Welcome Spring!

I know!  They're beautiful aren't they?!?!?

My yard is a profusion of golden yellow.  I've never before seen my daffodils so early, so plentiful or so delightful.  Or maybe, like the autumn leaves and my Christmas tree, my memory of the past year doesn't live up to the reality of the present.  That's probably a good thing.

We bought our house at the beginning of winter almost nine years ago.  At the time, we lived all of seven houses away but in the many walks we'd made past the house that is now ours, we'd never noticed how fantastic yard was.  We've done a lot since then (or not done a lot since then as the case may be) to neglect and destroy much of the glorious work of the previous owners but despite all our inattention, an absolutely amazing array of daffodils arrives every spring in the midst of the crab grass, dandelions, thistles and honeysuckle which seem to be the only thing I can grow with much success. 

Of all that is inevitable, thankfully Spring, too, is one of them!

Bracketology...

Warning:  Another Will post...



Please note:  we will not be disappointed in
the least if Team Mathews doesn't win but UK does!

 I confess that until last year I had never actually completed an NCAA tournament bracket.  Crazy, I know.  But, last year it became the best-ever Mom and Lad activity.  So yesterday afternoon while I prepared dinner and Will grumped about what I was cooking (leftovers) we worked on our bracket for my office pool.   We used a very scientific method:  a combination of rankings, gut intuition, general distate for ACC schools and the occasional quarter toss. 

We would like to add that we are Kentucky fans but decided that we didn't want to jinx the Cats like we did last year when we had them going all the way.

Also, if we win, I'm donating my half my funds to the Red Cross for aid to Japan. Will, however, wants to buy shoes which confirms for me that he really is my child.

Happy Pi Day!

Will and I were on the way to school this morning with a warm chocolate chip pie for his Algebra class nestled between us in honor of Pi Day.  I said, "Maybe we should have quiche for dinner.  It's a pie."

"No.  I really don't like quiche."

"Will," I said, "don't you wish you liked more foods.  Wouldn't life be so much easier if you did?".

"No, imagine how hard it would be for me at a restaurant if I liked everything on the menu?".

Hmmm...I really never thought of it that way.  Maybe if I disliked more things my life would be easier!  Living in the black and white. Perhaps that's the attraction of fundamentalism.  It removes the need to think. 

So on that note, Happy Pi Day! 

You will want to see this...

Just because the World Equestrian Games are over doesn't mean that Lexington isn't still a really cool place to be.  Right now my very own, Christ Church Cathedral is hosting a solo exhibit of Russian-born Ludmila Pawlowska's work entitled "Icons in Transformation".  The show at Christ Church opens the exhibit for all of the U.S.  It's appeared in Cathedrals throughout Europe and the amazing art-at-the Cathedral committee (of which I'm not a member) orchestrated our Cathedral as the setting for its American opening.  The show while on exhibit in an English Cathedral even drew a visit from Prince Charles and Camilla.

Sure, you're thinking how cool could an art exhibit at a church be?  This is cool.  This is perhaps one of the most incredible art exhibits I've ever seen.  Ludmila's works are inspired by traditional Russian icons but her pieces are anything but traditional.  They're huge and small, rich and textured, gigantic sculpture and small canvas.  You could look at most pieces for hours and never see all that's there!  I don't know when I've ever been so tempted to defy a "do not touch" sign.

The pieces are placed throughout the entire Cathedral.  There are works you pass going to the altar rail for communion, six gigantic pieces flank the entry to our great hall, works along the walls of the sanctuary and the crown of thorns...wow..let me just say that I'm going to stand inside it one day when no one else is around.  I had the opportunity to serve food on the opening night which coincided with Lexington's Gallery Hop and 800 people hopped through.  While we do serve free wine, I'm pretty sure they were drawn by more than that.    We've also had some wonderful forums and great dialogue about sacred art and the place of art in worship. 

I haven't done it yet, but I intend to take at least one day off of work during Lent to spend with the Icons.  Want to come spend a day too? 

Here's a link to the exhibit:   http://www.diolex.org/article279868.htm  and let me also recomment just googline Icons in Transformation if you want to see what I'm talking about!

Today...

is a very long time since my last blog post and it's been a very long few weeks. 

I can share that today's writing group prompt was "write about a grandmother".  I wrote about Jane Selby.  My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the Selby readers.  I wish I could be in Charleston this weekend with you all.  

I'm hoping to have a crabcake sometime today in her memory and take special note of its inferiority. 

It's snowing...again

That's what I was thinking and I heard a resounding chorus of it around the office.  Let me make this perfectly clear:  I am so tired of snow.  I meant to say it like this thought:  I'M SO TIRED OF SNOW.

Oh, Spring, where art thou???

Pathetic view from my office window...

So fond(ue) of New York...



My new favorite Mathewsies picture. 



I am a shameful bad blogger.  Why? Because, I have not had time to blog here lately or there (http://www.bluegrassmoms.com/ or http://www.what2readnext.blogspot.com/)  Bad me. 

I have been a good little Realtor, traveler and cook though!  We had so much fun-fun-fun in New York the weekend before last getting to see the Isabug (our favorite New York attraction), going to Broadway shows (Billy Elliott and Mama Mia), kicking rats on the streets of Manhattan (hope the PETA people don't get after Mary Rollins), eating yummy foods for breakfast (Marc says the Tres Leche and the Hazel Nut doughnuts at Doughnut Plant are the perfect combination. Will recommends one Blackout Doughnut after another, I'm going to need more samples before making a final decision), brunch (Good Enough to Eat) and dinner (Italian place in Brooklyn = love), oh yeah, and shopping!

This past Saturday we had Fondue Night.  I have the fondest memories of Fondue Night when I was growing up.  We'd been talking lately about going to The Melting Pot but we've also been talking about being on a "budget".  So, last weekend everyone was home on Saturday (including little neice Sara who came over to the Mathewsies because she didn't feel good and the dorm was too loud) and we had a Lost-Fondue marathon.  I had no fondue pot but Grandmother Williamson was able to immediately lay hands-upon the good old fondue pots of my childhood AND two sets of of Fondue forks.  I was so impressed.  She knew exactly where they were!!  Again, I was so impressed.  The grandparents have kindly put the vintage fondue pots on permenant loan to our house.  Maybe next time you come visit, you, too, can have some fondue! 

Some fondue observations -- pretty much you can dip anything in chocolate fondue and it tastes good.  ANYTHING!!   Apples, grapes, banana, pretzels, vanilla wafers, marshmallows, fingers, an empty fondue fork...