Bawlmar Boil . .

Good stuff. C says broccoli makes an excellent butter delivery vehicle.  

Note to self :  schecule C an angioplasty.   

The Baltimore "Boil"

Shrimp onions broccoli and potatoes or corn plus tons of Old Bay.

 Serve with napkins, cold beer, melted butter, home made cocktail sauce, and a sunset. 

 That's the stuff!  No boiling actually required - just a steamer basket!  

Edison is Now the Big Spoon?

When did this happen?

Guess Who's Back?

C is back. We have spent the past 2 hours catching up and enjoying all his breathtaking photos. I asked if he would guest post here and he agreed (after 2 martinis). We'll see I guess. Either way, pics will be shared. They are too amazing to keep all to ourselves!

C brought me back this beautiful little wooden box with a little turquoise stone. You're supposed to record your dreams and place them in the box. I didn't have the heart to tell C I didn't need this box. . .

He's it.

Hands down, no denyin' I'm a fool for this man - even when he acts like an immature eight year old - he's more than I ever dare dreamed.

I'm so pleased he had a great time.

I'm so glad he's home.

After all, who else is gonna drag all that recycling to the curb come Thursday AM?!

The Evening News

So I'm killing a little time before I have to get C from the airport. Figured I'd mess around in the kitchen a little. There is apparently nothing too wonderful on the TV between say 6 and 7 at night so I put on the evening news.

What a mistake.

I typically read the news. Or I listen to it on NPR. In doing so, I can pick and choose my fluff, sensationalism, and avoid a lot of the lurid images that come along with mainstream news.

I saw some pretty lurid images this evening: Footage of the marshes on the Louisiana coast. . .Beautiful brown pelicans slicked to the bone with sticky crude oil. . .suffocated clusters of oysters. . .nests tucked in the beautiful marsh grasses containing delicate eggs smeared and streaked with oil.

Given my educational background and my keen interest especially in birds and shore/marsh environments, these images were enough to nearly induce tears. My stomach churns.

What are we doing?

How did it come to this?

What can I do to reduce our dependence on petroleum and coal - another industry that has a terrible track record of personal health and safety for its employees and that can also destroy ecosystems.

WHAT?!

WHAT?!!!!!

This isn't necessarily the first time I've felt this way and sadly I suspect it won't be the last, but today I'm embarrassed to be a homo sapien.

Our behavior is shameful and appalling.

I'm mad as hell. . .not just for the Louisiana Coast and the Gulf of Mexico. This event is just another sick symptom of an epidemic. It seems our insensitivity, irresponsibility, lack of accountability, and nearly complete disregard for anyone or anything other than ourselves and our "progress" is slowly poisoning our societies, our economies, our environments.

Am I saying there is no hope? Of course not.

Am I advocating we all go back to a primitive-type existence with few creature comforts? No.

Do I think all of humanity is amoral, wretched slime? Absolutely not.

I just think it's time for a substantial paradigm shift.

We don't have to be extremist or revolutionary.

We could just do better.

You obviously haven't heard the last of this rant. . .But I have to go turn off some electronics in our house that run needlessly day and night!

See? Baby steps.

And hope for healthy baby birds.

Try harder. Do better.

Think about the ripple effect of your actions.

Have Cat Will Travel

This suitcase will never be right again.

Basement v d

Could today be the tipping point in the battle?

Sunday Brunch #3

Warhol's Physiological Diagram c. 1985

Sunday Brunch #2

You turn a corner and are confronted with this. A little unnerving no?

Sunday Brunch

Thought I'd share a couple of pictures from our most recent visit to the Baltimore Museum of Art. We spent a good bit of time in their modern art exhibit this time.

Tip: Don't Start Drinking Coffee at 8:30 PM

Unless you want to be up half the damned night! Ugh. What was I thinking?!

I suppose this presents the perfect opportunity to update the design blog too.

Check it out! http://www.homeeckwreckdesign.blogspot.com

The Systematic Dismantling of D's Kitchen #3

And then hand them off to D for a hand sanding on the detail work. It took a long time but I'm told she's made excellent progress this week with the priming and painting and things are looking clean, bright, and updated.

Never underestimate the power of paint and a little elbow grease to transform a space!

The Systematic Dismantling of D's Kitchen #2

I would take the doors and drawers to the garage and give them a good sanding with a hand sander. . .

The Systematic Dismantling of D's Kitchen

The kitchen has no shortage of storage space. This is fantastic. It also proves daunting as every one of the solid wood cabinets needs sanded, cleaned, and re-finished. D opted for white paint. I think this is a fabulous option. It's just going to require a lot of labor.

C, D, and I worked last Saturday night into the wee hours of the morning getting everything prepped. We got a pretty good system going.

C took off the doors and drawer fronts. . .

Painter's Helper Gus

As previously posted, Sister D's house needs a lot of cosmetic updating. We spent a lot of time helping her get the painting started. Gus, the dachshund did his best to offer his support.

Sister D's New House

Sister D's bucolic back yard. . .I'm told they have about 5 acres. That sounds like about 4.5 too many acres of lawn mowing for me!

Her property is wonderful.

Currently, trying to convince her she should get some goats, a couple of donkeys and perhaps a few chickens. Of course she'll need a border collie to help keep all the critters safe from coyotes and foxes.

Huntingdon Relay for Life 3

Each of these men helped a wife, mother, daughter, girlfriend fight cancer. They should be very proud of themselves.

The survivors walk one lap together and then the survivors and their caregivers walk a second lap together. I think it's wonderful the caregivers are recognized. Cancer affects families and communities and it's important to acknowledge that.

Cancer sucks. Events like these help us find strength and hope.

Huntingdon Relay for Life 2

I'm struggling to explain the emotion I felt seeing all these cancer survivors - some of them still gravely ill and bravely fighting - come around the track. It's incredibly powerful - overwhelming, hopeful, awe inspiring.

Huntingdon Relay for Life

CANCER SUCKS!!

I believe cancer is so prevalent it's difficult to find someone that hasn't in some way been touched by it. Our family is no exception. And every year my Mother works diligently to raise money for the American Cancer Society with her Relay for Life team.

If we can, C and I attempt to visit Huntingdon on the weekend of the event. The year however, was the first year I saw the "opening ceremony" and the survivors and caregiver's laps.

The emotions are pretty intense.

D's New House

My sister just purchased a very large home on a considerable amount of land high atop a ridge-line in Central Pennsylvania. The house needs a considerable amount of cosmetic updating but it has so much potential. Quite jealous of all that "spaciousness"!

Also very jealous of her "wildlife." Bluebird boxes and bluebirds everywhere. A brilliant Oriole kept flitting about. C looked for his nest but we didn't have any luck. Her home is at a perfect "edge" environment - mixed evergreen and deciduous forest to a meadow, to manicured lawn - which a lot of birds really appreciate.

I've tried to manipulate this image in Aperture so the blue bird is enlarged. I can see it using the Loop function but it's not great quality. I guess I just need a bigger lens for this type of work? Plus once I get it enlarged using the Loop then what the eff do I do with it?

I soooooo need to get myself to MICA or something for a photography class! Maybe this fall once the house is under control? Maybe if C likes working with the camera while he's in Arizona this weekend, we can take a class together? It could be an anniversary gift. That goofball will probably say he'd rather take an art class where he can draw naked women!