Tour of DC with Shan!

We began our tour by picking up the tour bus at Arlington cemetary and our first stop was old Abe himself.

We searched for angles that were interesting and creative.
His hand has always fascinated me. When you turn around this is the view that Abe is privy to everyday of the year.
I have not actually ever been this close before to the White House. Always telling myself that seeing it from the car window was good enough, so it was nice to have someone to walk around with to get my butt out and see things at a closer view!
A tour guide gave us a heads up on where to grab lunch. Around the corner from the White House is the Old Ebbitt Grill where we just made it before the lunch rush!
As we were ending our day the day was turning cold and we were growing weary. The monument by sunset is a great sight!

Shan and I on the Metro on the way back home after a trip to the Phillips Collection! What a great art collection! Well worth the trip and the price of admission.

Shan thank you so very very much for coming up and making my week a wonderful one!

Shan's First Night in Alexandria!!!

My great arty friend Shan made the trek up to visit me and I am so very glad that she did. After her long drive up I took her around town for some dinner and a little evening window shopping.
In the evening the colors in the windows are almost magical.
Since I do not wander around town in the evening I was not aware that all the shops close by 5 or 6pm so we didn't get to do much shopping but we did see lots of windows to Ooo and Ahh over.
These pumpkins and gourds won't rot and really make you crave fall year round.

The Many Moods of Trees!

While walking along the path I looked up and had to snap this shot! How magical this day was.
This tree was is at Fort Ward just down the street!
Sometimes the shadows are more interesting than the tree itself.
I could sit and stare all day long.
The roots along the trail were beautiful. I imagined a little creature living here and being the star of a magical children's book!

Fresh Fall Air is good for the soul.

I finally bought the new digital camera that I have been goo goo for. I used it last weekend when we went for a nice stroll through the woods. This time of year you just can't take a bad picture!
As you can see you can walk around this bridge but atleast there was no scarey troll!
No these are not leaves, they are mushrooms! Isn't natures crazy?

Sprouty Goodness...

Maybe it takes 30 years to develop a taste for a bowl of green goodness I don't know. As mentioned previously I have never had brussel sprouts. I think it's because the people who know just how good they are, have kept them all to themselves.
I recomend you grab some next time your out and fix yourself a bowl. The color green alone will suck you in. Yum Yum.

Cowology and Chipped Beef on Toast Day!

Saturday we took the day to drive to PA and visit a friend and see his cows. On the way we stopped in our old town of Frederick MD and ate at my favorite diner the Barbara Fritchie!!! Nothin better than breakfast served all day. They make the best Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast with homefries that is like coming home to me.
Of course having grown up with animals, going to visit cows just puts us in a wonderful mood. Nothing like the smell of cow poo to take you back to the good old days of chores, sweat, and the county fair! This cow seemed to sum it up for me. Out in the country, face turned up to the sun and just soakin in the relaxation of the day. This is how you recharge the batteries, that's for sure.

Lovin the Farmers Market!!

I am lucky to have several Farmers Markets by me. There are two that I really like, one each on Saturday and Sunday.
You can find everything from flowers to produce to baked goods.
Makes you just want to make a huge pot of beans doesn't it?
Here's a sample of some of the great finds I've come across. The scone is cranberry-orange flavored and is from the Sunday market and the rest comes from the one on Saturday. I just love getting up, grabbing my big canvas bag and trotting off to see what I can find. The figs are so heavenly perfect that there's nothing in the world that can come close to that kind of perfection. Chestnuts to remind me of my Grandfather and brussel sprouts cause they are the perfect shade of green and I've never had them before so we'll find out today how good they are. This time of year is so wonderful with all the good food and the cooler weather. Get out there and enjoy the early morning town. The shops aren't open yet, plently of parking spots to choose from and everyone is in a great mood because there's no job to get to!!

My Mother's Birthday

My mother's birthday is this Monday and I chose to send her an original painted postcard instead of a store bought card. On the back this is the poem that I wrote...

(Don't worry, she's already recieved it)

My Mother,

The steadfast trunk from which the branches of my life have been nurtured and encouraged to find their own path.

And when the Spring finally comes,

the blossoms that are my children

will bloom in the reflection upon the wonder of our origin,

that is my mother's love.

For Everything,

I Thank You.

Bean

Food Blogs of My Soul

Is there anyone of you out there as addicted to food blogs as I have become? I recently stumbled upon the wonderful world of food blogging and boy what a delicious world it is!! I have begun to vigorously fill a notebook with recipes and we have already tried a couple and have fallen in love. Imagine a vast list of recipes accompanied by beautiful pictures! Recipes that have been made by real people reporting on them and what worked or didn't work. I'm in heaven!!!!

For those of you who have been the recipients of my recipe postcards you know my love for all things new in food. I just can't stand having the same old food over and over. If you want to start looking into food here is one of my favorites to get you started. Enjoy !!!!!!!!!

http://www.janetishungry.blogspot.com/

If anyone wants to recieve my occasional recipe postcards please send me an e-mail or post a comment here and I'll be happy to send them along!

I turned her chicken in Phyllo into a stir fry over rice made from ground chicken minus the phyllo packet and Brian just loved it. The flavors were out of this world!!!!

Happy cooking all!!!!

She said YES!!!

Well, after being together for 2 years Paul popped the question to Joellen on Friday night here at our apartment. Of course she said yes. Paul was so nervous and his hands were shaking so bad that Joellen had to take the ring from him to put it on her finger.

They both are so in love with eachother that it's that really sick cute that makes long time couples like us roll our eyes and say "just give em time"! We are so happy for them both and wish them a very long and happy life together. If any of you back in Ohio see either of them, say "Congrats".

Happy Engagement You Two!!!!

Ode to Shan!

These pictures were inspired by my friend Shan! Walking around town with her in Charleston she was taking pictures of old flaking paint and fun colors. It made me realize that my pictures in the past year or two have been so focused on landscapes and fitting as much in the picture as possible that I have forgotten the small things.

I took these pictures while on a jobsite in DC. Looking around in the early morning before the town began to bustle I had time to notice the buildings and how much character they had. Thank you Shan for helping me to remember to take a step forward and notice the details.

KeeBaab anyone?

Brian and I made keebaabs for the first time every yesterday and they were pretty nummy to the tummy. Nothing like grilling outside in the evening as the sun is setting casting that warm liquid gold glow over everything. We had so much fun putting the food together. It's a great meal to do together, you should try it!

What kinds of meals have you been making lately?

Art and the Zen of Window Shopping!

Yesterday Brian and I got up and left the house by 5:30am to go finish up a job in Baltimore. After a few hours of work we were finished and ready to find something fun to do. The decision was made to go to Ellicott City and see what was new as we had not been there since we lived in Frederick. We arrived just before 11am and had to wait for the shops and restaurants to open at 11:30. We walked up the street choosing which shops we wanted to wander in once they opened. We chose a lovely French restaurant and had the most WONDERFUL meal. I had a cool cantalope soup for starters and Brian had the best oysters we've had. We each chose one of the daily fish specials, mine being tuna steak over fresh mixed greens with sliced figs. Needless to say the raspberry tart finished off the meal to perfection.
We chose to walk off our meal and window shop. The buddha caught my eye and I just had to go in and see what it was all about. Just about everything in that store I would have put in my home! Unfortunately I can not remember the name of the store. It turned ou to be a wonderful day for the two of us. Brian's been working so hard that we don't get to spend much time time together that isn't about work.

New Motto? Why Not?

This is a sign for a toy store in Alexandria that just made me giggle. I think that maybe we all need to adopt this as a new motto. Nothing can get me down now!
Anyone who has ventured down King Street with me knows this is my favorite store. They have everything. Brian just rolls his eyes and goes next door to the Discovery store to wait for me. If he's along I'm only aloud to walk around the store one time then I must make my purchase and leave! Needless to say he doesn't get to go in that part of town with me anymore!

A New Way to Listen to the World!!!

Yeah so I'm almost 30 and I didn't have an MP3 Player. Well on July 4th I changed that. After a lot of research I decided on the SanDisk Sansa 4MB and I am in love. I have been jogging every day at the park ever since listening to my audiobooks and podcast. Everything from David Sedaris' Me Talk Pretty One Day to NPR podcasts of shows that I loved and have been missing. I am sure that people around me think I'm nuts as I find myself unable to hild in the laughs. Any of you who haven't read David Sedaris "GO OUT NOW AND GET IT". The audiobook is read by him and you will not be disappointed I promise, your sides will hurt from laughing.

I love and miss you all. If anyone still checks in to this Blog please send me an e-mail and let me know. I'll feel the need to update if I know people are out there and wanting to read it. Miss you all!!!!

April Showers Bring April Fowers!!

As the Azaleas are Brian's favorite thing in spring today was the perfect day to go to the National Arboretum to see the azalea gardens. After going to the Alexandria Farmer's Market off we went to see what was blooming.
As it turns out lots of things were blooming. The Azaleas weren't in full bloom yet but enough to make you smile. We have seen it in previous years where the whole place in afire in color and you think that you have been transported into a magical land. I think in the next day or two it will be the peak.
The striped white and pink ones I think are my favorite as no two flowers are the same. I think it's because they look hand painted that they are may favorite.
Some of the colors are so intense that it's almost impossible to photograph them. You truely have to be there.

Wonderful Sunny Spring Day

Every Saturday morning from 5-10:30am is the Alexandria Farmer's Market which I had been wanting to go to now for a couple weeks ever since I discovered that it's year round unlke most farmer's markets. To my surprise Brian woke me up early to so that we could get ready and go. We parked a couple of blocks away and just walking through town on some of the old cobble streets with the perfect weather made for the perfect start to the day. People were out wido shopping and having a wonderful morning.
At the market we found everything from fresh flowers, fresh pasta and breads to arts and crafts. I was stopped by an artist who asked to take a picture of me and Beanie as I was carring her in her colorful baby sling. She took two pictures and said to look for a painting next time we were around as she thought it would make a wonderful painting!! I'm sure it was all of Beanie's charm but we've never been asked to be models before! It was just nice to get out into the community and chat with others. I can't wait to go back next week and just draw the people.

Cherry Blossoms and Kite Day!

That sounds like the title for an album doesn't it? Well March 31st was the first official day for the Cherry Blossom Festival and if I had to pick which day they were peak it would have been that day. The very next day the wind started to carry away some blossoms and the little green leaves started to peak through.
People were all around the capitol enjoying the beautiful blossoms and some were even picnicing under the trees. Everyone was smiling and no one seemed in a bad mood.

That day just happend to be Kite Day as well. Talk about an overwhelming feeling of the nation having a picnic together! As you walked out onto the Mall people everywhere were flying kites of all shapes, colors and sizes. Children weren't even required to fly a kite. There were so many that no picture I took could really capture the feeling of seeing and hearing it all. You did have to be careful though as not all kites were staying up in the air! Brian took the role of lookout while I had my eye to the camera. A Nemo fish kite nearly took our heads off at one point, but nothing an I'm sorry and a friendly chuckle couldn't fix.

As Brian loves ships he was excited to see several kites in the shape of ships. The seemed to have a little bit of a hard time getting up but once there it was like looking into a childs dream. All in all a storybook afternoon!!

Glad I could share it with you all.