hurricane preparedness

After a beautiful and eventful week here in Virginia, it looks like we're battening down the hatches for whatever pieces of the hurricane may blow through.  The last time I worried about hurricane season was in Cuba and let me tell ya - they are way more blase about it there!  You'd think nobody in Virginia or the entire DC Metro area had ever experienced bad weather!  This place is so strange!

In preparation for what I expect to be, at the very most, a loss of power and being stuck indoors with a restless pup I am ensuring I have everything it takes to have a pleasant weekend watching the weather.  My list of necessities includes:

1. A flashlight, lantern and candles to read by.
2. Cans of beanie weenies and chips.  If needs be I'll light a fire in the fireplace and warm up my cans of goodness in there!
3. Plenty of yarn for a new project I've been eyeballing (or three).
4. Bones for the dog.  Lots of bones. 
5. A stack of books.
6. Charge the iPod and find those ever-evasive earphones... I know they are somewhere.

And that should do it!  No need to get all crazy! 

ghosts of the past

When I arrived in Williamsburg this past weekend, one of the first things out of Maria's mouth was "we're taking the ghost tour!"  How could I say no?  To be honest, I figured it would be fun to walk around at night and listen to spooky stories - and it was.

Not having been to the colonial settlement since my childhood days, I have no idea what the place looks like in the daylight.  However, at night it is beautiful.  The darkness, broken only by the candle of the tour guide and pools of light from the street lanterns somehow seemed to usher us back to when the little town was inhabited and alive. 

Of course, night-time photography (I hate using a flash) makes for more "ghostly" photos.  They are pretty in their own right and sort of show the mood that was sort of in the air.  

While I enjoy a good ghost story, I didn't personally see any apparitions or suddenly feel cold.  Others in the crowd who claim to have photographed an "orb" may want to check the flash on their cameras... 

However, whether or not I believe the original inhabitants of the settlement have truly left, I most certainly feel that places have... moods.  Or perhaps more appropriately, impressions left by those who have lived and loved there.  It wasn't a far stretch of the imagination to hear long-dead oxen clopping down the street or to see a shadow in a window.  Perhaps the people who actually still live in some of the historic houses still feel some remnants of the founders?

 

It helped that our tour guide was a fantastic story teller.  She had everyone mesmerized with her accounts of ghostly boys playing in the yards or husbands waiting for their wives to join them beyond the grave.  

The group of little ones who were with us were enthralled (and a little scared).  I think they would have sat there all night and listened to the stories by candlelight; computers and television forgotten for an evening.

 

We returned to our campsite that night with a tired little boy and a familiar feeling for the little square of brick buildings.  I certainly want to return during daylight hours and see it all, but this experience sparked my interest in a way that it hadn't been before.  Well worth $10 and a few hours of time. 

rainy weekend

This past weekend was all about grey skies and rain.  Interspersed in the mix were a few rather fabulous storms worth watching from the floor next to the sliding doors.  I opened them up as far as I could without it all blowing in and enjoyed the smell of damp earth while I watched all my potted plants soak up what they could. 

Beulah kept me company, but was much more focused on her pink heart toy than anything happening outdoors.  Easily amused, that one.

new in the garden

Due to the untimely death of one of my tomato plants, a petunia and some violas the garden has been looking a little spare. So, after much consideration and no small amount of garden store window-shopping I finally made the plunge.

At a local nursery (which rocked) I picked up another geranium - possibly my favorite summertime flower - and a begonia.  Begonias may just be my new passion.  Apparently there are a zillion different types and the leaves are all different and pretty.  As my little potted garden transitions slowly between seasons, I think some more begonias are in order.  They seem like they are not only pretty in their own right, but good backgrounds to flowering plants as well.  Win-win!

Last night I was up late, finishing a good book and enjoying the cool(er) air after a rather violent summer storm earlier in the evening.  It was about 11:00 p.m. when I closed the back cover and realized I wasn't quite ready to go to bed.  The lamplight outside our window just begged Beulah and I to go out into it.

And so we did; just a short turn around the neighborhood, but enough to feel like we had appropriately marked the beautiful night.  The rain and wind had relieved the humidity that has sat on our shoulder for weeks now and although it was still warm out, I could almost taste the first tiny hit of autumn around the corner.  As Beulah bounded ahead of me (that dog is afraid of nothing) I took a few shots to share with you.  Funny how everything glows at night.

all before 0900

 My morning in photos.

No words needed.

just throw it all together

Being that it is still just too hot to want to cook much of anything, much less eat anything too terribly warming... I'm still on the cold dinner kick.  However, I have graduated to homemade tabbouleh and avocado.  Here's my slap-dash tabbouleh "recipe," in the style of Grandma who just kind of throws things together until they look/taste right!


1.  Cook some couscous.  I made about a cup (dry) which became something like 2 cups cooked.

2.  Chop up some parsley and mint, tomatoes and cucumbers.

3.  Stir together the couscous, herbs, tomatoes and cucumber and drizzle olive oil and lemon juice to taste.  Also put in as much black pepper and salt as you like.

4.  Wala!  You have tabbouleh!  I top it with some avocado and maybe a little more lemon juice and eat it for several days, warm at first and cold from the fridge later!

I'm particularly proud of this concoction because it allows me to use the tomatoes, mint and parsley I have growing on the patio.  It feels good to know you've had a hand in part of the meal!

one huge squash and a lot of bread!

Monday morning my editor walked into the office and asked me:

"Do you know how to make zucchini bread?"

"Sure do," I replied.

"Here," she said.

And handed me this:


She had it tucked under her arm like a club.


Seriously THE BIGGEST ZUCCHINI I HAVE EVER SEEN. She said she had gotten it from a friend who just forgot to pick the ones in her garden and was not desperate to get rid of the massive amount of squash she had growing out back.


That sucker weighed in at 5 lbs. I had to take a photo just so you would believe it! I think it could have won a prize in a state fair somewhere.


But for now we'll just have to make do with zucchini bread! I'm guesstimating there is enough of the vegetable to make at least 6 loaves of bread. This morning there was one loaf sitting on Judith's desk when she walked in and another sliced up for office morning coffee in the kitchen. And lots of jokes.

too hot to cook

It's too hot to do a lot of cooking these days. The minute the oven is turned on the air conditoner kicks into overdrive and I'm sweating in the living room.... So, last night's dinner looked like this:


Avocado, miniature red peppers, onions, and ~ drumroll please ~ tomatoes fresh from my garden!


Boy, was it good! Perfect dinner for a hot summer evening. I think this will be a trend for the next two or so months.

a good start

Despite the damp air that wrapped its arms around me when I stepped outdoors this morning, the day started off on the right foot.

Banana bread (one of my renewed attempts at reducing food waste) and coffee in the garden:


Where I noticed three ripe tomatoes!!


Aren't they beautiful?? Now, we know how I feel about tomatoes ~ I only really like them made into something ~ but, I may have to break my own personal rule with these babies and might just attempt fresh tomato, fresh mozzarella, olive oil, home grown basil, salt and pepper for dinner this evening. Doesn't that sound good?

Summer living at its best!

time to get moving

My holiday weekend can be summed up in one photo:


Not a whole lot of activity, one might say. It was nice, real nice, but after three days of lounging (interspersed with occasional jaunts to the park to wear the pup out) last night I decided it was high time to get myself back into gear.

And so I give you:


This. I like to call it, "A Glimpse of Dorian Gray, Post Destruction of Said Painting." Things aren't too pretty in Chez Emily at 0545.

But, it worked out well. Beulah and I went for a long walk (with coffee in hand) around the neighborhood. I went for a post-walk run, ate breakfast, packed lunch, chased the dog around the house and headed to work, a little muscle soreness paying me back for being lazy for over a week.


So, no more lounging around the house. No more pizza. No more beer. No more not paying attention to the money I spend on crap.

Time to get moving, accomplish some more of this year's goals, keep the momentum up. Even a 0545 wakeup is cool, as long as it gets me closer to where I want to be.

I'll be buying more coffee later today.

summer nights

I have to say, of all the seasons, summer is my favorite. As much as I love the change of seasons and the excitement that comes with it, it is summer that suits me best. The days are slower, the sun is out, the windows are open and there are a million opportunities to go outdoors and play. I love that I don't have to bundle up before heading outdoors, wear real shoes or worry about the weather. I love the hum of insects in the flowers and even the humidity we get just about everywhere in the South.

Most of all, though, I love summer evenings. It is so nice to leave work while the sun is still in the sky and have hours of soft light left in the day. There is something so relaxing about getting home and opening the windows, lighting the candles and cutting up an avocado for dinner. This summer I seem to be spending a lot of time on the patio, reading books and enjoying the warm air. Beulah moseys in and out the open door between the living room and garden, her little toenails clicking on the floor. I leave the lights in the living room off until I come in so as to not attract too many bugs. You can hear the traffic from the road nearby a bit and people going in and out of the doors of nearby condos, but those sounds are muffled by birds who seem to stay up awfully late and squirrels running up and down tree trunks, talking to each other in the branches. Once it is finally dark outside and I'm done for the evening, sleep is so much more peaceful because of the time spent relaxing without the television going or the stress I the long cold walks Beulah and I take in the winter.

If I had my way summer would never end.

out in the storm

A few days ago, as the sky darkened and the breezes kicked up I put a leash on Beulah and we headed out into the weather. I love walking around when rain threatens and more sensible people head indoors. Familiar sights look strange and new and you appreciate everyday beauty through a new set of eyes.


As we entered the nearby park the friendly stream I have started letting Beulah play in reflected the surrounding trees and weeds.


The dry grass rustled in the wind, anticipating the rain. Although we had quite of precipitation in the late spring, it has been so hot and humid that the landscape is already beginning to dry out. What was emerald green just a few weeks ago is now brown and brittle. This grass here reminded me of childhood drives past wheat fields in Rottingen.


Train cars idled, providing a color contrast with their surroundings and contributing to the quiet, empty feeling of the evening.


Newly grown Queen Anne's Lace looked so delicate as thunder began to growl and lightening flashed in the distance. Odd how the most tenacious weeds would produce such fragile-seeming blooms.


One would think Beulah would have been frightened or skittish, but that was not the case. After some initial starts when the thunder thudded around us she was happy as a clam to be able to run free in the wind for a moment or two.

We headed home just as the lightening started getting too close for comfort. For the rest of the evening I think both the pup and I felt a little bit of that wild storm-fast-approaching excitement as we watched the rest through a window. Despite all the anticipation, in the end there was very little rain. Just a sprinkling really, not even enough to wet the road completely. The first dry thunder storm of the summer.

tinkering around

Lately I've been spending a bit of time tinkering around my little garden of pots. It's so exciting to see all the little plant hopefuls begin to flourish and grow.

There have been some failures, like the original pot of petunias. Note to self, don't even think about using a pot with no drainage. It never works. Never. I've replaced the first batch with these lovelies:


My tomatoes, you ask? They are humming right along. As the summer gears up I am seeing little fruits pop up almost every week. Now, I have no idea when any of them will actually be ready to harvest (I like that term, harvest. Just saying it makes me feel like a "real gardener.") I'm keeping a close eye on them, though and the moment they are ready ~ they will be chopped up with some olive oil and basil before those tomatoes know what happened!


With basil from my herb garden, of course. The basil, rosemary, parsley and mint (not pictured here) are thriving in their multi-colored pots. The cilantro was another fail. The first plant grew, no problem, but when I cut it to use some I must have cut it wrong. Cilantro plant, the elder, was exchanged for a younger model. Which I shall be more careful with the next time I need some in a recipe.


My first experiment with actually growing something from seed is turning out well! I'm pleased to introduce you to my fair nasturniums-in-training. This is the only patch of dirt inside my little patio space and has been enhanced with some potting soil as topsoil. I did exactly what the package said to do; soaked the seeds for 24 hours, planted them into the soil so they had enough darkness... and here they are! Hopefully they will continue to grow and will produce pretty (and edible) flowers.


I find myself sitting outside of an evening, Beulah chewing on a bone at my feet, enjoying the growth around me and dreaming up idea for the rest of the season. What comes next? Any ideas?


The plan is to continue to grow something or another outside my door throughout the year. As the seasons pass I want to swap out the plants that die for seasonal ones. Mums in the fall, maybe evergreens in the winter, bulbs for the spring. An ever-changing garden to watch and enjoy.

summer knitting

I've been (re)bit by the knitting bug lately - nothing says "summer" like knitting with wool! - and here's the latest result. It's from a pattern entitled "Sugared Violets" by Rose Beck. Pretty, easy, fast and still pretty! When I saw the name of the pattern I just had to whip it together for Esther. She's been on a violet kick for a while now. That, and as pretty as this yarn is, it's just not a color I would ever actually wear. So, yeah. The knitting needles are back out!

the anticipation is killing me

Do you see it? Can you believe it? Behold, the bounty of my garden, ripening on the stem.... Lets just say, my patio garden is doing nicely. The two tomato plants I have out there are actually forming tomatoes, which I have to admit I wasn't sure would actually happen.

On the other hand I "harvested" my first "crop" of cilantro all wrong apparently and so have purchased another starter plant to replace the old one. And my petunias... well, I've learned my lesson once and for all. Make sure the dang pot has a drainage option already! I think I drowned the suckers. They are still there, but looking a little peaked.

But the tomatoes, the basil, the rosemary.... beautiful! Maybe I'll look around for some kale and give it a go too.

let's kickstart june

It's Friiiidaaaayyyy!! And this little gnome is pretty happy about the whole situation. A certain pup and I have to agree. And this is at the end of a short work week, made even shorter by the fact that I got sick yesterday and stayed home from the office. Sheesh, we really need to re-examine the four-day workweek. No, what really needs to happen is I need to be independently wealthy! Maybe that little gnome can help a sista out; he's got to know a leprechaun somewhere or another!

I'm very excited about a knitting class I'm taking this weekend (more to follow once I have some photos) and the weather is BEAUTIFUL, so it looks like Beulah and I will be heading to the hills to do some quality hiking.

All righty then, this is Emily - signing off for the weekend. Preparing to (hopefully remember to) take lots of photos this weekend to share with you!

already tuesday!

Wow! Is Monday already here? Ha! Wait! It's Tuesday! Oh the week just started off on the right foot! The schedule for the week is: work four days, happy hour with the office folk on Thursday evening and lunch out with them on Friday.... Good thing we all like each other!

Also, I get PAID THIS WEEK (!) and so will very likely be in the market for a tent and sleeping bag this weekend.... Gearing up for some camping trips with Beulah here. I've never camped alone and so think it's high time to remedy that. Beulah agrees. Or, rather, she will when she knows what I'm talking about.

I'm actually psyched about this week and really am not even sure why. But hey, that's ok with me. Hope your week is starting off right!