SeeSaw Week

I consider this week - the last days of August and the first days of September - to be a seesaw week. It's a moment that waits on the threshold marking time like no other week of the year. The week before Labor Day is the time of anticipating the school year ahead but still wanting to hold onto more summer vacation. I know several friends in other states have been back to school for a few weeks now, but New Jersey schools traditionally start just after Labor Day and since every college and seminary I've attended does as well, the last waning days of August have always had a bittersweet quality in my eyes. I look forward to cooler days and nights ahead (we are back in the 90s here in Jersey - ugh) but still want just a little more of the summer leisure. There is a genuine excitement about seeing friends, colleagues, and students again, but a desire to delay the inevitable schedule and rigor that comes with the school year.
And even though I've been teaching, tutoring, and reading on my research for my dissertation proposal all summer long, I still feel the same angst that I've always associated with August. I am not entering the traditional classroom in the next few days, but I am looking forward to the opportunities to delve back into my studies with renewed vigor, and yet I remain a little wistful that I didn't eek out more of summer's sweetness. I hang in the liminal or 'in-between-place' of wanting to get out of the rut I've made for myself during the hot humid days and finding a groove of motivation and productivity. I anticipate good things for September 2010 with some travel for both school and church. Frustratingly, August 2010 has not been the most stellar month insome respects (namely training to run the 5K) so I am looking for the upswing that comes with the seesaw moment, hoping to push past where I've been to see higher and farther than I have recently.

before the dogs greeted me...

Last week I photographed art on the wall in the room I use at SCC. Today I bring the piece that hangs on the side of the house just outside their kitchen door at the home of one of my students I tutor. I knew the pieces were different but had a similarity to them and since they hang in separate locations, I had no way to really compare them except to photograph them. I got this shot off just before the puppies belonging to the family realized I arrived and came bounding to the door to welcome me. Therefore, my picture is slightly askew and no amount of photo touching would let me both straighten and crop the shot. So this is as good as it gets today.

A girl and her pink bike; a boy and his cars!

If I was a little girl in 2nd grade, I'd want to ride a pink bicycle. Actually, once upon a time, I was - and I did. Now it is my niece's turn! She has probably the prettiest pink bicycle in the world - and since photos of mine do not exist, I'm letting her win this one.

It's a pink Hawaii cruiser and it has three gears.
My bike was just the single speed back in the stone ages.

Auntie sprung for a bell for the other handlebar.
Sarah chose the pink Hawaii bell to match the bike.

Little brother Luke is always ready to pose....

...and show off his collection of Cars.

Obviously I have some things to learn about editing and making movies from clips, but this is my first solo project.

The blame game begins

This morning I made my mother a plum cake she enjoys this time of year. Since it was made for her, she appropriately cut her self a piece after lunch (rather tiny I might add). Soon afterward, Dad cut himself a piece, slightly bigger, and instigated the "blame game". The blame game here at the Homestead goes like this: different people cut themselves successive slivers of cake until there is little choice but to cut off a piece and "finish the row". Then the next person who goes to cut a piece of cake complains that a whole row is gone and the rest of the people say "Well, I didn't have any!" or "I just had a small piece!" when in fact we all know that everyone's been nibbling on the cake throughout the afternoon.

If you want to make your own plum cake - it isn't hard, you just need those about a dozen of those little Italian plums that are in season this time of year:

Plum Cake

1 stick of butter (slightly softened)
1 C of sugar, divided
2 eggs
1 C flour
plums - pitted and cut into slices
1 tsp. cinnamon


Cream butter and 1/2 C sugar, reserving other 1/2 C of sugar for topping. Beat in eggs till fluffy . Add flour and blend well. Pour batter into small greased pan. Top with plum pieces skin side down sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake in hot oven at 400 degrees for 30 - 40 minutes.
If your household can resist not eating it before hand, serve with cold heavy cream.

Indulging myself

I have plenty of papers to grade, reading to do for my own research, knitting projects to work on, addresses to log into my new computer, notes to write, and cleaning to do. But I am not getting much accomplished no matter how hard I've tried throughout the day. I've been distracted by other things and disgruntled that I am not able to concentrate on what I have on my to-do list -(though I did manage to make a tomato pie, find something I've been looking for the past three days and run a few extraneous errands). I honestly just want to relax on the porch and do my own 'fun' reading. It took me till the middle of the afternoon finally decide it's ok to call a halt to the list and do my own thing. But what to read? Well, even though I am a huge fan of Inspector Morse, I've never actually read Colin Dexter's final installment. I've read the rest of Morse corpus and seen this story on PBS, but I never actually read the final novel.
Since it also involves Robbie Lewis in his last case as a Detective Sergeant, it wasn't a hard choice to make. I am an avid fan of British detective stories - especially ones featured on Mystery! via PBS's Masterpiece Theater. This weekend, PBS begins to air the third season of Lewis, and even though I do miss the cantankerous Morse to some degree, I really do enjoy the interaction of Lewis and his Detective Sergeant, James Hathaway - but that might be because I highly approve of the casting of Laurence Fox for the sidekick role. Regardless, I am getting off of this blog and going to enjoy reading outside until dark.
Maybe once I indulge myself, I can get back to the to-do list......

Who's complaining?

Bright sunshine, temps in the mid-upper 70s, low humidity and a forecast for an overnight low in the 50s.....yeah, this is the weather I've been living for this summer!

Art on the Wall

I have no idea what these reliefs are copied from

but each week they intrigue me hanging on the walls

of the conference room in which I teach.

f(x) = this!

My summer tutoring gig is backed by the fact that I once spent 10 years in public school teaching chemistry and physics. That means I can interpret coordinate plane graphs, find the slope of a line, as well as calculate the relation of linear equalities and inequalities. Thanks to a statistics course I took to count as a research language for my PhD, I can even do some standard deviation problems. Having the skills does not necessarily mean I enjoy doing the math - but I can't complain about the pretty penny summer tutoring offers me.

Oh, and lest you think I am being vulgar, the title of this entry simply means the function of x is this!

Blessed Relief

The temps broke 70 degrees today but only just barely.

We also got close to 1" of rain in the last 36 hours too - Whew!

Processing time

The tomato harvest is steadily coming in
and so the process of canning begins with earnest.
A table on the porch is the staging area for canning....

While the staging area for use during
the rest of the year is a cabinet in the cellar.

Hanging out, hanging around

and hanging upside down!

Silly Sarah What a goofy girl!

Who's got your back?

Today is the last full day my friends Alfred, Ruth Anne and their son Ben will spend in the US for several months. They are on their way to Uganda where Ruth Anne will teach at a Bible college which is currently being led by another seminary friend, Cindy. I am really glad their itinerary included a couple of days in NYC so I could meet up and spend some time with them. Ben, like most little boys, is really into transportation and needed height so he could peer down at some train rails below. Once he figured out he could negotiate his feet between the iron railings, he and his dad walked along the fence line just as pictured above so Ben wouldn't miss a thing.

Of course, riding the subways in Manhattan is more
fun than looking at the rails on Staten Island.

And riding the Staten Island Ferry is some of the cheapest fun in town. I let all the tourists (and there was a lot of them on the ride to Staten Island!) crowd the deck and take pictures of the Statue of Liberty - but I wasn't letting the photo op of a schooner with Battery Park, lower Manhattan and the Hudson River pass me by.

A ferry ride is all the more sweeter with two twizzlers - one for each hand. As an Auntie, I have it on good authority that regardless transportation its the best way to enjoy twizzlers. Ben agreed.

My plans to meet Ruth Anne, Alfred and Ben in the city were only made on Wednesday and firmed up yesterday. They've been planning their trip to Uganda for months. Deciding to go as a family was not made on a whim, either - but after lots of prayer and discussion. Ruth Anne has kept several people updated on their progress through a newsletter she emails. Her testimony of how God has provided at every step of the journey for them is at once amazing and a comforting reminder of God's ever present faithfulness.
Today, I was impressed to hear of a further act of God's faithfulness that was provided through the community. Asbury friend Rick Hutchins drove the family from Lexington to NYC on Wednesday so they wouldn't have to worry about where to store their car for several months. (If you ever drove or rode the 11-12 hour journey, you know what a gift this is!) Remembering Rick is from the metro area reminded me that he had family he could visit - and delivering Ben and his parents to NYC was just as a good excuse as any to make the trip. But more than that, it turns out due to some family medical procedures, this is the perfect time for Rick to here. I love it when God provides like that.
Riding home on the bus this afternoon, I reflected on how God has helped shape this journey for my friends and a refrain of a Celtic prayer attributed to St. Patrick ran through my mind. Alfred, Ruth Anne and Ben don't know what exactly lies in front of them, but they know God is already in the midst of it, preparing the way. They only have to look behind them, to be reminded of how God has already provided the past months. Similar to Ben hanging onto the fence - he felt safe and secure once he got his bearings because Alfred was right there not letting go. So, friends with this benediction and the prayers of so many may your time be blessed in Uganda:

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise,

Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness,

Of the Creator of Creation.

Go in peace.

Dry Creek Bed

Hard to believe this was a roaring and overflowing creek bed in early spring. That's what a dry summer with hardly any rain will get ya, though.
Good thing the kids got their wading in on Easter and have a pool at their disposal - it'd be pretty horrible having to make this their wading pool now!

mmmm Chinese take out

A girl's gotta eat when the day gets busy and she teaches an evening class. Good thing there's a Chinese take out place close to campus. There will even be enough to have for a snack after class.

Empty rain guage

We can water the thirsty impatients in the flower bucket and even put a sprinkler on the lawn in the background - but it doesn't change the fact that we haven't had much in the way of rain all summer long. Here's hoping that will change a little bit in the next 24 hours.

tempus fugit

Time flew the hands right off the kitchen clock. The little bird peeping out the hole has been taking a break the last week or so here in the kitchen at the Homestead. It's a darling little clock that fits just right on the wall near the stove and across from the back door. However, it's one of the most temperamental battery operated clocks in existence and finding the clockworks with just the right shaft length is not an easy task. Until it was taken apart last week in anticipation of new works being shipped, I had no idea how much I used this clock to keep me on pace while cooking, cleaning, and keeping track of comings and goings.

Semaphore Sammi in the semi-darkness!

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the latest blog star here on my 5:00 blog. She blinks, she sparkles, she glows steady and she can even toot her own little horn on any of the three glow sticks she holds. She's Sammi, the amazing flashing technicolor kid!

Obviously, the photo shot of my latest star took place in the later hours of the evening. And even though the Tudor's completed their production several months ago, I've been blessed to be a regular fixture at the Miller house most Sunday evenings this summer. You know you've reached a level of familiarity with friends when you are still welcome for supper even though the family is in charge of their own home renovations: new paint, new carpet, and what will be am almost like new bedroom suite for older sister Paige. It'll be well worth the wait, Tracey - but in the meantime, the moments like these and rides in Jeff's Bronco for ice cream treats will help you all keep your sanity!

Sweet Valley - sub station

Dad's garden does pretty well, but fresh corn on the cob, peaches, melons and a few other things need to be purchased elsewhere. As trendy as it is right now to buy local, my mother has always been committed to helping out the local farmer. In Hunterdon County, that is pretty easy and does not always involve going to a storefront marquee. Sweet Valley Orchards main location is a grand building in Flemington, but their station 3 miles up the road from the Homestead has everything we usually want - 7 days a week.


It's not fancy, but a real farm truck parked on the backside of some of their fields under a couple of trees. The truck is staffed by a local high school kid who knows how to count change without a calculator. Kids hand down the job to younger brothers, cousins, and friends. Some days can be down right hot and boring sitting there on the side of the road with just a truck load of produce and a walkie talkie to get to the main store when there is a run peaches or tomatoes. It is not surprising to see a grandparent or other family member come down with a snack or cold beverage to help their teenager kill time. A couple of years ago, there was a card table set up with a checker game that was always there to be played between customers who drive up, get out of their car for a quick stop before driving away with a backseat filled with produce.

Back to the apple orchard

I meant to take a photo of the Apple store this afternoon. I went for my first 1 on 1 session after receiving my new MacBook and iPod in the mail this week. I am so happy to be back on a Mac. I had one when during my full-time teacher stint in NJ schools and I then I had a notebook throughout my seminary career. I even was able to loan one from Asbury's technology dept. when mine died the year before graduation. When I returned it before leaving Kentucky, I was actually told I could have kept it if I had wanted. During my time at St. James UMC, I used a church own PC and it worked well enough for the purposes of my ministry. The hard decision came when I returned to full-time student status: Mac or PC? I ended up going with a PC - a Dell - that served me well the last five years and I could easily afford, but it just wasn't a Mac.
I almost cried when I realized how wonderful they were that first semester at PTS when I saw my colleagues' but I have used it faithfully the past five years. I often watched those Mac/PC commercials and often cringed because I understood them firsthand.
For more more than a year now, I've been saving for the Mac and even though I missed having one the past several years, I am glad I am back. I actually scored an iPod with the summer student discount! It's my first legitimate MP3 player and I have so many things to learn! So with the whole kit and kaboodle I got a year's subscription to 1 on 1 services. Having someone help you once a week with all the questions I have as well as show me some fun things and shortcuts is totally worth the price of admission for even a month's worth of sessions, let along the whole year! The trouble is, my head was swimming when I walked out of the store and I totally forgot to take a picture of it. So instead, you get to see the engraving I had put on my iPod for free - it clearly identifies who it belongs to as well as reveals a little something about a television show I have enjoyed since a kid and now love on BBC America....other fans will know exactly who the doctor is.......

At Casa Williams

My mexican food cravings have been satiated for the time being. No, I did not find a great Mexican restaurant in NJ yet. But I did go to dinner at the home of former neighbors Nancy and Larry Williams where Nancy served up a wonderful Mexican meal with fabulous tasting salsa, guacamole and other tasty additions. But as good as the food was, the company was even better. It's only been a few years since I saw the gang, but I am still amazed how tall and grown up Ashley and Brian have become. Growing older does not necessarily mean

you don't enjoy playing and having fun though...

...does it Ashley?

The photo simply does not do justice to the fab spread Nancy prepared or how good it tasted.

The view from the bridge

I start teaching a new class this evening at Somerset. I paused on the bridge overlooking the Delaware Raritan Canal on my way onto campus and almost melted from the heat. There were no runners, walkers, or cyclists on the tow path and I can guess why - it's just too hot to be out here, even in the shade. I was up at 6:30 am this morning and it was only 75 degrees - far cooler than the other states in which I've lived - but I still managed to do a run/walk workout that lasted for 45 minutes in which I did more walking than running. I can't wait for it to cool off!

Cue the music

I think this is my first photo of a skyline and the sun behind clouds. I really wasn't sure of what I was doing other than trying my best to keep the telephone line out of the photo. I kinda wanted to get the hay field in below for some depth, but it didn't quite work. This is the best result and it isn't too bad if I do say so myself.

Making a break for it

Part of the basil plant must have been unhappy with its original placement, because there is one growing next to the parsley pot. That didn't grow so well - err at all this year and the mint is just overhanging its confines. But the mint is root bound and shouldn't be headed anywhere other than tea, deserts, and syrups. I almost feel bad that the basil ended up in the woodchips and not the parsley pot - at least then it would look like it was "home" and not standing sentry over an empty pot.

It's a jungle out there

and evidently you need to be seriously attired to
go pick cherry tomatoes in my nephew's garden plot

I lost count after 50 little red marbles went into the colander....

And when the colander gets pressed into service for what
it was intended, one must still suit up to find the ripe fruit -
and warn away the critters with a handy dandy whistle.

Don't you occasionally miss being four years old when
EVERYTHING about life was an adventure?

No pussy footing around....

I'm not working out like I should. Even Jake is frustrated with me. Getting up and doing the running the past few weeks to train for the 5K has not been going as well as I'd hoped. Mostly I blame the heat. It's like a sauna out there most mornings and whether I'm supposed to run or doing weights and/or pilates I'm just not that into it. I have done the distance in a run/walk routine a few times, but nothing like I'd hoped to do already. Staying up late and reading hasn't helped either. Jake has actually stopped coming upstairs most mornings to see if I am going to take him along for the exercise. I hope this week might be better now that I am admitting it, but there are several warm sauna like mornings in the 10 day forcast that don't make me excited - but I will redouble my efforts and give it another go. Tomorrow we should have temps in the low 60s in the morning - maybe I can get a run in before 7 AM.

Something amusing happened the day of the synchro show.....

I've known for a few weeks that the pictures I took for today's blog entry would be at the Middlesex Pool. This evening was the 39th annual synchronized swimming show starring the Middlesex Aqualytes and my niece was preforming for the first time. Because I wasn't missing out on seeing the performance (having been in the show myself as Aqualyte and staff member over the years) I took some books with me as I prepared to wait out the day. I shouldn't have bothered because soon after arriving, I was pleasantly surprised to see Herr Weigel show up with his daughters Wendee and Bridgette and a few of his grandchildren. I could explain that Mr. Weigel was first and only pool manager of the facility until he officially retired and my brother Jim took over seven years ago - but I think the following few pictures illustrate that fact better than I can adequately describe.

If you're a family member, friend, or have dropped in on my blog from time to time, you already know that Jim is the guy in the orange t-shirt. If you hung around the pool in Middlesex at all in the past 45 years, there's no doubt who speaks the voice of wisdom from years of experience.

Managing a facility like the Middlesex Pool is more than just a summer job. Just ask my sister in law who is often secretary when the home phone gets ringing about appointments and purchase orders during the "off season". Both men have enjoyed satisfying public school teaching careers - but the pool is a year round responsibility. Even though Jim grew up at the pool as swimmer, lifeguard, coach, and assistant manager, there is nothing like getting an opportunity to sit at the feet of the former captain who will forever remain respected for his integrity and his dedication to running a tight ship at the pool.

Bud Crede is a member of the pool commission and has been a face of the pool as long as I can remember - and as a kid, I was probably in the 8th, 9th and 10th synchro shows!

This September, just after the pool closes for the season on Labor Day, construction will begin on resurfacing the pool. It'll be great for Jim come spring time when he won't be painting the pool for the coming season ever again. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to do with plans about any and every sort of detail.

And if anyone knows the details of this place, it's Mr. Weigel.

He's affectionately called Herr Weigel because
he spent his teaching career teaching German.

The pool staff was also bilingual back in the day; "Ja, mein Herr" could often be heard spoken by lifeguards, coaches, assistant managers, and possibly even a commissioner or two.
I am just sorry I didn't get a picture of Mr. Weigel with his family members so you could also know what a devoted dad and granddad he is. The entire Weigel clan just returned from an Alaskan cruise and it was a delightful surprise to catch up with Wendee and Bridgette as well as meet their children before they left for more family adventures late in the afternoon.

Come evening, things were prepping for the Aqualytes to do their thing. Sarah agreed to pose with her coaches and the other girls who were in the routine working with her. Until this evening, I never completely appreciated the full extent two college aged women do to pull off a water recital in about 6 weeks time. After an intro clinic at the start of the summer, the coaches figure out an hour's worth of programming, music editing, choreography, sequin sewing, hair and makeup for about 50 girls ranging in age from 7-18 before having to deal with getting lifeguards to light the show or dealing with nervous stage fright from young beginners.

Luke was way up past his bedtime by the start of the show but he wasn't missing seeing his sister do her thing for the world!

Deckwork at the start of "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles.

And there was a float in the routine - how cool!
Good job, Middlesex Aqualytes!