Friday, May 29, 2009

Coffee Shops Rule-Day 15

I am really happy right now. I am sitting in an independent coffee shop, having great coffee and free WiFi! The music is killer too.

I am on Day 15 away from home, family and garden. I'm so ready to dig my hands in my dirt! Hug my child and kiss my man. I'm not so ready to worry about cleaning the house, making sure my son is occupied nor the constant compromising of being in a relationship. But I'll take the worst in order to have the best.
I am so use to hitting the ground running every day of my life that I was happy to sit and watch two movies last night. When did that last happen? I don't think it has in the past five years. While staying in DC I got a lot of things accomplished with my computer. But I am only here for a short time and I need to spend it sharing moments with my dear girlfriend.

I've been walking my friends new puppy. He's a pretty golden retriever. I've really enjoyed having him around for the walk. I have been toying with the idea of a dog, despite my constant reasons I tell myself that it's not a good idea to take on one more responsibility. I watch my friend with her puppy and I realize the huge responsibility that it entails and I just don't think I can put that into my life. Adrian never asks for a dog. He never plays with dogs. He's not the kind of kid that has to run up and pet a dog. I think we will visit the pound when I get home and toy with the idea some more.

I am truly a cat person. I was hoping maybe my body chemistry had changed and that maybe we could have a cat again that wouldn't make my eyes water or my nose sneeze or my lungs wheeze. But my girlfriend has a Spooks that loves me. She loves to get on my belly and dig her claws in. I tried it twice for a test, only to find myself sneezing uncontrollably.

I did finally make it down to the National Museum of Art. It is my very favorite Smithsonian. I actually found a Picasso, I once co-owned with a college roommate. I have always been fond of it. I now own it in print again! I also got some great fridge magnets of Monet's and some playing cards relating to different art mediums and terms. I figure I need as much influence in our life on art, since I cannot seem to afford to have any framed lately. I hung in a tour of the modern art section for awhile and learnined a bit about Picasso and Matisse and art in general.

I took a lot of art history in college. It is without a doubt the subject I still remember the most as enjoying the most. I'm not sure I have still retained all the information, but one summer I traveled through Venice and had a blast seeing the originals of all I'd studied.

I also bought Adrian some Architect blocks that can help him make 50 buildings and designs. He loves to build, at least he did 15 days ago!

Coffee's gone. Time to move on.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Ad Button

Hi all!
I'm trying to create a new button for my website to be able to pass on to people interested in putting it on thier websites. So that's what you see on the right hand side. Does anyone know how to get rid of the text under the ad. I added this under gadget and java script. Do you normally to this under ad?
Thanks!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Life in DC

Wow! I've been in Washington DC for 4 days and it feels like a month. I cannot even remember all the people I've met, nor all the interesting conversations. I'm here for work. I spend the weekends selling jewelry and the week days hanging with two of my best friends, Peggy and Edna.

Peggy and Edna are in the film industry. They work on commercials mostly. Edna is also the Inside Edition DC correspondent. So when ever our first lady, Michele Obama goes out to eat, Edna has to interview the restaurants owner! Na, she does better than that. A couple of months ago she interviewed Clint Eastwood and Pete Townsend on the red carpet. Right now she is scouting people for voice overs to be used on a commercial and a website. Peggy is at a meeting, where she is having 6 film clips reviewed for the American Institute of Physician Assistants awards banquet.

My first night here, I met Ted Kennedy's right hand man who's working on the nation medical plan and several film makers and producers. Peggy had scouted out the locations for another producer and chose the house next door to hers. So there were people buzzing in and out, as I prepared dinner.

Dinner is a huge social and epicurean delight every evening. We start with cocktails at 6 on the front porch and we always get a visit from Todd, the neighbor from a white bread family in Illinois. Todd live with his lover James and their two adopted children. He likes to get away for a breather every now and again, so we see him at least twice an evening. Meredith is whom I call "the new front porch girl at the Frolic Arms". She's a child psychiatrist. And there is Steve who's in the film industry who rents a room from Peggy. He live in Delaware but has to work here several times a week. These are the few we see regularly. Then we have the special guests. Those we may plan to invite for a dinner party. One great lady is a DC cop with a Law and Masters degree. She loves to be a cop!

All the flowers are blooming. The peonies are so beautiful. Peggy's backyard looks like an English garden. Many times she'll place a door on two wooden horses, throw a table cover over it, light some candelabras and we have this amazing garden dinner! Peggy is one of those people that has a list of great recipes in her head and can whip it up any time!

I met Peggy and Edna when we all lived in the Caribbean together. They needed to escape their then current life for a much needed break. We would meet once a week for girls luncheon where we would proceed to have several glasses of wine and pretend to go back to work, but mostly ended up lounging on the beach! Back then we talked of our turbulent relationships and kinky affairs. Now we talk about family and the current state of affairs.

Life is fun.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Momma's Day

I always thought my child would call me Momma. But with Paul being from Gary, IN, I've never been called that Southern term of endearment. I'm Mom. Which is better (in my eyes) than Ma, which is what Paul calls his mother.


After my 4 mile walk/run and a chat with my momma, I came home to sweets from my favorite local chocolatier! We then set starting and finishing my flower garden. I had a list of native wild flowers that bloom most of the year and stay green all year that I had gotten off our local NPR station. I found some form of species at the local nursery and then we got some beautiful stones to compliment it all. Adrian, Paul and I spent two hours making it all happen. If they all make it I envision an English looking garden someday. The area we planted in was a plot we had been saving for our potted tomatoes, but last week we decided we'd keep them where they are and so I got the space to plan a flower garden! I was quit excited as I had been wanting one and especially in this spot.


Later we had a wonderful Salmon dinner with corn and grilled potatoes. What a feast! I also had gotten flowers as a gift!

It was a lovely day spent splashing in the pool, playing basketball and ending with a good book all in the great outdoors of our backyard. Did I forget the great bottle of special wine I opened for the occasion?! Alexander Valley's Soverain and the grape was a Cabernet Sauvignon.


Here's a few of the boy who made it all happen.



And the man! Because to spite my strong feminist ways, I never want to do it without him!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Eating Good in the Neighborhood!

A Squash Blossom! This is one of 201
Pomegranates!

Oranges!


Marinara Sauce
Caesar's Salad!

Friday, May 1, 2009

Shower in the Red Rocks


The only picture I got of the guest of honor! Her baby's wearing the shirt I made!



Note the number of baby rattler pins on the right hand side. Tara was tearing it up at this game, until..."Baby!"


Big sister makes a splash!

"If I know what's good for me, I'll make it too short!"