and a time to travel ...

as soon as the airline ticket is purchased, it's official ... i am indeed going to the dominican republic between thanksgiving and christmas. i don't know yet in what capacity, i don't even care, ... because i get to GO somewhere !

i always have a really hard time trying to take fish pictures. it's kinda hard to get little nemo to hold still. yes! her name really is nemo ... 'cause her fin on the other side is orange, and her body is all white. it looks unbalanced, and cute.

i was away for a couple of weeks, but my dear friend rrrrrita kept my fishes alive for me! i hate coming home to a dead fish. my platty's are fine too, and they're even harder to capture with my camera because they spend a good amount of time hiding behind the plants, bubble wand, or rock. they're timid, except for at mealtime.



stuart is being a good pal and letting his little friend wear his sombrero (little does stuart realize that he looks like one of the village people !) .

that's my clover plant between them. it tried to die while i was away. i gave it a good soak when i returned, and it already has lots of new growth. i really need to put it in a bigger pot though.

homicide ?!

... yes ... that is the kind of notice i get stuffed into my door in my neighborhood. some people get food drive stuff, some get neighborhood gathering notices, i get notices of gang activity and homicides !

but ... i rest easily, because my neighborhood is between the mental hospital, downtown, and the state prison. so (this is logic speaking) ... if anything bad happens, won't the bad person want to get as far way from this triangle of law enforcement as soon as possible?!

inspite of the barking dogs, loud music, and killings, i've been doing some stuff around the house ....

... installing shelves ....







some have things on them. some do not ... but they will, ... eventually. the thing is, to access the shelves, i must use a 3-step ladder.

... and, see how the brackets are different?

randomness ...

... such is life. random. so, here's some photos, not in any particular order, since the last time i posted.

first up, me being a goof ball infront of the mirror in my bedroom, "hi me!".


stuart riding the train home last weekend. he had a blast, minus a minor mishap (thanks mom!!!).


this postcard was on post secret some time ago. i saved the image. i liked it.

all is well. i have no complaints. that's a very very good thing !

i love having fresh cut flowers ... and the weather cooled down just enough for me to buy these stems of gladiolas.

it's getting to be that time of year, when the yellow haze has passed, and a new season has set in. spring was actually quite nice. it was a mix of warm and cold, rain and crisp clear days. and now ... i think the doldrums of summer are trying to inch their way in ....

one thing i do love about this time of year ... the extended daylight hours. i also love how things have shifted where the porch gets both morning and evening sunlight.


the porch is such an inviting place. it's nice to sit up on the second floor, perched over the activity below of pedestrians and vehicles.


and every now and then, i feel compelled to drag all my junk outside for some knitting.


(i tend to drag out a few friends with me ....)


and other necessary objects ....

easter 2007

before another sunday comes to past, i need to catch up on last week's festivities. as usual, i spent another sunday at jackie and the hippie's. amy also joined us ... as crochet had been mentioned. we spent much time laughing on sunday, ... and spilling things. oops. (sorry about the tablecloth jackie!!!)(but i wasn't the only one!)




the main event of the day's menu was roasted leg of lamb !!! yum! see how pretty it is? and it was so delicious ... it was so tender and flavorful. jackie is an amazing cook.







and the spread ... whipped sweet potatoes, baked broccoli with parmesan, an au jus from the lamb drippings, yummy red wine, and laughter and friendship. and afterwards, a small serving of strawberry shortcake (and another spot on the tablecloth)(oops)(three out of four of us did that too!)(of course, not jackie).






and, what's easter w/o the easter bunny? well, the hippie had knitted stuart a little friend, which he's been working on, off & on, for several months ... i think her name shall be lulu.

stuart's been really busy lately, i'm not so sure if i should let him near knives .... nevertheless, i really needed to free up some counter space, so i purchased a knife rack. yay!


this illustrates more than you can decipher. all the notes are over on flickr.


i love twilight, and i love my sunflower lights ....


yum! another batch of tasty hummus!

things are changing ... that's the beauty of a season ... change is good. change is different. change brings new opportunities and hope.

one thing i love about this time of year is the extended daylight hours, minus the (yet) crippling heat of summer.


and my colors are off and over exaggerated ... but, the color (i think) expresses the feeling of the late afternoon sun, bouncing off a wall .... glowing . i love the glow.

i moved my bed from infront of the windows to across from the windows ... and it's (the bed) just beneath the sunspot in this shot. some people can stare endlessly at fish in an aquarium (and yes, i can do that too), a lava lamp, a campfire, the clouds drifting across the sky ... and i can stare endlessly at the sunlight dancing across a wall, lawn, lake .... it's like a campfire.

now, the pollen is another story.

what else? i got some new duds the other day ... with my rei membership and dividend, i got some soft and stretchy prana capri pants. i also splurged and got a skirt! i wore the pants today, with a top i knitted last spring.

it is spring here ... though it's starting to feel much more like summer.

... and the diet? well ... it's all good. though i'm feeling the need to revisit phase 1. and, lately, i've been craving steak. hmmm ....


good thing i've mastered my broiler and can cook these babies medium rare!