Month: September 2011

Sunlight Through Paint Jars

When I teach students how to put markers away I teach them the order of the spectrum. Kindergarteners can do it! We sing a little song, red orange yellow green blue purple  a few times and they line them all up in the boxes.  I say, “Don’t forget the brown and black. SNAP THE CAPS!”  And a box of eight markers is in pretty good shape for the next class.

Anyway, the paints were lined up in order on the counter and when I came upstairs after the buses left, I saw the sunlight coming through the jars of glitter paint we’d used earlier.  I have no idea how we received a box of glitter paint but we did. The colors were  brilliant and I got excited as I rushed to get my camera.   Here’s what I could catch.

by Categories: Art, PhotographyTags: , , , , , 14 Comments

What I Saw Out the Window at School

The cropped version and the original.   You get a better feel for the place in the second, original, full size.

WILD turkeys but they seem fairly domesticated and brave ( or not too bright?). There are a lot of them in the area (remember my first day of school post with the family of turkeys on the sidewalk.)

Urban turkeys.

by Categories: Animals in the CityTags: , , , , , , , , , , 11 Comments

Our Brother Grows Organic Garlic & Mailed It For Us to Cook

Wednesday’s mail brought a box with holes punched in it.  I knew no one was shipping a guinea pig to me.

The postmark was Okanogan WA- It was a box of Chesnok Red (originally from  From Shvelisi, Republic of Georgia)   David had packed it  in gray egg carton parts,  They arrived in perfect shape.

When I spoke to David on the phone he was hoping that Mary and I would cook with it for Laura’s Bridal Shower in Columbus. We’re making lasagne.  He told me it’s Hardneck garlic (can’t braid it, Greg– you can see Greg braid his garlic harvest here)

This particular type is supposed to be great baking garlic.  I shared some with my neighbor as he is a great cook.

David told me about the organic farm where he got the original seeds to plant years ago.  Filaree Garlic Farm.   They have photos and descriptions of the different types of garlic and you can get a catalog.  Planting season is real soon. Last week of September, first week of October for Okanogan’s zone.

I sat on my side porch and photographed the beautiful purple striped skins.  Thought about our brother David and we’ll be thinking of him as we cook and eat this wonderful harvest.

by Categories: Cooking and Eating, FamilyTags: , , , , , , , 13 Comments

What J Brought Over for Dinner Tuesday

Going back to school has been an adjustment.   The weather changed and is cool and damp.  Donned a sweatshirt and even put the hood up (thanks Laura for leaving your Marquette hoodie in the drawer)  Tonight my friend  brought over a pot of Marcella Hazan’s Spaghetti Meat Sauce.   Carrots and onions, some wine, cream, fresh tomatoes (I will have to ask for the specific recipe if anyone would like it)  Steve brought some salad and a crusty loaf of Italian. J brought the cheese to grate over the pasta.  The pasta was the thickest I had ever seen and just delicious.  It went well with the thick meaty sauce.  We had a nice meal together and good conversation, some laughs and though I was tired from teaching, the dinner  was satisfying and appreciated.  A real spirit lifter! Thanks J!

by Categories: Cooking and EatingTags: , , , , , , 13 Comments

The Tenth Street Bridge Looks Miniature

The view from the South Side Slopes, on they way home from school last Wednesday. I’ve mentioned Pittsburgh’s topography in previous posts. The scale in this photo emphasizes the hills and valleys, the Monongahela River. Late cause it was Meet and Greet for the parents. The setting sun casts a nice light. Everything lush and green. I don’t remove wires from the photos. As is. Pretend it’s a zipline. I haven’t driven this route for a few months. It’s all new- again.

by Categories: Light in the City, Photography, Pittsburgh PhotosTags: , , , , , , 7 Comments

Weekly Photo Challenge: Path

From the smallest town in the whole wide world- Hum. Seriously.  It is in the Guinness Book of Records.  Hum, Croatia.  Population 17-23 depending which site you read.   The towns medieval gates are from the 11th century.  My friend Dorothy Holley loved this photo. I took it when I visited Matthew Summer 2008.   I have a print of it framed in my bedroom and from my bed I can imagine myself walking up the path, the pile of logs ready for the winter.   Path brings to my mind the words beaten or dirt, a clearing in the woods or the bicycle path by the river, but I like this stone path.  Looked up the definition and I think this photo meets the weekly photo challenge: path. 

(from the freedictionary.com )  –

the definition of path

n. pl. paths (pz, päz, pths, päths)

1. A trodden track or way.
2. A road, way, or track made for a particular purpose: a bicycle path.
3. The route or course along which something travels or moves: the path of a hurricane.
4. A course of action or conduct: the path of righteousness.
5. Computer Science

a. A sequence of commands or a link between points that is needed to reach a particular goal.
b. A pathname.
[Middle English, from Old English pæth; see pent- in Indo-European roots.]
by Categories: Family, Photography, Photos in CroatiaTags: , , , , , , , , , 26 Comments

What I Saw as I Left the Warhol Museum

Friday night,Warhol Museum, Northside -Poetry reading- Undressing the Body  Jan Beatty and Soham Patel.  Went up to four and checked out (The Word of God(ess): Chitra Ganesh is the third exhibition in The Word of God series
(Read more at warhol.org: http://www.warhol.org/webcalendar/event.aspx?id=3241#ixzz1Wr8meDi0,  R and I went to see the Silver Clouds floating in the air, back down to one and head to the car.  Looked over my shoulder and saw the young girls dancing to the Bollywood music spun by DJ Chai.  A quick shot with the iPhone but there was Andy when it came up on the screen. Fun!

by Categories: PhotographyTags: , , , , 8 Comments

September 3, 1951

Happy Birthday Marlene!  It’s a special one. I know you will have a very happy day. It is wonderful being grandmothers together. We have much to be grateful for, don’t we? Do you remember the day we met, before Mark and Erika got married?  I remember it like it was just yesterday.  What an exciting time and it has only multiplied over the past decade.         And you share the birthdate with my mother, who would have been 99 today. Oh my.

So another round of cake- vanilla and vanilla buttercream on the front porch.  I am blogging a birthday cake to you cause I have to drive your birthday card around in my car for at least another week or two.  Why can’t I get the cards in the mail?  Thinking of you as you celebrate.  I am right behind you!!!  1-2-3-4 Cake recipe here                                   12:20 AM 9/3/11  p.s.  just got the call that  Mark Erika and the four grandchildren made it to your house just after midnight after 8 hours on the road!  SURPRISE!!  You called and said I GOT YOU!!   What a great birthday present.  I am so happy you were surprised.  

(I mean it would have been nice if someone at work said Happy Birthday or they had a cake for you but having the family surprise you had to be a happy celebration!!)

 

 

by Categories: Baking, FamilyTags: , , , , , , , , 14 Comments

Kiddieland Whip at Kennywood

Anna and Michael on the Kiddieland Whip ride.  Back to the archives.  It’s important to honor how your body feels.  So much for “real time”  Thursday is a seven class teaching day.  Moving back and forth between buildings.  Real time showed up briefly.

It’ll be returning soon!

Kennywood Kiddieland Whip Ride- July 2007
by Categories: Childhood, Family, PhotographyTags: , , , , , , , 15 Comments

Stuffed Eggplant

When I saw this recipe for Stuffed Eggplant on Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide,  I left a comment-   something to the effect of oh,  that looks sooo delicious and I am going to try it.  I comment a lot on Greg and Katherine’s colorful and tasty blog and am inspired by their food photography and writing.   So  when Steve and I went to Aunt Linda’s to drop off Jackie’s dishes, Aunt Linda gave me a perfect eggplant from her garden along with some gorgeous fresh tomatoes.  What better day could there be to make this recipe?  This is what mine looked like before I baked it.

Yes, it was different from the photo on the blog but I baked it up as someone was in town and going to stop by at 6 to dine.  Six came and six fifteen and then six thirty and I didn’t want to overbake the eggplant so took it out of  the oven and it sat on top of the stove.  I made a salad.  I waited. Sliced some bread.  I started a large pot of water.  When it boiled, I threw in a box of DeCecco Penne and then I cut up the entire baked stuffed eggplant and added it to the cooked pasta. Still no sign of a guest! Almost seven.   I put it in a huge skillet and tossed it around and the garlic and basil smell was amazing.  Guest arrived.  Finally we were able to dine and it was quite good served out of the white pasta bowls.  I am going to make it again. Just today someone sent a message that they made it from the post I put up to the link on FB.  YUM is all I can say.   Thank Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide blogfriends.  That link will take you to the Zucchini Fritters recipe as well!

Keep or Pitch post back in business, too.

by Categories: Cooking and Eating, PhotographyTags: , , , , 17 Comments