I always liked this yarn

I have a new project. No worries about getting a color I don't like for this one. I've liked this color since I purchased the yarn two years ago in Williamsburg, VA. So did my Auntie Nance, because she purchased yarn to make a sweater for herself that day too. I liked the sweater I selected to make it with - but the pattern didn't really work. I didn't want to admit this to my mother who warned me when I bought the pattern that the company's patterns weren't always well written. Well, she was right. But even though the sweater was nearly complete I didn't want to waste the yarn. Besides the fact that it was rather pricey, it is silk yarn, has a lovely feel, and is a great color! So, over the last week when I needed to unwind, I did just that by unraveling the sweater into hanks of yarn. Once unraveled into hanks (the long loops you see above) the yarn was kinky and needed to be rinsed it out to get it back to shape. Today, while I made my final edits for my paper well ahead of the deadline, the yarn sat outside to dry.

Next, the dried yarn is set on a swift, (this umbrella looking like contraption) to be wound into skeins. Then, I'll check my gauge and start the sweater over the weekend maybe. Thanks to my Auntie Nance I'll have plenty of yarn to complete my new project. Seems someone permanently borrowed the knitting book that had her pattern in it so she never completed her sweater either and since she is busy knitting other projects she is generously giving me her yarn as a birthday present! She'll even personally deliver it to me - next week when I am in Virginia for some events on campus in Richmond. Can't wait to have this sweater done for summer!

Yeah, he slept here somewhere.

Growing up in New Jersey, you learn a lot of jokes about the state. I'm not going to repeat about 95% of them, because I think my blog testifies to the fact that New Jersey is more than a Turnpike and an airport. We are known as "The Garden State" because back when we were 13 colonies struggling for independence, New Jersey was literally the bread basket of the colonies (and we continue to do well with produce today, thank you very much!) Throughout that struggle, known as the War for Independence, or the American Revolution, New Jersey was turf for more encampments, battles, and sieges than any other colony. The historical markers to where General George Washington slept are nearly everywhere since New Jersey IS the "Crossroads of the Revolution" (check your state quarter on that one). Princeton was the site of a very decisive battle that helped turn the tide for the Continental Army in early January 1777. A little more than a week after crossing the Delaware River and surprising Hessian forces in Trenton on Christmas Day, a very bloody battle was fought at Princeton when British General Cornwallis sent the redcoats from New York City to recapture Trenton. The battle field is down the road a few miles, but this monument stands at the end of Nassau street looking into downtown Princeton. (I didn't go there because traffic is crazy this time of day and I had a tutoring appointment in the other direction.)

The monument depicts General Washington fighting the battle while Liberty exhorts him even as she supports General Mercer who had just been mortally wounded. The defeat of the British was a morale boost for the men of the Continental Army who agreed to stay on for another ten days after they captured Trenton from a bunch of tired and hung over Hessians. The upstart ragtag rebels proved to themselves that they could fight to victory over the world class redcoats. The subsequent re-enlistment of the forces gave the rebels a fighting chance that would later be secured at Yorktown, Virginia.

Behind the monument, sphinx flank the path to Morven,
which used to be the Governor's mansion.
I've always thought them to be a little random here.

Hey, Cow!

There I was, driving home, minding my own business. Close to the Homestead, I came around a bend in the road and there they were - cows just grazing in the little patch of grass next to the stream. I rarely see them there and they were as surprised as I was. So I rolled down my window to take a picture. Then I decided I just had to play the game "Hey, Cow!" in tribute to my friend Guy Williams.

The game is simple. You yell, "Hey, cow!" as you pass by in your car and see how many cows you can get to look at you. Points are scored by the number of cows who actually look at you. Points do not count for cows already looking at you (or the car) before you yell. The photographic evidence is that I scored one point after yelling, "Hey, cow!" and deciding to jump out of the car to see how good I could do. (In real life, you don't jump out of the car or take pictures, you just continue down the highway, collecting cow points in competition with fellow passengers)

Once I crossed the street and was ready for another picture,
I got the attention of the two cows in the back.
Now I have three points.

The little guy in the back looked even though this angle doesn't do him justice.
Four points!
Do I get extra for having him come over to the fence for a friendly hello?
This calf never took his eyes off me but since he was
looking at me from the get-go he never earned me any points.
It was almost like he was asking to go for a ride when I went to get back in my car.

I promise you, I did have this cow's attention, too.
But I was petting the calves over the fence line when he looked.
The only shot I got of him looking was too blurry for publication.
Total: five points!

It really is the simple things in life that amuse us the most, isn't it?

Augusta's beauty

I'll admit there are some amazing azalea bushes grown at the Augusta National Golf Club. But they aren't the only ones that are amazing. The ones in New Jersey just bloom a little later. They are currently blooming in vibrant reds, deep corals, pinks, purples, and white. Some of them are huge - and often I am traveling in traffic past some of the biggest ones. I found these traveling through a parking lot avoiding some rush hour traffic through town. Too bad they are on the back side of a store and don't get much in the way of notice as those that decorate the fairways down South.

My trusty laptop

I haven't blogged much on my research and writing process except for the random passing comment recently. I am fast approaching a deadline at the end of the month (Friday) and pushing through to the end of this leg of the journey to hopefully continue onwards and upwards. Despite the fact that I was without students to tutor today or other responsibilities that vied for my attention and therefore left free to pursue necessary writing I was easily distracted. Without meaning to go there, I found myself off task constantly. I turned off my email so I wouldn't be tempted respond to a few items that came in, but found myself checking facebook and googling random items - like whenever I completed typing a coherent sentence fragment. By lunchtime I was far behind the pace I set for myself and knew it was time for drastic measures. So I went "old school" and grabbed my notes, a pad of paper (yellow b/c it coordinates with the topic in which I am currently immersed), a pencil, and my "other" laptop - the one that has no internet connection wireless or dial-up - and got some serious writing done in a room that had no computer to lure me back to the dark side. Happily, ideas formed coherent thoughts and complete sentences flowed from my pencil to the paper. Soon I had whole paragraphs and eventually I had pages of writing that helped me complete the draft I hoped for all along. During one of my stretching breaks near 5PM I took a picture of my little set-up and waited to upload it till now. Typing the notes into the computer took some measurable time this evening, but I was able to do some light revisions during the process. Sometimes it takes a change of pace or venue to get me back into the writing groove that often wants to elude me. Today, it was just a matter of getting back to basics and doing it "old school".

Bowing out gracefully

Eventually, even daffodil season must come to an end. The last 5-6 weeks have been punctuated by the this valiant harbinger of spring throughout Central Jersey. Despite the early April heat we experienced, the various varieties of daffodils planted around here have been taking their turn and shining on brightly even as they have made room for tulips and other blossoms that debuted a little earlier than normal. But in a few days these will 'go crunchy'. I know warmer days are coming and with them will be daisies and petunias (some of my other favorite flowers) but it is always a little sad and wistful feeling I get as the daffodils begin to bid us adieu.

Sucker for a coupon

If you are into projects and crafts at all and have a Micheal's store near you, it is likely you are familiar with their weekly coupons that expire on Saturdays. This week, we had a really good one, 20% off the whole purchase, including sale items! However, there was nothing Mom or I could think of that we absolutely needed to run out and buy. Then, as I was taking a mental break from a paper I am currently writing I remembered I needed something for my niece's birthday cake in a few weeks. Mom was easily persuaded to go for a ride, but Jake was even more so. He's always interested in seeing where we are going and I think secretly hopes it will be the bank or the gas station. Most service station attendants (in New Jersey it is against the law to pump your own gas) carry dog treats in their pockets and banks have a jar full of Milkbones next to the lollipop container at the drive-up window. Jake is onto this and knows that if he isn't in the car, he doesn't get one. He also knows that I keep an "emergency stash" in my car to treat him after I return from my errand. When we came out of Micheal's, there was Jake, sitting right in the driver's seat so I wouldn't forget he was a passenger in need of reward.

Just sitting in the back of the car, watching the world roll on by.

Please do not worry - the taking of these photos were done humanly and safely. No animals were harmed or suffered during the ride.

Who has seen the wind?

Who has seen the wind
Neither you nor I
But when the leaves hang trembling
The wind is passing thro'
Who has seen the wind?
Neither you nor I:
But when the trees bow down their heads
The wind is passing by

Christina Rossetti

So I tried and tried to get the shot I wanted today of the wind passing through trees and meadows for about 30 minutes around 5PM. I just couldn't get the shot I wanted. But I did get a half way decent shot (see top photo) as I came back to the Homestead a little regusted (yes, I meant to say "regusted" it is NOT a typo). The 2nd shot is the handsome godson of mine a few years ago at Easter. Christina Rossetti's poem always comes to mind when this shot comes up on my screen saver. He is a cutie and I just don't get to see some family often enough. Sigh.

Mobile Office

Before taking the plunge into theological education 12 years ago (!!?!!) I taught science for New Jersey public schools. My last year in teaching I had so many classrooms I used a cart to wheel my materials around the science department. These days as I work on this terminal degree, I tutor for the Princeton Regional School District and provide instruction for students who are home bound for a variety of reasons. I still teach science as well as math, history, and English when the need arises. It arises pretty often, because right now I have 4 students and 7 different subjects. My teacher prep area is now located in the trunk of my car and I use Michelin tires to wheel my stuff from house to house to meet with my students. The old adage is true; the more things change, the more they stay the same!

Let's be honest, I am procrastinating.....

By wandering around the Homestead and snapping photos of garden prep work, I am avoiding some necessary work on my never ending research. Right now I figure, "What's the harm in taking a few minutes after a crazy day of tutoring 3 different topics (Geometry, The Great Gatsby, and Siddhartha) to transition my thoughts towards spending the evening critically detailing the finer points of the theory of practice as it concerns the discipline of Practical Theology and Christian Education by recording Dad's preparations for this year's garden"? OK, I am not JUST procrastinating, I am whining a little bit too....but let's get on with the tour!
Above you can see he has set out his own little makeshift greenhouse. These are REAL Jersey tomato(e)s, the Ramapo variety that he started from seeds of last year's crop.

A shot of his "deer proofed" garden plot waiting for the last danger of frost before planting next month.

Scallions and some lettuce sets are already in place.

A few years ago he had blueberry bushes planted. He and I pruned them about a month ago. We normally pick in late June through mid-July - this year, who knows!

My father is NOT a fan of mint, but when I convinced him several years ago that if planted in pots mint does not take over the yard, he decided to submerge a few pots next to the back door. It makes for a nice herb garden. Spearmint is to the left front, peppermint is in the green pot to the left rear and chives are in the center rear. (I will be clipping some chives in a few days when we get to have some trout for dinner. Yum!) Basil, parsley, and other herbs will be planted in the other pots when it is safe for them to stay outdoors overnight.

Thanks for hanging out with me for a bit on a little escapism.

Going back to the books - I promise!

Well, maybe after I make dinner for Dad....Mom is dining out!

Lilacs!!!

The lilac is in full bloom and scent. I could smell it in my car before the bush came into view as I pulled into the Homestead after tutoring this afternoon. They still are blooming ahead of schedule here, but maybe our cooler days since the early April heat wave will keep them around for a bit. Usually I have a bouquet for my birthday, but I don't think they will go another three weeks....maybe I need to plan a road trip to find some up north! But going north will mean I will be missing strawberry season to the south...hmm....decisions, decisions. Hard to imagine this bush was being battered by a blizzard just two months ago!

Applesauce Cake

Goopy batter

Baked Cake

Finished favor for my mother and her pals who
sit at the polls tomorrow for NJ school budgets.
If you vote in NJ, make an intelligent and informed vote for your district.

Applesauce Cake

Combine 1 1/2 C applesauce w 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda and set aside.

Measure into a large mixing bowl:
2 1/2 C sifted flour
2 C sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. all spice
1/2 C liquid shortening
1/2 C cold water
2 eggs
3/4 C chopped nuts - optional
3/4 C raisens - optional

Mix all the ingredients in list together. Pour in applesauce mixture and stir together till blended and well combined.
Pour into well greased tube pan.
Bake at 350 for one hour and ten minutes

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Lazy Sunday afternoon

Just the perfect Sunday for relaxing and reading and napping.
Maybe more napping and relaxing than reading.

Photo op with all my peeps

I mentioned the other day that my cousin Shanah was getting married today. The wedding was lovely and it was a great time to see family. There were lots of photos taken, but the one I wanted most was with my niece Sarah, nephew Luke, and godkids Brendan and Lucia. I had my wish fulfilled AND at no extra cost we included Ed, Brendan and Lucia's dad because it made Lucia happy - and we did it shortly after 5:00 - perfect timing for the blog!

Since the wedding was in Manhattan, we took advantage of a bus shuttle across the George Washington Bridge for the wedding guests.

Like father, like son

Four pretty maidens clutching the petals to toss at the bride and groom as they depart.

Dogwood; tree or flower?

I was a big fan of the movie "The American President" starring Michael Douglas and Annette Benning. And it wasn't because the movie was a precursor to writer Aaron Sorkin's genius television series "The West Wing". I enjoyed the plot, the dialogue, the acting and the scene in which the President tries unsuccessfully to answer the question if the dogwood is a tree or flower.

Turns out the Hollywood script is correct. The state flower of Virginia is the dogwood and its state tree is (drumroll please) - the dogwood. To complicate matters, in Missouri, the dogwood is the state tree and in North Carolina, the dogwood is the state flower. No wonder I am apathetic about government and politics - they can't make up their minds about botany much less alone policy and budgetary issues!

Despite the lack of guidance government offers, I am pleased the dogwoods are blooming.

"We're practicing"

My cousin Shanah is getting married on Saturday. She's the one sitting between me and her sister Sally on the left side of the photo. Ever since the weekend of Sally's wedding ten years ago, the phrase "We're practicing" causes us to smile and giggle if we are able to catch each other's eyes. It isn't completely an inside or private joke, because you can understand at this first event kicking off the wedding this weekend we all were practicing smiling for the camera and having our picture taken. Kathy, Shanah and Sally's sister-in-law, photographed on the right, is sitting behind her daughter Mary Katherine and Sally's daughter Anda. The girls were beginning to practice what it will be like to be bridesmaids together at their aunt's wedding while we ate at a Korean restaurant in mid-town Manhattan.

By the time dinner was over and we were on the subway,
the girls were practicing bigger smiles.

They were even practicing looking like real New Yorkers and standing on the subway

Then they got into playing the "don't-touch-the-pole-while-riding-the-subway" game. I am sure by Saturday, they will be practiced professionals at everything that has to do with being a bridesmaid and having one's picture take 2,000 times (Anda has another 1, 986 times before she reaches her limit). Not only that, they will be ready for their own wedding one day, because that is another thing to practice for as well.

Pretty Princeton

It's a pretty world these days and flowers are blooming all over Princeton.

These shots are taken where my students lives

I wish we were doing a botany unit - but no, it is physics!

He's Henry the 8th, He Is

As a shameless fan of all things British (or self avowed Anglophile) it was just a matter of time: I got hooked on the series "The Tudors" when the local library added it to their DVD collection. A problem occurred when I finished watching the third season over the weekend just as the fourth season began to air. Since I don't enjoy a subscription to Showtime, the premium cable channel producing the show, I thought I was about to be forced to wait till the DVD's come out in another 10 months to find out what happens next! (As if I didn't already know the fate of his six wives: 'divorced, beheaded, died; annulled, beheaded, survived') Enter stage right, Tracey Byrne Miller, a high school classmate and friend. She is thusly dubbed "enabler" of my most recent addiction. The photographic evidence above demonstrates she DVR'ed the season premier till I could come view it with her over dinner this evening. It's a blast to be watching a show again with another person in the same room who is as excited about the plot, character treatment, and actors as much as I am!

I'd like to thank Tracey's husband and daughters for letting
us lose our heads (metaphorically speaking that is!)
over the intrigue that is King Henry VIII.

Dinner at Dilly's

Before Uncle Butch returns to Maine tomorrow, he took us out for dinner this evening. We went to Dilly's Corner which is in Pennsylvania, just across the Delaware River. Grandma hasn't been here in a while, but when she and Grandpop ran (trained) beagles, the two of them would stop here on their way home from field trials. Aunt Nance is holding up our order number - tonight we were dealt the Ace of Hearts. Grandma pulled a "Grandpop" and had enjoyed her rootbeer float before dinner and saved a little for desert!

Dilly's is just across the river from Stockton, NJ
and a few miles north of New Hope, PA

A typical home in Buck's County, PA
(originally named for the great number of deer,
but now represents the wealth that resides here)

A shot of Buck's County Inn

The canal on the PA side of the river.

The Delaware river looking back across to NJ

This sign is funny but also makes sense too.
The canal paths are very inviting to walk, but the
management of Dilly's does not need your car in their lot!