Sunday School

A post dedicated to the things I've learned (or, more likely, relearned) this week

Sea slugs ink the way octopus do. A nice bright violet hew.

So often, the only thing I can control about a situation is myself; my actions, thoughts, motives, and attitude.


Similarly, there is a lot of peace and satisfaction that comes from correcting myself rather than pointing the finger of blame at anyone else.


Hardwood floors should have 4-7 days to acclimate to a house before installation. Before you get impressed into thinking that we are going to have any flooring other than the regular tan shag carpeting that comes standard with most apartment rentals, this is just a tidbit we learned watching HGTV.

Matthew 23: 5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their
phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments. This is the Savior remarking about the scribes and Pharisees. Phylacteries are the prayer boxes the Jews strap to their foreheads and left arms as part of their worship. The size of the box is very obvious and was used (the size of the box, not the phylactery itself) to outwardly imply the piety of the person wearing it. Similarly, the borders of their garments refers to the fringed apron that the Jews wear as a symbol of obedience. In Jesus' time, it became fashionable to have very long and unavoidable fringes which were again intended to outwardly imply the piety of the person wearing them. What phylacteries and fringes do I don everyday? This was the real lesson of the week.

If only...

...I wasn't pregnant, and had a money tree dedicated to my whims and wishes, I would buy

this dress from Anthropologie that I goggled over with Jessica a couple of weeks ago. I almost bought it anyway.

...we had more time this Summer and had another money tree dedicated to travels, Cori and I would use the free airline ticket he just got and fly to

Kauai for a week. Though we don't have time or money for this trip, Cori is still looking up flights etc. to get us there, somehow. This was going to be our trip this year until we decided to go to Paris. I know, poor us. :)

...I had been able to stomache the Food Network again a little earlier, I would have seen

Alton Brown on Iron Chef America sporting a hideous beard and I would have written prolific fan mail begging him to get rid of it before taping anything else. I watched IC for the first time in months last night, and there it was. The beard that is. Yikes.

Wordless Wednesday: Runs in the Family

The Great Outdoors

Because there are some places you can't drive to...

We were lucky enough to spend another weekend in NV. Memorial Day, Dad, Cori and I got up a little early (for a holiday anyway) and headed out for a bit o' nature. Cori wanted to find some wildflowers. We were a bit early, as evidenced by all the snow. But we got to see some of the first blooms. A blog or so ago, Jessika mentioned being homesick for her mountains. I completely get this. I've seen and loved more than a few mountain ranges. But the Sierra Nevada's will always be my mountains. Thousands of jeweled glacial lakes, palatial granite rock formations, evergreens galore, and groves of wildflowers in the spring. Have a look at what we saw.

Attention Austenians!

A few days ago, Natalie posted a link for this fun little quiz. Which Jane Austen heroine are you?

As for me:

"You are Elinor Dashwood of Sense & Sensibility! You are practical, circumspect, and discreet. Though you are tremendously sensible and allow your head to rule, you have a deep, emotional side that few people often see."

Take the Quiz here!

I don't think this describes me to a tee, however the descriptions I got to choose from that described my "mate" pretty much captured Cori.

An Afternoon at the Getty

• Today, I spent a lovely afternoon at the Getty Museum with my friend Kristy and her little girl, Megan. We chatted through traffic on the way up, toured a couple of exhibitions, enjoyed the gardens, listened to Tim Hawkinson's Uberorgan, and chatted some more on the way home. Gracie was in complete heaven being Megan's shadow. And I was lovin' being in such great company for the afternoon.
• The Getty is such a fun place to visit. They don't have many well known works of art in their permanent collection, but they get great traveling exhibitions. Even then, its worth the drive just to sit in the gardens surrounded by beautiful landscaping, architecture, and views of LA. Gracie and I have enjoyed many a pic-nick afternoon here.

This is a picture of Hawkinson's Uberorgan. It is a gigantic installation that is temporarily visiting the Center's main entrance. Its difficult to see in this picture, but in the far left corner, there is a 250 foot scroll that is wound floor to ceiling through a system of spinning tubes. The scroll has black dots painted on it. There is a light sensor that detects the dots, transforming them into electronic pulses that trigger the giant pipes of the organ. It sounds truly bazaar, but I like the concept behind the work: taking the ordinary to create the extraordinary.

Here are some pictures of Gracie and Megan playing. Miss Grace really loved having a play mate today.

Last Night At Dland...

...the world premier of Pirates III screened. Take a look at the crazy set they built around the Waters of America. I love that the movie premiered at Disneyland rather than New York, or any of the regular Hollywood venues. It was fun seeing all the pirate buzz at the park this weekend.

We tried to devise a way that we could stay and be part of the audience, but they had a pretty good lock down plan. We'll just have to wait for the 25th like the rest of the general public.