Corner View...Transportation

Transportation, eh? Well, I drive a very practical, economical car that takes us from place to place reliably. However, I'd rather ride this...


my poor, neglected bicycle. At least I will have the opportunity to ride it to work during the summer when my husband is off (he teaches) and can take Kidlet to her school program. It's a mighty fine bike.

A few Ani transportation facts...

1. I did not get my driver's license until I was 18 (a late bloomer here in the states, as you can obtain it the day you turn 16).

2. I did not get my first car until I was 28. It was my parent's 20-year-old car.

3. I had a wonderful motor scooter (which I adored) when I was 21.

4. I only like to drive cars with manual transmission. I don't like automatics.

5. My favorite mode of transportation is a tie between trains or walking. I was happy to hear my President say that he was going to look into a national high-speed rail system (despite the fact it has no current plans to go anywhere near my town).

6. And I always drive when my husband and I go somewhere together.

Take a trip around the world! It's Corner View day!

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie,esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, ani, couturecoucou, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t.,jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison, lise, cate, mon, victoria, crescent moon, erin, otli, amy, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, la lune dans le ciel, nicola, malo, samantha, kyndale, capturereflection

Bits and Bobs

This morning while Kidlet and I were driving to drop her off at her school, we were listening to NPR as they were discussing the swine flu. I mentioned to Kidlet that it might a be good time to renew our commitment to wash our hands thoroughly at various times in the day. I also explained a little about flu symptoms. Then she pipes up "Wine flu? Wine flu? What is that?" "Well, sweetie, that's when someone drinks too much wine and they feel a little sick and queasy the next day."

Finished knitting the sweater. Blocked the sweater. Figured out button placement. Had a few minutes this morning so I started to sew on the first button. Thread breaks. Button breaks. That's the breaks.

Every possible free moment is taken up by my investigation of advertisements from 1935, 1945 and 1955. The primary lesson to be learned is that you had better use lots of hand cream to battle dishpan hands so you can catch (or keep) a husband with those soft hands. I think I may be in trouble, if that is the case. I could put on a quart of lotion a day and never have smooth, soft hands. I only have a week left to finish this paper and it feels like it is very much in the limbo stage, still searching for a voice.

Making a list of items to be done around the house, inside and out, after I'm done with this class. The list is daunting. Anyone feel like doing a little late pruning on 20 rose bushes? How about installing a new toilet or finishing the flooring that we started 7 years ago? I also am lining up a slew of books for summer reading. Some are rereads, some are new: One Hundred Years of Solitude, a couple of John Updike's Rabbit books, Maeve Brennan, finish The Audacity of Hope, New Moon (gotta have some 'lite' summer reading too, although when I read the first book of the series, I couldn't help but think I could write a better angsty teen vampire novel), the newest Moomin comic collection. I'm also planning my next knitting move. I've got legwarmers for Kidlet, more Toasty, Ishbel, Fantine and finishing hubby's socks upon my mental queue. I think I'm going to need more than just a summer to do it all, but I can dream.

Corner View...Breakfast

Welcome to Wednesday and another edition of Corner View. This week features a personal favorite of mine...breakfast.

I've always been a breakfast person; never have I been one to skip or skimp on breakfast. For approximately four years, I ate the same thing every weekday for breakfast: granola, yogurt and honey (fruit added if something good was in season). I never got tired of it but I did finally decide to change it a couple months ago. Now my daily is some sort of cereal in rice milk. And I drink coffee. Buckets and buckets of coffee. I'm on a serious coffee kick. It's this semester of school that's doing it to me, I swear.


Friday is different, however. Kidlet and I share a big plate of toast. We top our toasts with the following: Nutella, Jam, and the last with butter, cinnamon and sugar. Another key ingredient to our Friday toast feast is listening to cheesy old rock and roll, preferably at increased volume. Not sure how this tradition came about, but here is a link to the first instance of "Rock and Roll Friday".


On Saturdays, we go out to breakfast with my mom. Sundays, I make breakfast for us and whomever shows up. Usually I make pancakes (you know I had to be 'pancakemama' for some reason...) but sometimes waffles are on the menu. On nights when my husband works late, Kidlet and I have breakfast for dinner. Here you can see last Wednesday night's pancakes. I have a nice long story about the best pancakes I ever had, but that will have to wait for another day as that, my friends, is probably more than you want to know about my breakfasts.

If you want to take a trip around the world, here's a list of others who are playing along, enjoy! Jane is our lovely hostess who came up with the idea...

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie,esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,caitlin, joyce, couturecoucou, kim, a day that is dessert, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t.,

jeannette, outi, schanett, ritva, dongdong, francesca,state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, ruth, dianna,

isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy,

jenna, skymring, elizabeth, audrey, allison

Fairytale Town '09--Long Day, Short Tale.

It was a gorgeous day, just like summer. Flowers were in abundance. Fun with friends, a yummy picnic, viewing and taking part in the beauty of life. I snapped 142 photos yesterday! Tired. Wishing today was not a work day...oh well, at least I have happy warm memories of a day spent out of doors.

Love and Happiness

The sun is back, warmth is here and getting positively summery by the weekend. I am so looking forward to it. We are taking the annual spring trip to Fairytale Town, I'm making pizza, I'm hoping to finish knitting my sweater (just in time for warm weather, ha ha). But I also have lots of work to do...

I only have one more big hoop (and three little hoops) to jump through before the end of the semester. I love this class even though it has left me sleep-deprived. This has been the most eye-opening class I have ever taken. Conceptions that I have grown up with have been turned on their ear. I'll stop gushing (and start getting back to work).

I hope you have a wonderful weekend, friends.

Corner View

I forgot to mention that I'm playing along on Wednesdays with Jane of Spain Daily. Every week we are posting bits and bobs from our little spot in the world.

This is our (cloudy, today) view of the city from the top of our hill in the yard. When there are fireworks down in town, you can sometimes see them from this little spot. You can also see my favorite tree on the left hand side. Supposedly, that tree is the largest cedar tree in our area. It's beautiful and I always hope that my neighbors that own it love it as much as I do (and never cut it down!). There were flurries of snow when I climbed up the hill to snap this photo; by this weekend, we are supposed to be having early summer-type temperatures. That is mountain-desert living in a nutshell.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Sunnyday

Rufus and Chaka Khan in my headphones, just ate a margarita jellybean, the sun is shining and I'm sitting next to a huge picture window overlooking campus. My spreadsheets, advertisements and books strewn about me on a big table. Not a bad way to spend an Easter afternoon. Sure, I'd like to be at the nursery buying a little plant, but this will do. Getting stuff done. Yeah. Get back to it!

Enjoy your day! And well wishes to my peeps (Boo and Baby Bunny) who are at home (Baby Bunny is kind of sick). See you two in a few hours...

Slice of Morning

I'm making my grocery list, sorting through recipes. I'm tired, but a cup of coffee is at my side. Searching for the hot cross bun recipe. Perusing bread recipes gets my spirits soaring! And the rain! Such a nice surprise. Whoops! Rain just turned to snow. But Billie is singing so it's ok.

Happy weekend, friends. Hope you are seeing signs of growth all around...

Dreaming in Technicolor

I've been working, working, working on my project for school. I wish I had a year to work on it; there's so much information I need to assess and so little time to do it. I've looked at so many magazines from the 1955 that I had started dreaming in technicolor. Now I've stepped back twenty years into the Depression and the ads reflect the times: black and white, eating 3 cubes of yeast a day to stay healthy, living on $25 a week and feeding a family of seven. My mood now matches. Evidently those ads are doing their job.

I can't begin to tell you how overwhelmed I am by school at this moment. My hours of sleep are shrinking daily. I'm an 11 pm to 5 am girl now. Oh, May, I can't wait for your arrival.

I'm 2.5 inches away from finishing February Lady. I only hope I can eek her out before the weather changes for the warmer. At this rate, I'll have time...one warm day, three cold ones, one warm day...

I'll be back soon with the weight of 1945 on my shoulders. Cheers!

Listening to jazz radio. What comes on? "Focus on Sanity" by Ornette Coleman. Thanks, Ornette. I'll give it my best shot.