Highrise in Cambridge

I am back in New England. I guess I should never say "this is my last night in Boston" because sure enough I'm a boomerang for the place.  Although I did stay gone for just under two months.  This week I'm staying in a high rise hotel in Cambridge last night my room overlooked Cambridge tonight it overlooks the Charles River.   Anyhow I have started a 15-week tour of MA,  I'll be going home most weekends but will probably stay a few as well - I'm just waiting for the COLD and SNOW to stop - they are expecting twenty inches Tuesday and Wednesday so I might not even be teaching those days. 

Oh and one more thing.  I think in Feb I'm going to take some photos that are NOT on my iPhone.
And one one more thing - I did take my january #13 photobooth photo Friday and I have the video of the month#3  in the process of being edited for my list, and of course I saw more than one movie this month so that's keeping me on track for my monthly goals.

"Blue Valentine"

Tonight I saw Blue Valentine (another movie down). I'm still not sure how I feel about it. It was real, it was sad, it was funny, and it was a little raunch. I'm on the fence because I love Ryan Gosling (hello - The Notebook, Half Nelson, Remember the Titans), however wasn't so thrilled with the ending. But I love Ryan Gosling. But the ending. But Ryan Gosling - oh and that Michelle Williams she's good too. But the more I think about it I think the ending wasn't bad it was real. Oh and one more thing... I wish Michelle would have brushed her hair, it seemed all knotted the whole time. Instead of sharing photos I'm sharing the trailer as this shows my favorite scene where they were dancing and singing outside a store.

Fav Thing Friday - Kicking off Shoes at the Backdoor

Today is Friday and I am picking my favorite thing as - Kicking My Shoes off at the Backdoor!  I'm a person who would prefer barefeet or at least flip flops (I have issues with wearing shoes when I teach too).  So first things first when I get home I like to kick off my shoes, and since nobody enters at the front door they pile up at the back.  

As a result we have a giant mess of shoes as you walk in back there - but I it doesn't make me like kicking them off any less.  I have a basket for the shoes but they still collect on the floor wet boots don't do well on dry shoes.  Oh and did I mention you enter thru my kitchen - the horror.

My mess of shoes looks like this of course only in big people sizes (we also don't drop coats in the mix...>>>

 

 I'd rather it look like this >>>

Or even this >>>

That however would probably require that I only have like 3 pairs of shoes (and no boots).  Here's to bare feet in the house for Friday.

Thrusday - Jono's Sun

 
I wanted to start a new quilt tonight - well I was tired of sewing with the pink fabric. And I didn't know what I wanted to do.  So I asked Jono when he came home for some inspiration he said "a sun."  And with that I started sewing up a sun in probably the most non-conventional manner (Note: I should have had a better plan).  The center gave me the most trouble I should have sewn it before I made completed the circle.  I haven't trimmed it yet as I am not sure if I want it to be a circle, rectangle or square.  He doesn't really have any complimenting blocks yet so it wasn't a real thought out plan. 

Wednesday - Super Simple Straight Lines Block

Since yesterday's blocks needed to be finished I decided to finish those and then make these tonight. Yet again I only made two when I planned to make six. But I did get the others finished.  I like to call this the super simple straight lines block.   Seems I need more white if I'm going to keep on making blocks for this same quilt.

Changes at the Bungalow

So things are always changing around here.  This week we have some big changes going on.  Jono is moving out.  Yes you are reading that right. 

I will be sad to see Jono go as we have had a fun few years being roommates as adults.  It's been fun teaching him how to cook, and watching him learn to love it.  It's been fun annoying him with my endless talking.  It's been fun working on house projects.  It's been fun sharing cars, laughs and moments.  It's been fun seeing Jono mature into the man he wants to become.  It's been a good run little brother - I wish you all the best.   
He's not leaving until this weekend so I'm sure there will be updates on the move.  Oh and just in case you were wanting to inquire there's already someone lined up to move into his room (more on that later).

Tuesday - Retro Rectangles

Here's today's quilt block.  I had all these brilliant plans to make 6 of these tonight well I got one done and two others started and I finished it just before midnight.  The pink flowered fabric is actually antique or retro I purchased it in a antique mall in Maine last summer I love it.

Sorry for the crappy photo it's so dark in my room I couldn't get a good shot.

Quilt Blocks all week long... Monday - Wonky House Block

No movie tonight sorry I didn't have time and I figured I needed to space out the movies a little but I am planning to see some more this week.
So instead of Movie all this week - I'm sharing a quilt block every day this week.  This is my last week before I hit the road again so I wanted to make some time for making stuff.  And I thought I'd work on some quilting.  I started off by finishing Karen's bee block.  She asked for wonky houses with maybe a tree.  Well I made two houses with two trees.  I love the non-uniformity of it. 

Kings Speech Splendid!

The movie of the day today was Kings Speech.  It's quite the contrast to yesterday's Swan Queen.  No shocks no crazy and no vulgarity.  It was history, friendship and lovely.  I must say it was SPLENDIDLY good!  I liked it better than yesterday's movie hands down.  Of course it's no secret that I LOVE history and this is such a beautiful story of friendship and the making of a king.  Who's not a sap for those things.  If you are not familiar with the history of britian's royals Edward VIII abdicated the throne to his brother Bertie who was a studder so he could marry Wallace Simpson a divorcee, and this is story of how he overcame his fears - I'll leave it at that. I don't want to give away too much of the story.  

Anyhow the movie was very well written well acted and well put together.  Colin Firth has Oscar written all over his performance.   And his wife played by Helena Bonham Carter was also great - you might remember her from Alice in Wonderland, Sweeny Todd, Fight Club, Mrs. Potter - I just love her she's so quirky but in this she's an excellent compliment to Colin Firth. 

Another one off my list.

Movies to See & Black Swan

So I have a list of movies to see in my phone seeing as it's movie award season and which I love almost as much as I love going to the movies.  It's also the weekend for Sundance - which is on my bucket list.  Anyhow my list looks something like this...

Movies to See: 

• The Social Network 
• Blue Valentine
• The Town
• Greensburg
• Kings Speech
• Black Swan
• I am Love
• No Strings Attached
• 127 Days
• Country Strong
• Somewhere
• The Way Back

I am crossing them off one by one.  Today I went to see Blue Valentine, but it wasn't really playing even though the internet said it was so instead we saw Black Swan.  It was good... I want to say really good but I think CRAZY good would be more appropriate.  It surprisingly was NOT anything like I thought it was going to be, some of the scenes were over the top and some were even vulgar (I'm so glad that I didn't take mom to see this last weekend).  I thought it was supposed to be a scary movie but I think it's more of a dark movie not necessarily scary although some scenes you find yourself wanting to look away but at the same time not.  Anyhow if don't mind vulgar you should check it out - I totally see Natalie Portman winning the oscar for her performance. 

Anyhow I'm thinking that I just might have to go to the movies everyday this week so I can get more of these movies crossed off - not really sure if that's doable or if I will do this but I'm thinking about it.

Another Installment of Awesomeness from the Jones & Co Photo Project

I got all my photos sorted and some of grandpa's too so more scanning can begin in the Jones & Co Photo Project.  And I have been getting down to business.  Scanning some real gems so of course I want to share even if most of the people who read my blog are not related to me or these awesome people skip this post if you want to - FYI to any family members the latest scans have not been transferred to flickr yet.

This is James Hamilton White born 7.28.1829 died 4.23.1909 I know this because it's on the back of the photo - believed to be taken on his 50th wedding anniversary in 1903.  I believe this is my great grandfathers grandpa so I think it's my great great great grandpa (that's a lot of greatness).  I think it looks a little like my Uncle Andrew and Uncle Jonathan. Anyway I really like his tie I can't quite figure it out though is it a bow tie?

 These are Raymond and Fern and I think Raymond was my grandma's cousin but I could be making that up. Aren't Ray's knickers great and I'd love to see what kind of awesome colors that plaid hat was.

 Sadly these people are not labeled I'm assuming there are also some white/pope relatives because they are in the same set of photos we had from Howard's house. 

 This is Cell Pope he just looks so uncomfortable in this photo, and what is that hanging from his belt a watch?  I think it looks a little like my cousin Paul.  I also love his name John McCellan Pope (my spelling might be off) but it's very fun.

 Oh people on the beach!  This is seal beach 1921 according to the photo must be spring or winter based on their clothes.  Nettie and JM Pope my great great grandparents - two unknown people (although that one guy looks like a hoot) and then Dessie Howard and Ila White

Winfield Kansas August 28, 1931.  A White Family Photo...  

Top: Ivan White, Helen White, Dessie, Ila and Howard White

Middle: Horace and Josephine White

Bottom:  Dick, Ray, Jean, Ruth and ??? (how sad we don't even know who that girl in the glasses is - however I'm sure if I dug out my family tree I could fill it in). 

These and more awesomeness are coming soon to http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonesandco/.  I wish I had stories to go along with these faces. 

Rearranged Bedroom = Vivid Dreams

I'm not really one to believe in all that thai chi or feng shay - or whatever it is.  But I do know that since I moved my bed when I rearranged my bedroom about a week ago that I have been having pretty vivid dreams.  Ones that I remember when I wake up - this is actually very uncommon for me.  I'm sure I dream but I rarely remember my dreams when I wake up.  However with my bed in it's new location almost exactly in the center of the room on the south facing wall I remember them.  Last night for example I dreamt...

I was taking a school bus to the airport.  A regular old yellow one.  (Pretty odd - I have taken cabs, limos, car services, my car and friends cars to the airport but I can honestly say I have never taken a school bus).  Anyhow back to the dream - And kids were getting off and on all along the route - the bus even stopped along I-70 to let some little kid off.  And then I missed the stop to get off at IND because I was jamming on my Walkman and not paying attention (not my iPod my walkman).  So I had to get off at ORD (O'hare - I despise this airport).  I woke up before we arrived at O'Hare but we must have been heading there as we passed up the windmills new Lafayette and the Gary Steel mills.   

Pretty bizarre - I know.  
Another dream from last week...

Jono and I were hiking along a cliff where on one side was the ocean and the other side was Indianapolis (yeah like this really can happen).  It was the kind of cliff that you can only really walk one path on and I'm terrified of heights like that or falling from them.  But in my dream I wasn't I was just having a grand ole time hiking.  
And then we came to a spot that was downhill and at the bottom of the hill was a whole batch of rattlesnakes (now I am TERRIFIED of snakes both in my dream and not).  So I take off running super fast like a sprinter but not before one of those snakes jumps up and bites me on the hip (remember post I was bitten by a rattlesnake).  It doesn't let go so I'm running along this skinny little cliff with a rattlesnake flying around on my hip and yelling at Jono to get it off.  Jono knocks me down so he can pull the snake off.  He yanks at the snake and pulls it off - it's head is like 10 times bigger than it should be.  Jono tells me "if this was a jelly fish sting you'd need someone else to pee on you, because that's gross. But not to worry I know exactly what needs to be done I saw this on the DIY channel." - I very distinctly remember him mentioning that he knows from the DIY channel and the mention of the jelly fish.  
He kills the snake with a large snow shovel which apparently he must have been toting around on our hike, then he chops it up with a chef knife and cooks it in a soup pot (which he also must have brought on the hike).  Meanwhile I'm laying in the cliff rocks foaming off the mouth, examining the spot where the snake has bitten me has swelled into three orange sized lumps - two from his front teeth and one from his back (apparently this must be how snakes teeth are duh). 
And then I wake up... sweating in my bed and hoping there are no rattlesnakes in my house coming to get me.  I check to make sure there is no rattler bite on my hip and there isn't.  And I roll over and go back to sleep,  not to resume that dream.   So we will never know if Jono's DIY rattler soup saves my life or if I just decide to get up and finish the hike without the soup.  

Yoga with my sisters snuggie

So I've been doing yoga thru the week lately it's a way I break up my day when working from home.  My cable tv offers yoga 24x7 and the program changes monthly so you can vary it up.  Until recently I hadn't invested in a yoga mat as they have them at the Y and I just use a towel at the house.  But the other morning I grabbed Lita's snuggie because it was handy.  

So yoga with a snuggie is NOT adviseable.  I found that I was slipping and sliding all over my hardwoods in the first poses.I eventually just tossed it off to the side.  And then I continued on and I kept hearing this whistling and I was like - yikes I think my furnace is about to blow up.  And it wouldn't stop even when the furnance stopped running.  So I tried to ignore it and go about with some more downward dog.  Well when I finished I went into the kitchen to discover I started making tea before yoga and that was the whistling not the furnace - DUH!  And Jono you got me that teapot so I wouldn't burn down the house - seems I'm determined to anyhow. 

Some thoughts on Yoga.  

1 - I like doing yoga except I cannot stand all that talk about breathing.  

"Breathe tall."

"Don't forget to breathe."

"Extend your breathe with your arms"

... 

Seriously if I wasn't breathing I would be passed out on the floor do people not breathe in yoga?  JJ says it's supposed to center you but I just find it annoying.  

2 - Doing yoga with the TV is not the easiest because you are constantly turning to make sure you are in the right position.  But I find that in class there's some of that too - it might be best to just put sequences of the poses together myself. 

Oh and for the record neither of these photos are me doing yoga they are from here and here.  There is NO WAY I am that graceful or delicate. 

2011 The Year of the Penguin - Adventure #1

That's right 2011 is the year of the Penguin. I like to include people I love on my yearly goals and when I asked my mom she was very specific in her response text - #15 12 Penguins on 12 Adventures.  So when we learned we needed to go to Columbus for a retirement meeting - I decided we would also go on adventure #1.  So yesterday we got up early (well early for someone who has been working from home recently and starting at 9am), and we set out for the metropolis of Columbus which is about two hours from Oxford.

First stop was the Retirement office - where we learned all about retirement.   Two things were decided - 1 - the building was fancier than any of the schools than I've seen in Ohio and 2- it was decided that no matter what Mom was going to need a post retirement part time job for a while - apparently even though you get a decent pension from the state you need to supplement your retirement.   Anyhow it was interesting to see and it makes me think I should re-look at my retirement funds because the trillion years til my retirement is not that far off.

Anyhow after that we decided to see some large things in the cold - because Penguins surely do this.  With a little research we decided on the World's Largest Mortar Board and Tassel  and World's Largest Gavel.  Yup that's right both of these hot spots are in downtown Columbus. Both were really accessible and easy to find and FREE so thumbs up for all those things.  However it was SUPER cold and none of us wanted to put on our coats so we froze up. 

The Gavel was located by the Supreme Court right on the Scioto River and I noticed a bike trail there along the waterfront as well and thought Jono and I should return in the summer for a bike ride.

Then we set off to find a penguin.  Unsure really where we might find one.  We kind of drove off in search of lunch with hopes the penguins could be found.  While looking for a restaurant for lunch we ran into the Heartland Antique Mall I think it was, and we decided to stop.  We found lots of beautiful treasures not purchased - like these old press items which of course I wanted to buy but did not since they don't work in my letterpress. 

And momo was partial to the drawers as she wants to store her treasures in them (but they were pricey).

And we found stockings for Rachel and Anna.

We kept thinking maybe it should have been the year of the frog, owl, chicken, or dog. 

And then we discovered 5 different Penguins and we had to select the ones we liked the best.  I chose these lovelies Millie and Willie - they are salt and pepper shakers.  Which after some research back home seems they were a promotional cigarette item by Kool Cigarettes and at $11 I thought they were priced right and too cute. 

Oh and I found more partridge family patten for my Pyrex Collection which of course couldn't be passed up since it's my FAVORITE. 

For mom we found this Hagen-Renaker figurine.  I don't really know much about it, except I think it might be the mama emperor penguin. 

And then we wanted to stop at the Esther Price Shop and get some chocolates for Nanny P and Mearlene and some other people.  It was quite the adventure just trying to find the shop - we didn't know where it was except we thought exit 62 (which was not right).  And then we thought maybe 26 but we went the wrong way and then I got wise and called the shop and they gave us instructions and we found it.  The pretty much only have chocolates there and we were disappointed they didn't make them their.  But we had the place to ourselves.

That's all from this Penguin Adventure until next time.

Favs on Friday

 I picked one of my fav favs for today's Fav on Friday.  

BUBBLE GUM 

my favorite kind is sugar free extra.  I also like other brands and I really like the sugar kind but I like to eat it so I stopped chewing it.

Hand and Foot

We played a little hand and foot tonight, the name of the card game always makes me thing of foot and mouth disease but it's a fun game and it reminds us of Aunt Jo and Uncle Sam.  Anyhow I took a photobooth photo strip.  What is wrong with me in my frame?  Anyhow we have an adventure tomorrow to find our first penguin.