Keepin' It Clean

Here's the new shower and the new shower "stall" while we do the bathroom remodel. It works great but it takes more time to get ready in the morning because there are more steps.

Week Two - The Bathroom Remodel

We did survive the stress, confusion and dirt of the Remodel Week One. Managed to work on the day to day processes over the weekend and Sunday had the best outdoor shower yet. Demolition was pretty straightforward. The piping to the old double sinks was actually built inside the bathroom (hidden by the homemade plywood cabinets). No wonder the pipes never freeze in winter!!! Now they are going to be "normal" or nearly so. The two new casement windows are in, the new electrical is in and working, the new super-duper exhaust fan is in and venting to the out of doors for the first time in our home's history (instead of into the attic--ugh!). Found a tile person and brought the floor and shower tiles home Friday. Some of the new cabinets should be here by the 22nd.

Of Flowers and Nick's Christmas Gift

The garden is really starting to 'shine' and I hung the wonderful birdhouse Nick made for us--here's some visual documentation for what's happening as of May 31, 2009.

Crash Course in Plant ID

Memorial weekend we spent 3 days with Dr. Linda Vorobik (see her website at VorobikBotanicalArt.com) and the other members of our SFI class carting around our new Jepson's Manual and learning the key field characteristics of plant families. The class was small, lots of fun and challenging for my aging memory. Linda is a walking, talking, botanizing wonder and a skilled botanical illustrator as well. We felt so lucky to be in her class. And, the twenty to forty somethings who took the class with us were great people and inspiring in their own right. It gave R and I great joy and hope to see young people so interested and able. Life's Good!

So many plants we learned are also common to our neighborhood and a vast majority prefer serpentine soils. We're shopping online for a cordless, stereo/dissecting microscope that we can take out in the field so we can keep building on our new knowledge. Thanks Linda, Sherry, Andrew, Tyler, Ben, Terese and all the good people at SFI. We'll be back for the Edible Mushroom class in November, I hope.

Printmakers Collective Show Ends

Monday nite, May 18, before taking down the show, Eloise had us each draw a name and choose a piece by that person to prepare a written critique. I got Sue Turner and critiqued her piece titled "Jesu Joy." As it happened, Sue got me and chose "Anemone," a reduction monotype in black and white. The teacher was impressed at how well we all actually did formally critiquing each other's work since we always seemed to do so poorly in class. Finally, I've committed the Elements of Art and Principles of Design to memory! It's taken four semesters.

Mother's Day Trip to PHL

Spent a wonderful week in Philadelphia reaping the rewards of motherhood with Casey and Nick. Two-stage flight from SMF was fun--got to sit with airplane pilots both times. Got picked up at the terminal about 1:00 am; joy, hugs and kisses all around. Then, shopping at H&M, dinner and drinks at Vietnam--superb. Nick got VIP tickets to the "Cezanne and Beyond" at PMA for Casey and I, then off for late taco lunch when Nick got off work. Spent the rest of the day watching the gardeners and their lovely garden grow. Nick made mint juleps; group BBQ for dinner. Spent a great day at Morris Arboretum--enjoyed "Summer Palace" structure by P. Dougherty there. Yummy lunch at a place whose name I forget but the sandwiches were memorable! Drove all around the Park and nearby Philly neighborhoods, had drinks, appetizers and duck watching at Valley Green. Thurs flight got cancelled--bad weather in the mid-section--was rebooked for 6 am Friday. Had a great banh mi sandwich in the Ital Mkt on Thursday; Candace came back and made turkey chili and feather earrings for Casey and I. On the ground at SMF by 1:00 pm Friday! Wow!