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A yummy day...

Masala (not my picture...just thought
you should know).

Sometimes I think I just have the best job ever -- even when I don't sell a house.   Last Friday, I had a typically atypical day being a Realtor.  That's one of the perks of working in real estate, you rarely have the same day twice. She was in Lexington interviewing for a position and I was asked to give her a tour of town and show her some housing options. We had spoken on the phone on Tuesday and made our plans to meet. She really wanted to just rent and honestly there's not much I can do as a Realtor for people who want to rent. Lexington is different from other cities as far renting something happens. I wasn't overly optimistic about how our day would go but I figured I'd do the very best I could for her!


Padma turned out to be lovely, smiling extrovert! She talked immediately about her job interview while we drove off to one of the schools she wanted to visit and a nearby apartment complex.

And that was it. We found the perfect apartment if she takes the job.

Then, we went to lunch! We went to Masala, one of Lexington's best Indian buffets. I felt a little odd taking the Indian woman to the Indian restaurant. I hope it wasn't inappropriate but we had smelled Masala from the apartment complex, she said she was open to anything for lunch, we were running out of time and Masala does have a buffet!

Delicious! That's what lunch was. Padma thought lunch was great too. She struck up a big conversation with the owner which was all in Indian but I'm sure she was telling her what a great Realtor I am. (Then, he brought her some cute little green peppers that probably would have burned a hole in my tongue.) Actually, he told her that we were good luck as the health department was inspecting them right then and the inspector thought we were very happy patrons. Which, of course, we were because lunch was so delicious. I was even happier because Padma thought our little Indian place was really good. I'm so proud.

Over two huge plates of food, we talked a lot about parenting, the importance of family dinner time, exercising, our mothers and then she treated me to lunch which was so very nice!

I'd say the odds are good that Padma won't be moving to Lexington so subsequently she probably won't be buying a house with me. While those three hours might not be profitable in an immediate financial sense, they were sure fun! I'm delighted to have spent an afternoon with her and have the good fortune that I get to call it work!

Hunter Boots - the new Mom appliance

Oh but I loved the comments from my last post about coffee!  I love hearing what the nice nieces are doing (real nieces and faux nieces as well as sisters :-)).  This blog is awfully girly most of the time, isn't it?  Sorry male readers.  Are there any male readers?  Speak up and we can be more boy-ish sometimes!

Anyway, in the spirit of girly-ness, I just wanted to share that I took the plunge and ordered my boots as an early Christmas present!  My logic:  I stood out at Will's lacrosse scrimmage yesterday for 2+ hours. The weather was glorious as it was on Sunday afternoon at Will's baseball game.  But, imagine if it hadn't been!  I would have been so much happier in my waterproof Hunter Boots.  They're a mom-investment. Plus, showing property? They'll be swell and I'll feel like a New Yorker!  We're getting to the fall and winter season -- dry feet are happy feet! 

Like a minivan, Hunter boots may be the perfect Mom/Realtor appliance.  Have I ever pointed out that my van is white to match my washer and dryer?  I ended up getting the black boots because it will match my range & dishwasher.  

Maybe they should make stainless steel colored boots or perhaps Aubergine appliances. 

Coffee, anyone?

I know it’s not Monday but it feels like it. Maybe it’s the rain and the early autumn chill in the air that I hope shall pass. Plus, I’ve been longing for New York lately. Again, is it the Fall change of seasons and not knowing what to wear post-Labor Day? Can I still wear my white jeans if I pair them with something from the orange/brown family? Is it too early to wear boots? I’m sure there’s something at H & M, Uniqlo or that lovely Anthropologie at Rockefeller Center that would ease my morning suffering as I stare into my closet at a total loss for what to wear in an unseasonably cool early September.


To counteract my Thursday-feels like-Monday-pining-for-New York-morning doldrums, I decided that I needed a coffee treat so I stopped in downstairs at Starbucks before heading upstairs to the office.. Don’t spread this around but I’ve been at Starbucks more than usual lately (perhaps the influence of Isabug’s morning coffee blogposts). But enjoying Starbucks is part of my effort to take advantage of my prime office location and to feel better about the suffering my back bumper is experiencing at the mercy of the worst parking lot in town. Obviously, horrible parking is the price one pays for cool working space. Anyway, I did get my favorite parking space both yesterday and today. It’s the end space where your car can only get hit on one side. Then, I decided to try something new (and cheaper), I cautiously ordered a Caffee Misto surprising the barista by asking what one was! He was really excited to tell me about it. I guess no one asks for help ordering at Starbucks anymore. It’s only $2.10 for a tall Caffee Misto versus $3.70-something for my usual latte (except that I usually get a grande which is even more expensive). It isn’t quite the taste treat of a Cinnamon Dolce latte or pumpkin spice (which is back! Yeah!) but it’s pretty darn good, plus if I get a cheaper coffee treat I can have them more often, right?

Oh, and why else am I missing New York? Did I mention that I am listening for the umpteenth time to Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Nights? I finally finished listening to Jon Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven and needed a little literary candy after that. Good suggestion from the nieces that I would definitely need some post-religious fundamentalism palate cleansing. I tried starting Ann Patchett’s new book State of Wonder and as much as I love her writing, the nieces were right --after Under the Banner of Heaven you really need some fun!

So what’s new with you? Anybody want to get a coffee with me later?

Milestones...

Vanderbilt gets the prize for being the first
college to recruit Mary Rollins...
!

Parenting continually presents an array of milestones that when they occur make you realize that a particular moment is an important first in the forward movement of your child's life.  There are the obvious things, of course, like a first smile, a first step, a first haircut and first days of school.

And then, there's the complete curve balls like the first college brochure that arrives in the mail.  Eeek!!! 

I mean I knew she'd go to college one day but dang, I feel old...

Also seen in my backyard...

As previously posted, I've been spending way more time than usual in my backyard.  There's been a lot going on back there with the flora and the fauna.  There's my bumper crop of poison ivy, the frog who seems happy to have new fishy friends, a really big, really brave bunny rabbit who has been coming to graze in the middle of the back yard every afternoon and my lovely hummingbird, Snitch.  I've spent a lot of time staring out the kitchen window into the backyard at my hummingbird feeder lately. 

For most of August, my hummingbird feeder has only had the one customer.  An adorable, miniscule ruby-throated hummie who calmly sits on the feeder and greedily slurps away.  Then, last week all hummingbird hell broke loose and we had a turf war at the feeder.  Snitch zoomed in and chased away an itinerant hummingbird that had discovered my feeder.  It was very dramatic and buzzy -- like Snoopy and the Red Baron!  The new hummingbird must really like my recipe for food though because he won't be deterred by the angry Snitch.  He keeps sneaking back and hovers over the nectar holes with one eye on eating and one eye looking out for Snitch.  I can tell he's really nervous because he won't sit and eat.  

Yep, it's exciting times at my house.  I should probably get back to work...

Full Circle

You know your life has come full circle when you lose your parents at the grocery store AND your parents bicker at the grocery like you and your brothers used to do.

I've heard that grandchildren are a parent's revenge but I'm pretty certain the parents themselves are the parent's revenge. 

The Arabesque...

Planking may be hot these days but not with MR.  She believes in the Arabesque.  And, the Arabesque challenge continues...

And I quote, "Mom, you take bad pictures." 
Right, because I'm sure it wasn't your arabesquing skills...

The Honeysuckle Wars

We're having a cocktail party Saturday night.  And, in honor of the people coming to my house for what I hope will be a moderately elegant affair (where undoubtedly everyone will stand around in my kitchen as usual), I decided that I needed to face the jungle which is my backyard.  Marc and I sort of have this unspoken pact -- he mows the lawn and edges while responsibility/blame for the state of the flower beds, herb garden, pond, et cetera falls to me.  I've decided he definitely gets the better end of the deal.  I mean all he has to do is go out and push the mower around.  It involves absolutely no thought whatsoever.  He walks blithely around with not a thought in his head about whether or not he's doing it the "right" way.  When the mower cooperates, the grass obligingly submits to his ministrations and voila! he achieves perfection.  His only challenge is that sometimes the mower doesn't work.  We have two mowers now but that's a different story.

I, on the other hand, am waging a war with crabgrass, honeysuckle (of multiple varieties), Virginia creeper, volunteer saplings, thistles, sapling trees and poison ivy.  It seems that every flower bed I have is infested with a different species of invasive plant.  In some places the "good" things have even turned bad...the sweet lamb's ear and variegated leaf ground cover have taken over the pebble walkway to the composters and raised beds at the side of the house.  And someone must be giving the trumpet vine growing outside my bedroom window steroids.  It was looking lovely and then I return from Alaska and I can't walk through the arbor it's growing on.  And, even my little fish pond has a bad case of string algae.

Anyone care to kiss him to see if he's a prince?



Swimmy, Zipper and Max named in tribute to former Mathews family pets (Zipper and Max were both gerbils that Howie killed during his verminating reign of terror.  Here they are in the van on the car ride home.  I held them just like that and drove one-handed.  I did not text and drive while holding the fish.  Even at the stoplights.

 Speaking of the fish pond, sometimes known as the Pond of Doom in memory of the many fishy and amphibious souls that have met untimely deaths there (as well as one small rabbit and yesterday a bird -- seriously,  how does this happen!), it has some new inhabitants.  Three goldfish, the cheapest ones I could find at the pond store, were introduced to our heroic frog who was the pond's sole survivor of last year's dreadful winter. I'd like to say they successfully were introduced but I'm not sure I should use the word "successful."  I carefully transitioned them from the safety of the plastic bag to the pond.  Then, they promptly disappeared beneath the aforementioned string algae into the murky depths.  I'm taking it as a positive sign that I haven't seen them doing the dreaded backstroke.  The bird I found yesterday floating dead in the pond really puzzles me.  I suspect Jewel of playing some role in its demise.

Anyway, I have spent a multitude of hours out there in the last week.  I have discovered that there are still some verifiable herbs in my herb garden notably lavender and chives and I have almost defeated the crabgrass invasion -- one more rain and the ground will be soft enough for me to show it who's boss.  But then there's the poison ivy.  Guess which of us won that battle...scratch scratch. 

A little about Alaska...

I'm going to post some more pictures from Alaska later but I was just thinking tonight after looking at a few pictures from the trip that this is how I would sum it all up:

If you want to be warm, dry and clean, do NOT go to Alaska for vacation. However, if you don't mind being wet, chilly and a bit muddy, Alaska might be the most beautiful place in the world.  I love Alaska...

Mt. McKinley

Glacier Hiking - Kenai Fjords NP - Exit Glacier

Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau

Hiking in Denali

Tomato Pie

To me nothing says "summer" like Tomato Pie and a bike ride to the Farmer's Market.

New recipe a la Southern Living with a made-from-scratch sour cream pastry crust.  I think I might need crust-making lessons though. And yes, that is a Bybee pie plate.

Out and about...

In a continued attempt to make the Summer of 2011 the best ever and warp my children's sensibilities, last night I took MR and Christina to The Rocky Horror Show playing at Summerfest.  Nothing beats theater outside at the Arboretum. Although, in truth I think I really prefer my theater indoors without bugs and with a proper seat.  I'm getting old for three hours of sitting on a blanket.

Last night's Rocky Horror -- playing through Saturday night at the Arboretum-- really was a treat on so many levels.  My highlight was that one of my college friends, Jerome McIlvain, played the role of Riff Raff to perfection.  As a mom, I have to thank him for making me cool.  MR and Christina were so impressed that I was friends with him in an ordinary mom is friends with uber-talented actor kind of way! 

MR was fascinated by the man sitting next to her in the nice plaid shorts who sang every line of the movie in complete monotone. His girlfriend was hushing him at first but then later she also started singing.  What more can you expect at Rocky Horror!?

They also kept announcing that the content of the show might not be appropriate for children under the age of 16 and there would be no ticket refunds if you were offended and wanted to leave.  I jokingly suggested we shouldn't go in to which C and MR both said, "YOU TOOK US TO SPRING AWAKENING!"

Oh yeah.  I do discourage the watching of Spongebob Squarepants though.

And on that note, happy times to all.  My bags are packed and ready for Alaska!  Whoo hoo!!!  

Look! Harry Potter People!

We did it!  MR, Graff, Christina, Will and I kissed a going-to-bed Marc good-bye and left for Fayette Mall at 10 pm for our 12:30 am showing of Harry Potter and the DH2 stopping at Orange Leaf as Frojos closes at 10 pm (too bad that didn't stay open late for HP) and then heading to the theater.  I was going to get coffee-flavored frozen yogurt but opted for Butter Pecan topped with various chocolate candy bar bits instead hoping that that plus my 9:30 pm iced coffee would provide the caffeinated jolt I needed to last until 3 am.  As we entered Orange Leaf there weren't too many costumed folks there, but I heard someone exclaim as Bellatrix and Hermione and the Muggle Boys emerged from my car,  "Look!  Harry Potter People!".  And indeed, Mary Rollins and Christina were some of the very best Potter people I saw all night.

Hermione is carrying her own copy of The Tales of Beadle the Bard and is accompanied by her house elf, Cleo,
who magically appears in many photos

Up close the Gryffindor badge was pretty cool.

Christina as Bellatrix.  She really was the best Bellatrix I saw. 

The Death Eater's mark up close -- drawn in eyeliner by Christina's mom -- she's got skills!

There's that pesky house elf again (I wish it would do some actual work around the house).

Hermione and Mrs. Granger

Mrs. Granger and her fellow Muggles.  They acted like they were embarrassed by the girls
but I don't really think so...

She might be scarier than the real Bellatrix.

Emma Watson Junior with the real Emma Watson.

This left me speechless with joy and taking a picture in a bathroom stall -- a definite first.

Harry Potter

Hooray for Harry Potter!  And, Peddie has already seen it auf English in Deutschland!  Lucky Germany-dwelling girl.  And, is it true that she got to see the World Cup game yesterday?  What good fortune for our globe-trotter.  I'm so boring...

...And yet, Mary Rollins is doing summer school Physical Education for this week so as not to take it during the school year and she asked one of her friends what fun things he had done this summer.  He said, "nothing but play baseball".  He asked about her summer and she said she was a little embarrassed as she went through her long list of fun and travels--Italy, South Carolina, Lakehouse, Alaska.  I think we're pretty lucky here at the Mathews house, too.  There's never a dull moment anyway. 

Harry Potter, 12:30 a.m. tickets!  Photos tomorrow, perhaps?!

Surfing safari

Surfing Isle of Palms

Off to the beach

Surfing lesson

This is Graff surfing.  Bad picture as the photographer was pounded by a giant
wave just as she snapped the photo.



This is the cool picture.



This is not a surfing picture.  It's just super cute...

The Battle of the Sexes

The Chin-Up



Arabesque, Part One



The Challenger





Moments before Graff fell off.

Yesterday's varied competitions.  Mary Rollins definitely beat Graff on both Arabesque & Stand-Up Paddleboarding while Graff scores with Chin-upping and beat MR by 2 points in Scrabble**

**some clarification should be made here that Graff was given some Scrabble coaching and Mary Rollins is not sure that he should be given that win.  

Not at Home in The Bluegrass

Coach Trip and Setlak

The gathered crowd witnessing the actions of a truly brave man

First, a baseball update.  Will's Eastern Little League team, The Pirates, won the League regular and tournament championships.  Have I mentioned that previously?  It was a great fantastic.  Some of the highlights included one of the world's best little league coaches telling the boys if they won the tournament, they could shave his head.  

Then, Will played All-Stars.  It was awesome, however, in the double elimination tournament they lost both games WHICH meant, MR (now home from Italy and with one week of summer freedom before summer school starts) and Will and I (with much reshuffling of work activity) were free to be NOT AT HOME IN THE BLUEGRASS!  Where are we, you ask? 

In Charleston!  Yay!  Our favorite home away from home.  And, we got to bring our favorite community service project aka Graff with us! 

My pilgrim returns...

My little pilgrim returned last night at 7:36 p.m.  Marc and I picked her up at the airport and stopped to get Christina (her BFF) on the way to the airport.  While it seems like MR was gone forever (she was at camp the week before Italy and only home for a few days before leaving), I only started really missing her yesterday.  I think I was to happy for her to be on her trip, that letting myself miss her might have sent some bad karma!  Anyway, I'm thrilled to have my girl back.  There was an awful lot of boy-ness over here.  A mom can only talk so much baseball stats and baseball bat composition before needing a dose of fashion (although we did watch Ugly Betty on Netflix anyway.  The boys miss all the subtlty of the really good fashion jokes though, like, "she's so dumb she thinks Emporio Armani and and Giorgio Armani are brothers."  Marc said, "aren't they?").



American girls in Orvietto.  Marc to Mary Rollins, "Did they know you were Americans?"  Mary Rollins to Marc, "Yeah...I'm pretty sure they knew." 

 Mary Rollins had the best time.  She arrived home tan, exhausted and full of stories.  Hopefully, her suitcase will arrive this morning.  At least she saw it in Charlotte so we know it's in the US.  She's currently sleeping away her jet lag.  It's nice to have everyone home.

Could I run faster and other dirty, ugly secrets...

This morning I was exhausted.  I woke up after NOT a good night's sleep at 5:15 a.m. with a boy standing over my head with his iPhone screen flashed before my eyes. 

"Mom...hey...are you awake?  Hey...Dad's downstairs taking a shower he's making too much noise, can we have your bed?" 

"Ummmm..." I mumbled, "Sure."  And, I stumbled off downstairs to lay in the bed Will and his friend John who was sleeping over had just vacated.  Actually, Marc was making too much noise and soon I was up and fumbling at the coffee pot.  There's a lot of "umbling" in this story isn't there?

I was so tired (this is not typical for me and normally, I am up by 5:30 but in a much more chipper frame of mind) that I decided instead of my scheduled morning run, I'd just powerwalk. I started off in the growing light of morning and spotted up ahead of me some people I thought I knew and don't particularly care for.  I decided maybe I'd better run afterall, pass them and then walk again further down the road.  And the truth is that yes, in my little head, I was showing off that I run.  I diidn't want these people to think I was just a "walker."*

I quickly passed the women whom I didn't want classifying me as a walker (and who it turned out weren't who I thought they were) but just as I started to slow, coming at me was my dear friend Beth.  Beth is like, well, a Jack Russell Terrier.  I love Jack Russell Terriers.  I have two of them (well, one and a half).  I love Beth.  Beth is one of the most energetic and fit people, I know.  She's always upbeat, she's always got something up her sleeve and she's got muscles I covet.  (She also has a fabulous house and yard).  When I started running four years ago, Beth was one of those people that I held in my mind as my inspiration.

I've been feeling pretty good about my running lately.  I average about 20 miles a week ranging from 4.5 miles to as many as 7.  When I finish my long runs, I know I have more miles in me, I'm just out of time.   This morning I learned, I should not feel so good.

Beth sees me and says "Gwen!  let me run with you, I'm just finishing up.  I wanted to talk to you anyway."  I knew then I was in trouble.  Beth turns around and joins me on my run.  Suddenly, my pace picks up to her pace (speedy) and she's asking me deep, philosophical questions about things like whether sexual orientation has bearing on one's ability to minister, if you have to be a liberal to believe in social justice.  Questions I would LOVE to talk about if you weren't making me run a %$#*&() 7.5 minute mile and my heart and lungs weren't about to explode! 
 
In actuality, it was probably an 8-minute mile but nonetheless what an enlightening conversation we had that held great revelation for me.  For example, I now know with absolute certainty that I am a slow runner.  I have suspected that for some time but it's now verfied.  Two, I cannot run fast and talk sensibly at the same time.   Possibly, I can't even run slowly and talk at the same time.  Three, running with a friend is really fun and I should probably be doing that if I want to run faster.  Four, the next time I'm discussing philosphical and spiritual matters, I want it to be with a glass of wine.

On that note, I want to thank Beth for the lovely morning run that I thought wasn't going to happen.  Let's do it again soon!  And, maybe I'll have some better points to make in our continuing dialogue when my brain is being properly oxygenated.

*Please note that I think walking is a wonderful exercise and a much more sensible exercise than running.  Only crazy people run.    My own personal self-competitiveness holds no judgement for walkers.  Walk on, I say!!

My little pilgrim



Traveling attire
Scarf:  H & M (mine)
Top:  Uniqlo (mine)
Blue Jean shorts: American Eagle (hers)
Sandals: Chacos (hers)
Backpack: LandsEnd (hers)
Suitcase (vintage -- from me-- in fact, this is the very
suitcase I took to Europe with me on all my travels.  MR thought that was pretty cool
although Will thought it was hideous)



Ciao Baby!  Since I haven't gotten any photos of my little pilgrim actually in Italy, I thought some departing shots would be nice to share.

Off to the left in this photo is one of their leaders who is making her very first trip to Europe.  She's even older than I am,  My favorite part of the whole farewell scene was that her mom and dad brought her to the airport and her mom stood looking through the glass at the security gate with Marc, the Wilsons (Graff's mom and dad) and me as we watched our babies ride the escalators up and out of sight. 

Italy bound...Part 2

Here's an even better blog link for the pilgrims.  Click Here!

I'm helping Graff pack this morning too via text and phone call.  His mom is the priest for Reading Camp at the Cathedral Domain this week so he's sort of on his own for his Italy packing.  Mary Rollins sent him a packing list and I coached him through laundry long-distance on Monday.  Frankly, I was really impressed that he was doing his own laundry.  I don't think Mary Rollins could do her own and Will, HA!, he can't even find the laundry basket!

Italy bound...

Mary Rollins leaves this afternoon for the long-anticipated pilgrimmage to Italy with Wonder Voyage!  What could be better than to be 15 and going to Italy?  Certainly not staying home with your parents and pesky little brother!  First stop Rome, then Florence then Assissi. 

Bon voyage and she sends her heartfelt thanks to all (Isabug and Aunt Stacey) who contributed to the J2A fundraising events.  Postcards have been promised! 

Also, you can become a fan of Wonder Voyage on Facebook and I believe they may have periodic pictures from the trip on-line. 

Bybee sadness

It finally happened. That which I have most dreaded (and it's not the return of the Dark Lord you kooky Harry Potter readers).  Bybee Pottery has laid off its workers, sold off their inventory and may be closing its doors forever. 

I was making Marc his coffee this morning in the Bybee mug that I bought back in 1988 for my first apartment and looked at the big cracks down the side that have been developing over the last couple of months.  They never bothered me before because that mug was ever so replaceable!  No more.  I touch every piece of Bybee with such tenderness now. 

Dang it. I'm hopeful that this is merely a temporary hiatus of pottery-making but do, please, be extra careful with your Bybee.



My beautiful Bybee (replacement) canisters.  Made especially for me.  They rank high on my
list of best loved material goods.



Some summer...