Tattoo Ideas

Okay, so I'm not going to get another tattoo. (At least not anytime soon.)

But, I am always thinking of ideas. Here are some that I like:

In this one the text (a stanza from Maya Angelou) reads: It's in the reach of my arms. The span of my hips, the stride of my step, t he curl of mylips. I'm a woman. Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, that's me.

Lately I have been fascinated with the idea of a typewriter tattoo. This one is my favorite so far.

This reminds me of the entrance at Ben and Robyn's church which reads "Servants' Entrance"

Currently reading: Freud and Beyond

El Autobús

Today I realized I am completely uncertain of how to spell the plural of the English word "bus". Do you?

I had a moment where I thought, "Of course I know how to spell the plural of bus! Come on!"

And then...a long pause in my typing as I stalled out completely.

Thank God for Google because I quickly discovered there are TWO appropriate spellings! Apparently "bus" is a noun and the plural is either bus·es or bus·ses. That's a relief because I was really confused.

The College

I'm getting pretty excited for my new job. Last day of internship is August 31st and first day of teaching is September 1st. I've been working really hard most nights at home developing syllabai and lectures. Being the dork that I am, this has been pretty fun. Here are some pictures of the campus...

This is where my office is. It's just to the left of the big white porch in the center.

This is the view from my office.

Interdependence Day

So, thanks to Kristen and Amy for encouraging me to pick up the pace on the blog. I'm not sure why I've been delinquent in keeping up. Lately I've felt ambivalent about writing, about sharing my thoughts and experiences publicly. I saw this scene (picture above) a block from my apartment during the Fourth of July weekend. This idea...of interdependence has traditionally been something that appeals to me, that draws me in. The notion of community, of joining groups, of being a part of something - these are things that I have typically been drawn to. That said, I always like to say that I'm a "secret introvert." If introversion is defined by where one gets their energy, I get mine from being alone. Don't get me wrong - I enjoy my time with other people. Quality time speaks to me. But, I love being on my own. Anyway, lately I've been a lot more social. I feel like I'm giving a lot more of myself to friends and those around me - and that's a good thing. But, in response to that I think I begin to "hunker down" when I have time to myself. And that, my dear readers, leads me to the lack of blog posting. Hunkered. Down.

Currently reading: Just finished The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon and am starting Traveling Mercies by Lamott and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Hosseini

Lovely Ladies

I went to Ohio this past weekend and got to spend some time with my grandmother, who is affectionately called "Nanny." It was really good to see her and to spend time with family. I don't know if I'm allowed to broadcast Nanny's age on the internet, so let's just say she's not as young as she looks. But, her spunkiness is undeniable - the woman is sharp as a tack! It was great to catch up and spend time together. Thanks, Nan!

Box Her Up

Several of us saw this video on a great new innovation in affordable childcare:

And so, we thought we'd give it a try.  We asked Antonia and she said, "I'm in!"

Currently reading: Still reading I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley and last weekend's NY Times Magazine articles on segregated prom in Georgia and Conan O'Brien

Garden - Early May

I'm hoping to really document the progression of the garden this summer....here's the garden in it's earliest stages...

This blueberry bush is a first for me.  I've done strawberries in the past.  I'm excited to see how this goes.  Typically, blueberries planted in the ground come back each year.  I'm not sure how well a blueberry bush in a container will do so I'll do more research and consider wrapping it in burlap for the winter or putting it in the hallway.  For now though, I'm excited!

This area is where the bulk of the work gets done.  On the front left is a patio tomato plant.  Next to that - lupines (I am SO excited about these!).  Back left - clematis.   Back center - mandevilla (see below).  Front right - knockout roses (I had two of these but only one came back this year). To the left of those (on the little stand, green pot) - zuchinni.  

Close-up of the mandevilla vine.  These are very aggressive plants.  They grow like weeks, which is absolutely wonderful!

We received this tree (which is quite big - I'll post another picture later so you can see it's size) from the NY Restoration Project and NYC's Million Trees Project.  I cannot tell what kind of tree it is - I'm hoping my mom can figure it out.  It has fuschia buds on it and is just starting to sprout some green leaves.

This section of the courtyard is a new endeavor this year.  I scavenged those boards out of our disgusting basement.  During the foray into the basement, I dropped a bathtub on my foot and Amos discovered a dead, dehydrated rat that he enjoyed chewing on until I started yelling at him.  Lots of fun. But, the payoff was great.  I love this little corner of the yard.

More to come!

Currently reading: I Was Told There'd Be Cake by Sloane Crosley, The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn Saks, and last weekend's NY Times Magazine article on depression.