Sunday, August 16, 2009
Where have I been?
Why haven't I been posting to my blog? Well, one of my former students talked me in to joining Facebook. What can I say, I have been assimilated. One black hole-type time waster at a time. I will post more pictures of Alaska soon, I promise.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Ship Secrets
Derek got to go on a special, behind-the-scenes tour of our ship. Only a few people get to take it, but you are able to see areas normally off-limits to the guests. (So, he was only able to take a few pictures, for security reasons.) Did you know that all cruise ships have a medical center and a morgue? Well, you know, people do die, and the average age of cruisers is a little higher than that of the population as a whole. (From what I saw at the buffet, some people might actually manage to eat themselves to death. It's a twenty-first century Trimalchio's feast!) This ship has room for three bodies. The doctor joked that if they start passing out free ice cream, you know they needed the freezer space for a fourth body. Okay, I guess medical humor is just a little strange.
Navigating a ship is very complicated, especially if you are sailing through narrow channels full of icebergs. (The secret, according to the captain, is just to hit the ice slowly enough that you gently push it out of the way.) There are multiple ways to steer the ship, including a joystick. Even when the ship is docked, there are always at least two people whose only job is to keep watch on the bridge. There are also lots of safety features, like some very nice lifeboats. Oddly, cruise ships do not rely on GPS. They use it only as a backup system. The primary means of navigating are compasses and paper charts. And eyeballs. I'm not sure if that knowledge is comforting or not. Especially when the whole ship was completely shrouded in thick fog one morning. On the other hand, I think I trust people more than computers. As Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame) once said, right after the toaster incinerated his toast, "When you consider how well most basic appliances work, it's amazing that anyone ever gets on an airplane." Hence, the two people keeping watch on the bridge.
Yes, Derek got to meet the captain. Yes, the captain does actually steer the ship.
Some long-time cruisers complained that they didn't get to see the captain and chat with him as much as they usually did. The captain explained that he had spent more time than usual steering the ship, since this was only the ship's second time in the area and he needed to steer through the rocks and the ice. Seems like a pretty important job to me. Much more important than hanging out with the passengers!
Derek was very impressed by the ship's huge laundry room. A ship that big generates a lot of laundry. They change the sheets for all the passengers every day. There was a sign in our bathroom that said to hang up the towels if we were willing to use them again, but they were all replaced every day, too. And all the tables in the dining room had white tablecloths and cloth napkins. And I thought WE had a lot of laundry to do! The ship has huge mangles to fold and dry the linens all at once, to avoid needing to iron them.
Derek was unfamiliar with mangles--yes, those things you used to crank the laundry through to wring out the water. Who knew anyone still used them?
Derek also got to tour the engine room. The ship has 6 engines and can run fine at full speed with 5. They can tear down and rebuild an engine on board while the ship is at sea. The anchors are also impressive, more than 6 feet long.
The ship has two, and an emergency backup. EVERYTHING on the ship has backups. Hearing about some of the safety systems from Derek made me feel better. Even when it was foggy.
The tour also included the galley. Can you imagine feeding 1000 people all at once? Complete with special requests like "Can I have the gravy on the side?"
So the galley is huge, with some of the biggest pots I have ever seen. I think the food was extra good, because the executive chef for the whole cruise line was visiting our ship to inspect operations. Yes, feeding that many people is like a military operation. A few supplies:
And, just in case the regular food on the ship isn't good enough, there is also a premium restaurant on board, Sabatini's. It is by reservation only and costs an extra $20 per person. (Yes, in case you have any money left by that point in the cruise.) As the name suggests, it has an Italian theme. Dinner is served in courses, with lots of tastes of lots of dishes. And by "lots" I mean I lost count. Highlights I remember: antipasti with marinated veggies and cured meats,
seafood, salad, soup, pizza, multiple pastas, and a choice of main courses. I chose lobster tail with champagne butter. And the tiramisu was also memorable. We ate there on a slow night, when most people were still ashore in Juneau. There was only one other table of people in the whole restaurant, so we had three waiters to dote on us all evening. We were so spoiled!
Oh, in answer to a question: how much do people dress up on cruises? Well, we dressed up a lot on formal night. Maybe 10% of the other passengers were as dressed up as we were on the formal nights: tuxes and long gowns. Others had on glittery cocktail dresses and dark suits, for the most part. On the other nights, dinner was a lot less dressy. I wore a dark skirt and a dressy blouse. Derek wore khaki pants and polo shirts, which was pretty typical in the dining room. The other people at our table were slightly less dressed up. During the day, there were lots of jeans and khakis. Sweaters, fleece pull overs, and tacky souvenir tees were popular. I even saw one man in a shirt that said "I'm retired, this is as dressed up as I get."
Navigating a ship is very complicated, especially if you are sailing through narrow channels full of icebergs. (The secret, according to the captain, is just to hit the ice slowly enough that you gently push it out of the way.) There are multiple ways to steer the ship, including a joystick. Even when the ship is docked, there are always at least two people whose only job is to keep watch on the bridge. There are also lots of safety features, like some very nice lifeboats. Oddly, cruise ships do not rely on GPS. They use it only as a backup system. The primary means of navigating are compasses and paper charts. And eyeballs. I'm not sure if that knowledge is comforting or not. Especially when the whole ship was completely shrouded in thick fog one morning. On the other hand, I think I trust people more than computers. As Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes fame) once said, right after the toaster incinerated his toast, "When you consider how well most basic appliances work, it's amazing that anyone ever gets on an airplane." Hence, the two people keeping watch on the bridge.
Yes, Derek got to meet the captain. Yes, the captain does actually steer the ship.
Some long-time cruisers complained that they didn't get to see the captain and chat with him as much as they usually did. The captain explained that he had spent more time than usual steering the ship, since this was only the ship's second time in the area and he needed to steer through the rocks and the ice. Seems like a pretty important job to me. Much more important than hanging out with the passengers!
Derek was very impressed by the ship's huge laundry room. A ship that big generates a lot of laundry. They change the sheets for all the passengers every day. There was a sign in our bathroom that said to hang up the towels if we were willing to use them again, but they were all replaced every day, too. And all the tables in the dining room had white tablecloths and cloth napkins. And I thought WE had a lot of laundry to do! The ship has huge mangles to fold and dry the linens all at once, to avoid needing to iron them.
Derek was unfamiliar with mangles--yes, those things you used to crank the laundry through to wring out the water. Who knew anyone still used them?
Derek also got to tour the engine room. The ship has 6 engines and can run fine at full speed with 5. They can tear down and rebuild an engine on board while the ship is at sea. The anchors are also impressive, more than 6 feet long.
The ship has two, and an emergency backup. EVERYTHING on the ship has backups. Hearing about some of the safety systems from Derek made me feel better. Even when it was foggy.
The tour also included the galley. Can you imagine feeding 1000 people all at once? Complete with special requests like "Can I have the gravy on the side?"
So the galley is huge, with some of the biggest pots I have ever seen. I think the food was extra good, because the executive chef for the whole cruise line was visiting our ship to inspect operations. Yes, feeding that many people is like a military operation. A few supplies:
And, just in case the regular food on the ship isn't good enough, there is also a premium restaurant on board, Sabatini's. It is by reservation only and costs an extra $20 per person. (Yes, in case you have any money left by that point in the cruise.) As the name suggests, it has an Italian theme. Dinner is served in courses, with lots of tastes of lots of dishes. And by "lots" I mean I lost count. Highlights I remember: antipasti with marinated veggies and cured meats,
seafood, salad, soup, pizza, multiple pastas, and a choice of main courses. I chose lobster tail with champagne butter. And the tiramisu was also memorable. We ate there on a slow night, when most people were still ashore in Juneau. There was only one other table of people in the whole restaurant, so we had three waiters to dote on us all evening. We were so spoiled!
Oh, in answer to a question: how much do people dress up on cruises? Well, we dressed up a lot on formal night. Maybe 10% of the other passengers were as dressed up as we were on the formal nights: tuxes and long gowns. Others had on glittery cocktail dresses and dark suits, for the most part. On the other nights, dinner was a lot less dressy. I wore a dark skirt and a dressy blouse. Derek wore khaki pants and polo shirts, which was pretty typical in the dining room. The other people at our table were slightly less dressed up. During the day, there were lots of jeans and khakis. Sweaters, fleece pull overs, and tacky souvenir tees were popular. I even saw one man in a shirt that said "I'm retired, this is as dressed up as I get."
Friday, July 10, 2009
The Ship
Derek got up very early on Sunday morning to take a walk. He got to see our ship, The Star Princess, come in to port. Emilie, on the other hand, knows how to enjoy a vacation and slept in a bit.
The ship has 17 stories (and a few more below the waterline) and holds 2,600 passengers. We boarded the ship about noon, via a tower of walkways.
We had heard bad things about long lines and grumpy employees at embarkation. But everyone was efficient and friendly. Except for some passengers. Obviously, a few people had never attended kindergarten. So they didn't know about things like standing in line and taking turns.
It is always exciting to board a cruise ship. This one had a huge, beautiful atrium. Sort of like the lobby in a very grand hotel. With those 17 levels, there are lots of elevators. That's what is behind the swirling silver foliage--a glass elevator.
We went to our cabin first. They are usually small, but adequate, with plenty of storage. We went for the least-expensive option, but were upgraded to a room with a window.
Our stateroom was ready when we boarded. That is amazing when you remember that the previous group of passengers only left the ship at about 9:30 that morning. Each room steward is a combination housekeeper, delivery man, and mother: they clean the room, bring you ice and the ship's newspaper, and even turn down the bed at night. Once he realized I liked to take naps and had long hair, our steward made sure to pop in to make the bed AGAIN after my nap and to leave extra towels. We got so spoiled. Somehow, our bed at home has not learned to make itself twice a day. Nor have chocolates appeared on the pillows.
The first order of business, after dropping our hand luggage in the cabin, was to explore the ship. It was really beautiful. The inside pool was warm and sunny, with beautiful mosaic decorations. We hung out here a lot: read, sun, and gaze out the windows.
The mosaics are glittery and colorful. Derek already looked relaxed and happy.
Just a few steps away from the pool (and the cushy lounge chairs) is the food: pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, a bar. We had our first meal at the buffet. There are stations for soup, salad, bread, lunch meats and cheeses, fruit, dessert, ethnic foods (varying every day: Chinese, Japanese, Italian, etc.), and carved meats like turkey and roast beef.
And thus begins the endless food extravaganza that is cruising. Food is included in the price of the cruise, although soda pop, alcohol, and fancy coffee is not. You could truly eat 24 hours a day. The buffet is always open, there is room service, poolside snacks, and four meals a day served in the dining rooms. (Yes, there is afternoon tea, just in case you feel a bit peckish before dinner.)
The service in the dining room is as lavish as in our cabin. Two waiters serve 4-8 tables. We chose "Traditional Dining," which meant we ate at the same time, with the same waiters and the same tablemates, each evening. Our waiters learned what we liked to drink and had it waiting for us, just like our own personal staff might do. We were never able to empty our glasses of water and tea. New silverware was brought for each course and the table was crumbed before dessert. The level of service was beyond anything I have ever experienced on land, except possibly at the old Pump Room in Chicago. No fancy restaurant in D.C. or Chicago lavished as much care on its diners as even a basic cruise ship does. When we got back to shore and I had to use the same fork for salad and entree it was such a rough return to reality! Here is a typical menu. Depending on your web browser, you may be able to click to see it larger.
You can order as many courses as you like, or two things from one course. Or, if you like, two servings of the same thing. This first night, Emilie chose the melon appetizer, cream of mushroom soup, prime rib, and something chocolate for dessert. Derek had the spring roll, tortelleni soup, and pan-fried barramundi (which is a kind of fish), with cheesecake for dessert. For some reason, we forgot to take a picture of the dessert menu. There were always 5 or so choices, including cheesecake, a sugar free dessert, and house-made (ship-made?) icecream.
Amazingly, we managed to waddle off after dinner to watch comedians or stage shows, or to do a little dancing. There was live music in the various small bars around the ship: oldies, ballroom, Latin, country, classic rock, big band. Derek was a very good sport about dancing. On the other hand, he figured he would never see any of these people every again, even if we did look silly. There were several serious ballroom and swing dancing couples, ranging in age from mid-twenties to perhaps mid-eighties. It was almost as fun to watch them as it was to dance!
There were two formal nights on the cruise.
Emilie got a new dress just for the occasion.
Derek brought his tux. Isn't he handsome?
Of course, if you didn't want to dress up, you could eat at the buffet or order room service. We dressed up and even had pictures take by the ship's photographers. The photos are just one way the cruise line parts you from your money. Alcohol and duty-free shopping are two others.
The second formal night:
The food is even fancier on formal nights. Derek had lobster, which the waiter even removed from the shell for him:
Emilie had Beef Wellington. It was tastier than it was photogenic. And, amazingly, it was served as requested: genuinely well-done.
I can't decide which is cuter, the swirl of duchesse potatoes or the tiny bowl made out of yellow squash!
Next time: more fine dining and a behind-the-scenes tour.
The ship has 17 stories (and a few more below the waterline) and holds 2,600 passengers. We boarded the ship about noon, via a tower of walkways.
We had heard bad things about long lines and grumpy employees at embarkation. But everyone was efficient and friendly. Except for some passengers. Obviously, a few people had never attended kindergarten. So they didn't know about things like standing in line and taking turns.
It is always exciting to board a cruise ship. This one had a huge, beautiful atrium. Sort of like the lobby in a very grand hotel. With those 17 levels, there are lots of elevators. That's what is behind the swirling silver foliage--a glass elevator.
We went to our cabin first. They are usually small, but adequate, with plenty of storage. We went for the least-expensive option, but were upgraded to a room with a window.
Our stateroom was ready when we boarded. That is amazing when you remember that the previous group of passengers only left the ship at about 9:30 that morning. Each room steward is a combination housekeeper, delivery man, and mother: they clean the room, bring you ice and the ship's newspaper, and even turn down the bed at night. Once he realized I liked to take naps and had long hair, our steward made sure to pop in to make the bed AGAIN after my nap and to leave extra towels. We got so spoiled. Somehow, our bed at home has not learned to make itself twice a day. Nor have chocolates appeared on the pillows.
The first order of business, after dropping our hand luggage in the cabin, was to explore the ship. It was really beautiful. The inside pool was warm and sunny, with beautiful mosaic decorations. We hung out here a lot: read, sun, and gaze out the windows.
The mosaics are glittery and colorful. Derek already looked relaxed and happy.
Just a few steps away from the pool (and the cushy lounge chairs) is the food: pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, french fries, a bar. We had our first meal at the buffet. There are stations for soup, salad, bread, lunch meats and cheeses, fruit, dessert, ethnic foods (varying every day: Chinese, Japanese, Italian, etc.), and carved meats like turkey and roast beef.
And thus begins the endless food extravaganza that is cruising. Food is included in the price of the cruise, although soda pop, alcohol, and fancy coffee is not. You could truly eat 24 hours a day. The buffet is always open, there is room service, poolside snacks, and four meals a day served in the dining rooms. (Yes, there is afternoon tea, just in case you feel a bit peckish before dinner.)
The service in the dining room is as lavish as in our cabin. Two waiters serve 4-8 tables. We chose "Traditional Dining," which meant we ate at the same time, with the same waiters and the same tablemates, each evening. Our waiters learned what we liked to drink and had it waiting for us, just like our own personal staff might do. We were never able to empty our glasses of water and tea. New silverware was brought for each course and the table was crumbed before dessert. The level of service was beyond anything I have ever experienced on land, except possibly at the old Pump Room in Chicago. No fancy restaurant in D.C. or Chicago lavished as much care on its diners as even a basic cruise ship does. When we got back to shore and I had to use the same fork for salad and entree it was such a rough return to reality! Here is a typical menu. Depending on your web browser, you may be able to click to see it larger.
You can order as many courses as you like, or two things from one course. Or, if you like, two servings of the same thing. This first night, Emilie chose the melon appetizer, cream of mushroom soup, prime rib, and something chocolate for dessert. Derek had the spring roll, tortelleni soup, and pan-fried barramundi (which is a kind of fish), with cheesecake for dessert. For some reason, we forgot to take a picture of the dessert menu. There were always 5 or so choices, including cheesecake, a sugar free dessert, and house-made (ship-made?) icecream.Amazingly, we managed to waddle off after dinner to watch comedians or stage shows, or to do a little dancing. There was live music in the various small bars around the ship: oldies, ballroom, Latin, country, classic rock, big band. Derek was a very good sport about dancing. On the other hand, he figured he would never see any of these people every again, even if we did look silly. There were several serious ballroom and swing dancing couples, ranging in age from mid-twenties to perhaps mid-eighties. It was almost as fun to watch them as it was to dance!
There were two formal nights on the cruise.
Emilie got a new dress just for the occasion.
Derek brought his tux. Isn't he handsome?Of course, if you didn't want to dress up, you could eat at the buffet or order room service. We dressed up and even had pictures take by the ship's photographers. The photos are just one way the cruise line parts you from your money. Alcohol and duty-free shopping are two others.
The second formal night:
The food is even fancier on formal nights. Derek had lobster, which the waiter even removed from the shell for him:
Emilie had Beef Wellington. It was tastier than it was photogenic. And, amazingly, it was served as requested: genuinely well-done.
I can't decide which is cuter, the swirl of duchesse potatoes or the tiny bowl made out of yellow squash!
Next time: more fine dining and a behind-the-scenes tour.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Cruising
Okay, okay! By popular demand, the Puppy Party Post will be delayed. Here, we will report on our totally awesome cruise to Alaska. I kind of thought Derek would be posting about this, since he took about 700 pictures during our vacation. No exaggeration. But he has this JOB thing that is taking up a lot of time, and since I am only teaching one hour a week this month, I guess Emilie will tell you about our cruise.
We kicked off our trip at the new, renovated Indianapolis airport. It was pretty, but I can't help but wonder if it was strictly necessary to spend quite so much on things like a 4-story atrium and Indiana themed art. Maybe more bathrooms would be a better use of my tax dollars? Here is the rather industrial-looking food court:
Our cruise departed from Seattle. We spent a day there before we got on the ship.
I had never been there before, and it was just beautiful. Plants that are small shrubs in Bloomington turn into TREES in Seattle.
Seattle is a very dog friendly city.
That just made me miss Dharma. We had to take her to Canine Companions for TEN WHOLE DAYS while we were gone. It was really hard to leave her. She is the smallest dog staying there. What if she thought we weren't coming back for her? What if she was lonely? What is the other dogs were mean to her? (Do I sound like Hagrid, worrying about Norbert, the baby dragon?) I admit, I did go look at her on their puppy cam while we were in Alaska. Yes, you can look at your pampered pooch on a live web cam while you are gone. This tells me that there are other puppy parents who are as over-protected as I am.
The best part of Seattle was getting to see our friend from college, Girl in Greenwood. Emilie had seen her for a few hours at the Chicago airport in 1999, but Derek hadn't seen her since we graduated from K-State in 1997. And we had never met her husband. It was wonderful to see our friend, and it felt like we had just seen each other the day before. She gave us a wonderful tour of the city, including the troll under the bridge. Not every city can say they have one of THOSE!
Next post: the ship.
We kicked off our trip at the new, renovated Indianapolis airport. It was pretty, but I can't help but wonder if it was strictly necessary to spend quite so much on things like a 4-story atrium and Indiana themed art. Maybe more bathrooms would be a better use of my tax dollars? Here is the rather industrial-looking food court:
Our cruise departed from Seattle. We spent a day there before we got on the ship.
I had never been there before, and it was just beautiful. Plants that are small shrubs in Bloomington turn into TREES in Seattle.
Seattle is a very dog friendly city.
That just made me miss Dharma. We had to take her to Canine Companions for TEN WHOLE DAYS while we were gone. It was really hard to leave her. She is the smallest dog staying there. What if she thought we weren't coming back for her? What if she was lonely? What is the other dogs were mean to her? (Do I sound like Hagrid, worrying about Norbert, the baby dragon?) I admit, I did go look at her on their puppy cam while we were in Alaska. Yes, you can look at your pampered pooch on a live web cam while you are gone. This tells me that there are other puppy parents who are as over-protected as I am.
The best part of Seattle was getting to see our friend from college, Girl in Greenwood. Emilie had seen her for a few hours at the Chicago airport in 1999, but Derek hadn't seen her since we graduated from K-State in 1997. And we had never met her husband. It was wonderful to see our friend, and it felt like we had just seen each other the day before. She gave us a wonderful tour of the city, including the troll under the bridge. Not every city can say they have one of THOSE!
Next post: the ship.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Birthday Dog!
Yes, as you can see on her neckerchief, Dharma is having a birthday. She is two!
And she got lots of presents! Unfortunately, she now thinks all tissue paper belongs to her. And it better have treats inside! She really "got into" opening presents!
She got a cute little sundress. Perfect for warm, sunny days on the patio.
And a reversible bandanna. A regular bandanna is too big for her, it looks more like a cape. This one is just right. And it coordinates nicely with her chocolate brown fur.
She is all ready for Independence Day, with a red, white, and blue ruff. It even has stars.
She also got a lovely cookie/cake from the London Dog bakery. It was so big, it lasted for two days (as doled out by Emilie, Dharma would be happy to eat until her little legs couldn't reach the ground, if she had half the chance.) She wasn't sure if the cookie or the crinkly bag was more fun. Next: Puppy Party!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
We have a garden!
The average last freeze date for Bloomington is supposed to be April 15. So, does that mean it is safe to finally plant something? Only about half of the time.
We planted some tulips in front of the house last fall. They were supposed to be white, pink, maroon, and white with purple edges. Unfortunately, the maroon came up more fuschia or purple. And the white came up looking . . . yellow, with red streaks.
I guess they were mislabeled. The overall effect is a bit like Mardi Gras. I was hoping to have pink and maroon flowers in the front of the house, to harmonize with the gray and white house and go with the maroon front door. Purple and yellow weren't exactly what I was picturing. At least the yellow tulips are big and beautiful. And the yellow seems to fade a bit as they open fully. Or am I fooling myself?
I was so eager for spring I couldn't wait for warm weather, so I started some seeds indoors.
We planted them yesterday.
We hope to have cornflowers, blue and white morning glories, moon flowers, and lady lavender (a lot like true lavender, but blooms the first year and is slightly less invasive) by the trellis. So far, we have . . . bean sprouts.
We have tulips in the backyard, too. They were supposed to be purple. I suspect they are the exact same variety as the ones out front that were supposed to be maroon.
Oh, well. At least they came up. I think the hydrangeas next to them are alive. But I have serious doubts about the lilac bush. Other people have actual lilac blooms in their yards right now. I have some tiny buds on the end of dry sticks.
I think I have garden jealousy. "Thou shalt not covet they neighbors shrubs." The book "The Princess Bride" says that originally, all jealousy was reserved to plants. That's where the phrase "green with envy" came from. Tee-hee.
Maybe I can just stick these pansies in front of the slow-growing lilac bush. It IS a rather small bush.
Our snowball bush has little blossoms on it. They're just more green than white. Is there such a thing as acid snow? Maybe that's why its green. I have fond memories of a snowball bush in the house where I grew up. A branch with a "snowball" on the end makes an excellent fairy wand.
Out front, the little faux gas lamp will be surrounded by echinacea, red morning glories, cosmos, and zinnias. I hope the cosmos attract as many caterpillars and butterflies as last year. Dharma loves to chase the butterflies. But they cheat: they can fly and she can't.
Dharma has been enjoying the warm weather, too.
We planted some tulips in front of the house last fall. They were supposed to be white, pink, maroon, and white with purple edges. Unfortunately, the maroon came up more fuschia or purple. And the white came up looking . . . yellow, with red streaks.
I guess they were mislabeled. The overall effect is a bit like Mardi Gras. I was hoping to have pink and maroon flowers in the front of the house, to harmonize with the gray and white house and go with the maroon front door. Purple and yellow weren't exactly what I was picturing. At least the yellow tulips are big and beautiful. And the yellow seems to fade a bit as they open fully. Or am I fooling myself?I was so eager for spring I couldn't wait for warm weather, so I started some seeds indoors.
We planted them yesterday.
We hope to have cornflowers, blue and white morning glories, moon flowers, and lady lavender (a lot like true lavender, but blooms the first year and is slightly less invasive) by the trellis. So far, we have . . . bean sprouts.
We have tulips in the backyard, too. They were supposed to be purple. I suspect they are the exact same variety as the ones out front that were supposed to be maroon.
Oh, well. At least they came up. I think the hydrangeas next to them are alive. But I have serious doubts about the lilac bush. Other people have actual lilac blooms in their yards right now. I have some tiny buds on the end of dry sticks.
I think I have garden jealousy. "Thou shalt not covet they neighbors shrubs." The book "The Princess Bride" says that originally, all jealousy was reserved to plants. That's where the phrase "green with envy" came from. Tee-hee.
Maybe I can just stick these pansies in front of the slow-growing lilac bush. It IS a rather small bush.
Our snowball bush has little blossoms on it. They're just more green than white. Is there such a thing as acid snow? Maybe that's why its green. I have fond memories of a snowball bush in the house where I grew up. A branch with a "snowball" on the end makes an excellent fairy wand.
Out front, the little faux gas lamp will be surrounded by echinacea, red morning glories, cosmos, and zinnias. I hope the cosmos attract as many caterpillars and butterflies as last year. Dharma loves to chase the butterflies. But they cheat: they can fly and she can't.
Dharma has been enjoying the warm weather, too.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Guests
We managed to put the guest room at Johnson's Meeting House to use again over Easter weekend. Derek's mom and stepdad came to see us.
Left to right: Terry, Gerry, and Derek
They had planned to come last October, but Terry (the stepdad) fell and broke his foot, which made driving 11 hours to see us sound a LOT less appealing. They brought their puppy, a Maltese named Abby.
Abby and Dharma met last Christmas when we stayed with them (and, crazy people that we are, took Dharma with us.) I would say they learned to tolerate each other, that's about all. This visit they did play a little bit, but we made sure to keep them in different rooms when we were gone.
Dharma says "Who is this, and WHAT is she doing on my pillows?"
Dharma kept stealing Abby's toys. And even a whole bag of her things!
Bad doggie!
Nonetheless, both doggies were visited by the Easter Bunny. They shared the treats fairly well. Abby had an easter-egg print bandana and Dharma had a little spring frock from Emilie's mom, and they both looked adorable. Clearly, dog spoiling runs in BOTH families.
The non-puppies among us had Easter brunch at the Tudor Room, a restaurant in the IU Memorial Union. It is, as the name suggests, a gothic revival style hall. The food was nice, our server was sweet, and we all had more than enough good things to eat. On the other hand, they need to hire me next year to organize them. Reservations were lost, lines were formed and then ignored, some people gave up and left without dinner, kids cried, and everyone waited much longer than necessary. Step one to fixing this mess? Get someone with good English skills to work at the reception stand. Really. The person working there was not able to answer questions like "Is this the right line for people with reservations?" On a more cheerful note, we also walked around and admired the flowers and trees on campus. They were lovely, and set off our Easter bonnet and flowery dresses very well.
Emilie had to keep teaching all week, but Derek was able to take the week off. He took our guests to Indianapolis, the outlet mall in Edinburgh, and lovely downtown Bloomington. Emilie joined them to go to Nashville. Much eating and shopping was enjoyed by all. Well, Derek probably enjoyed the eating somewhat more than the shopping.
Next post: spring gardening update!
Left to right: Terry, Gerry, and DerekThey had planned to come last October, but Terry (the stepdad) fell and broke his foot, which made driving 11 hours to see us sound a LOT less appealing. They brought their puppy, a Maltese named Abby.
Abby and Dharma met last Christmas when we stayed with them (and, crazy people that we are, took Dharma with us.) I would say they learned to tolerate each other, that's about all. This visit they did play a little bit, but we made sure to keep them in different rooms when we were gone.
Dharma says "Who is this, and WHAT is she doing on my pillows?"Dharma kept stealing Abby's toys. And even a whole bag of her things!
Bad doggie!Nonetheless, both doggies were visited by the Easter Bunny. They shared the treats fairly well. Abby had an easter-egg print bandana and Dharma had a little spring frock from Emilie's mom, and they both looked adorable. Clearly, dog spoiling runs in BOTH families.
The non-puppies among us had Easter brunch at the Tudor Room, a restaurant in the IU Memorial Union. It is, as the name suggests, a gothic revival style hall. The food was nice, our server was sweet, and we all had more than enough good things to eat. On the other hand, they need to hire me next year to organize them. Reservations were lost, lines were formed and then ignored, some people gave up and left without dinner, kids cried, and everyone waited much longer than necessary. Step one to fixing this mess? Get someone with good English skills to work at the reception stand. Really. The person working there was not able to answer questions like "Is this the right line for people with reservations?" On a more cheerful note, we also walked around and admired the flowers and trees on campus. They were lovely, and set off our Easter bonnet and flowery dresses very well.
Emilie had to keep teaching all week, but Derek was able to take the week off. He took our guests to Indianapolis, the outlet mall in Edinburgh, and lovely downtown Bloomington. Emilie joined them to go to Nashville. Much eating and shopping was enjoyed by all. Well, Derek probably enjoyed the eating somewhat more than the shopping.
Next post: spring gardening update!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Birthday...or birth week
Emilie is a year older. And she managed to drag out the festivities for over a week. It helped that Ivy Tech decided to honor her birth with a week of Spring Break.
Siberian Iris. Not at Ivy Tech, just a sign of spring.
One present that came in the mail was supposed to be opened at once. So the puppy could start wearing it immediately.
On her birthday, Emilie slept late and then opened presents. Opening presents in bed is a bit like having breakfast in bed. But without the crumbs.
There were so many gifts . . .
That Dharma had to help open some.
Then yet another present came in the mail.
It was a shirt from Derek, in Emilie's new favorite color. (And it apparently matches Dharma's eyes, too.) Is that what business people call just-in-time inventory?
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