Mobile, August 2007

While cleaning out pictures on my hard drive, I realized that I never posted photos of our August trip to Mobile. A pesky little thing called a move got in the way. Since most of you hear me talk about my Meme and Harry Daddy a good bit, here's proof that they exist.

Harry Daddy giving Harry swim lessons. I have great memories of this pool; it's so warm there we'd often swim on Christmas Day, and Harry Daddy is very much a teacher:

I took a zillion photos of Harry with his namesake. This is one of the few good ones:

The following photos are of the backyard. Meme has embedded objects all through the walkways:

Within the last 5 years they've added the railing:


About 10 years ago Meme went around spraypainting all the garden sculpture blue. And then this trip they were all gathered in one spot:

Here you see the glass covering the pool, and in front of that is a pond that Harry Daddy has faithfully maintained. I have great memories of feeding those fish.
The formal living room:

My Meme sleeps late, and Harry Daddy is up really early making breakfast for everyone, so I have fond memories of time with just him. My mother said she and Harry Daddy would eat breakfast together just them every morning growing up.


Another big memory for me - reading in this chair that hangs from the ceiling:

Jacksonlocution

Arising from his nap he tells me, "My head hurts."

Me: "What does it feel like?"

Jackson: "Mexico water."

Me: "What does that feel like?"

Jackson: "When you have a headache Mexico water sprays you." -????

Jacksonlocution

Today began cold and wet, they way the weather has been all week. So when late morning turned warm and sunny, we headed outside to the playground. It was beautiful - everything sparkled, just a hint of crispness in the air, and we all felt the joy of it after a week of being inside. As I pushed Jackson on the swing, he was looking up to the sky with the warm wind in his face:

"Hello Sky! Hello Clouds! Here comes the little boy!" as he soared high into the air.

That just encapsulated the feeling of freedom we all felt, as well as the charming egocentricity of a 3-yr. old. The little boy. The sky. The clouds.

Thank you, Lord, for a delightful morning! And thank you, Lord, for naptime!

Movie Recommendation

Josh and I watched a movie last night (Yes, in the middle of the week.  I'm sick again--what can I say?) that I thought everyone might enjoy.  It's called Sweet Land and you can watch the trailer here.  It is a great movie for a date night:  the story of a German mail-order bride and her American farmer husband.  It is rated PG and is refreshingly clean.  It is also beautifully filmed and the soundtrack is great too.  Enjoy and let us know what you think.

Turtle Mist, Toppling Snow Cakes, and Frosty Hinges

Sophie caught a nasty cough that just won't go away, so the dr. prescribed a nebulizer breathing treatment. She kicked up a big fuss during her first treatment in the office, but that one was done with a plain old plastic tube. It's amazing the difference a little animal characterization will make to a three-year-old...she LOVES her "turtle mist" and we're hoping the regular treatments will get rid of this cough for good.
Here is our patio table after our first snow. Looks good enough to eat, doesn't it?
And here it is after a bit of a thaw...
I thought this was kind of funny.
And just to make all of you wimpy Southerners in your balmy climes feel sorry for us roughin' it up here in the frigid mountains of Northern Arizona, this is a shot of the hinge of our kitchen door....from the INSIDE of the house, first thing in the morning. (The sole heat source for that room is a wood pellet stove that we turn off at night, so this is the result. Aren't y'all impressed with our fortitude? It's a tough life, but someone has to live it!)

Here's to 1980!

A great year for elections (Reagan), SciFi movies (Empire Strikes Back), and Sisters-in-Law. Happy Birthday, Lynn!

Happy 4th Anniversary to Cody and Keri!

Tonight for the anniversary dinner Keri and I made yet another Cooks Illustrated recipe, this time one under "Improving Glazed Chicken Breasts," p. 18 of Sept/October. The featured recipe is Orange-Honey Glazed Chicken Breasts, but because we didn't have orange juice we made one of their alternatives, Pineapple-Brown Sugar Glazed Chicken Breasts, using boneless skinless instead of bone-in skin-on, which may be why we didn't (well, I didn't) care for it. It was far too sweet (the fat of the skin may have mellowed the sweetness? Also, without the skin fat you can't brown it like they tell you to). Next time I'll try the featured recipe, but this is my first "Don't make it!" recommendation. Well, the vegetable curry was "Make it if you have lots of time and don't eat meat." Behind the chicken is one of Cody's presents to Keri. Apparently the 4th anniversary is Fruit and Flowers. Classic Cody.