the middle of what used to be my grandfather's potato farm. As we were driving up the farm road in our Volvo caravan (3 passengers per car and so obviously out of place), two guys in a pick-up truck met us coming from the other way. Mom rolled down her window to assure them we were visiting, not trespassing, and the conversation went

Let's Take Bets...

2010-06-15T23:28:00.001-04:00

... on how long it takes Adam to see this background and tell us he hates it. Leave guesses in comments!

Bottle Openers

2010-06-14T12:18:00.011-04:00

I am not talented at opening bottles with anything other than a legitimate tool but find our basic opener a little dull. What do you think about these options? One at Anthropologie and one from Uncommon Goods. I like them both, though they're very different. If you had to choose one, which would it be?

Grand Prize Winner...

2010-06-10T17:52:00.000-04:00

...of THREE free hours! My class was cancelled unexpectedly tonight! And it couldn't have happened at a better time. Gardens are watered (our landlords are away), laundry is in, plane ticket (to Wisconsin in July!) is purchased. And I still have a few more hours of daylight. Time for a quick dinner and some more work.

Summer Wednesdays

2010-06-02T16:48:00.001-04:00

I have decided that Summer Wednesdays are gonna' be a "thing" here at the Kesslers' this year and they started today (well, for me anyway): After a couple cancellations this week, I ended up with a totally free afternoon and on the spur of the moment, I decided to spend it at Crane's Beach in Ipswich. It was the best idea I've had in ages. More details about our summer Wednesdays to come (once I

2010-05-31T11:19:00.001-04:00

On the highway behind a ford escape HYBRID with a license plate that says: annoy a liberal, question global warming. Huh?

A Movie Recommendation and a Gift Idea

2010-05-20T22:50:00.002-04:00

Just watched "Born into Brothels" and would love to have this book as a gift sometime. If you haven't heard of the movie, here's a little background. It's a wonderful film, if a bit depressing. But isn't everything these days?

Universe, You are So WEIRD.

2010-05-18T19:58:00.003-04:00

I have been an ex-employee from you-know-where* for...let's see...10 months. And it has taken me THAT LONG to unpack a GIANT, rolling duffle bag that was packed full of stuff from that job. The night I left my cubicle for the last time I chucked all the stuff I thought I might want into that bag, rolled it to the elevator, waved goodbye to our friendly baristas (we were spoiled and had a

5 Foolproof Steps towards having a Perfect Morning!

2010-05-14T09:37:00.001-04:00

1. Stop for coffee and donuts at Lyndell's Bakery. 2. Read books, throw balls, and take a couple laps around the house with an 11-month old. 3. While 11-month old naps, play with the adorable Bernese Mountain Dog puppy being puppy-sat by the parents of said 11-month old. 4. Ignore the fact that you have not finished the nine-page paper due this afternoon. 5. Eat your second donut.

Graduation!

2010-05-11T21:23:00.002-04:00

So proud of this girl! She's truly the hardest working person I know.

"961 mi – about 16 hours 58 mins"

2010-05-06T16:37:00.003-04:00

We leave, this evening, on the first leg of our 5-day driving tour of the Maine Turnpike. Fortunately, there's a really good reason to be making this 961 mile (round trip) journey: my "Little Sister", Elizabeth, is graduating from college! We met through Big Brothers Big Sisters in 1997, when she was 9 and looked like this: Even then I knew that she'd accomplish whatever she set her mind to. I

Nothing, in Particular

2010-04-20T22:08:00.000-04:00

I don't have a lot to write about tonight, but I thought I should write SOMETHING lest my dear readers be concerned about the fact that I hadn't written much since I reflected on my grandmother's passing. Thank you for your kind comments, both on the blog and in person; they meant a lot to me. One reason for my recent blog-silence is that my writing skills have been put to use in other places

Note from the Cellphone:

2010-04-13T15:48:00.002-04:00

Our whole neighborhood looks different... BETTER... in the spring.

Remembering Grammy

2010-03-25T18:09:00.001-04:00

My maternal Grandmother died Tuesday morning. She was 98 and had fallen and broken her hip a few days earlier (after falling numerous times in the last few years, the first of which landed her in an assisted living facility where she had lived ever since). Her doctors didn't think she'd survive surgery (and our family had decided against life-prolonging procedures a couple years ago...her doctors

Whoa...Back to Reality

2010-03-14T21:22:00.001-04:00

Well, I have a cold, it's 40 degrees and pouring rain, and "spring break" is over with only the two least important things crossed off my to-do list. Guess everything's back to normal, for mid-March. Ho-hum.

She listened! Mother Nature listened!

2010-03-08T14:41:00.002-05:00

Here's our weather forecast through Thursday: sunshine and warmth...how welcome you are! Thanks for showing up...feel free to stick around.

Brrrrrr!!!

2010-03-03T16:40:00.000-05:00

Dear Mother Nature, Yesterday I was hopeful that spring was coming. Today I am sitting on the radiator, trying to convince my blood to flow to my extremities. It is difficult to type while holding a cup of tea so for the sake of my academic career, I'd appreciate some warmer, drier weather. Adam will be sad to read this (he who loves winter and fall the best) but it's true. I've reached the

March!?

2010-03-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

Hi friends. Can you believe it's March? I truly cannot. And I can't decide if it's a good thing or bad, but I suppose it doesn't matter much since it is what it is. I did finish another project after the red baby sweater (which DOES fit the baby!). I quickly knit up a pair of booties for another baby, this time a girl. No pictures....there was no time....I was sewing in the ends on the T, on my

Finished-Baby Sweater

2010-02-18T11:08:00.000-05:00

I finished a sweater yesterday that now I just have to hope still fits the bambino for whom I made it! Putting it in the mail today and crossing my fingers. Front: Back:

Photos Around the House

2010-02-17T15:49:00.002-05:00

My Valentine's Day flowers: Patty and Jack: This morning's beautiful sunshine on yesterday's heavy snow: I finished another project today, and am hoping to finish two more things before heading to class in a few hours. With any luck, you'll see proof tomorrow.

By Popular Request

2010-02-10T23:02:00.000-05:00

Not every blogger responds to the demands of her readers so quickly. Here is a close-up of the penguin pj pattern: And, only because I love my readers so dearly, two photos for your entertainment: Holly-if Lennon really does have the same pjs, you must send me a photo! Sleep tight, all! *Photo credits to Adam C. Kessler who also responds quickly to demands

Snow Day!

2010-02-10T09:37:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official...everything has been cancelled: Boston public schools are closed so no babysitting for me this morning; the preschool in Cambridge is closed so no consulting this afternoon; and Lesley is closing at noon so no class for me tonight! Which is why I'm on the couch in my new penguin pajamas (I'll spare you a photo). All we need now is the actual snow!

Finishing

2010-02-09T17:15:00.011-05:00

Many of you know that finishing projects is not a strong suit of mine, something I'm aiming to work on during 2010. No new knitting projects, in particular, until EVERYTHING in progress is finished (and this includes a crocheting project I started before my Goddaughter, Briana, was born in 2002...it was supposed to be her baby blanket...whoops). Starting something new is always exciting. But

Observations

2010-02-09T08:03:00.003-05:00

Guy on the train is reading WEED WORLD magazine...

Fractions

2010-02-03T23:07:00.001-05:00

I can't believe we're already 1/12th of the way through 2010. A deep thought, I know.

What to do?

2010-01-28T10:09:00.003-05:00

Remember our beautiful Paperwhites from the holidays? My question to you, dear readers, is what to do with the bulb now? The flowers dried up and fell off so I cut back their stalks and am left with just the bulb and its leaves, which are now so tall that they won't stand up. Do I just trash it? Seems sad. But I don't have a place to plant it outdoors in the spring and don't know that it would

Home Alone

2010-01-26T19:49:00.004-05:00

Adam is in Philadelphia for work for two nights and days. So, here I was, sitting on the couch alone, trying to avoid turning on the television for fear of getting sucked in. I tried to watch a Supernanny episode online (yes, it's a weakness) but ABC and Apple are, apparently, not friends. I got tired of watching an install arrow and gave up. Then I saw a friend's link to an NPR feature I glanced

Staple-free Stapler

2010-01-26T09:44:00.006-05:00

OK...I promise to post something more significant here soon but right now, how about this: A "stapler" that attaches pieces of paper without metal staples. Brilliant, no? Having spent part of yesterday making photocopies and fighting with the copier's stapling function (and having to remove staples and then manually re-staple pages correctly) this seems like a vast improvement. I'm sure our

A proper morning awakening

2010-01-14T15:28:00.002-05:00

I must have this. Can you imagine? ... How lovely it would be? Who wouldn't want to wake up to the voice of a kind butler, instead of the repetitive, mechanical beep-beep-beep-beep.

A quick ode to Adam

2010-01-09T22:23:00.006-05:00

(OK, more of a list than an ode, but whatever.) Today Adam made me tea, packed me a lunch of applesauce, banana and saltine crackers, hung my new spice racks in the kitchen, reviewed our charitable giving plans, started packing up our Christmas decorations, found storage space for our bikes and reorganized our seasonal stuff in storage, bought me soup, made me soup, and chauffeured me to and from