The Unfinished Files

Recipes

2011-01-25T07:47:00.000-08:00

I've started storing all my recipes that I find online with a service called Evernote, and I just found out that I can share that with you.

Click here to see the recipes. They're tagged with things like "dinner" and "winter" and "vegetables" to make things easy to find. I'll be adding to this often, so if you ever need dinner inspiration, check here!

In the Deep Midwinter

2011-01-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

We have about six inches of snow on the ground that came down on Sunday and has not melted one whit since then, because the temperatures have been below freezing. Our high today is finally supposed to reach 32. You know you've been living in the cold too long when you consider that 32 might be fine weather for taking the dog for a walk.

The dog, who has been cooped up inside except to do her business for the past four days, is pretty much ready to burst with energy. I just let her out, and I'm watching her do laps around the yard at top speed. She absolutely loves snow. She consumes a relatively large quantity every time she goes outside. But the temperatures have been too cold, even for her, up until today.

Oops... She wants to be let in...

Working from home is going pretty well so far. I love the freedom it gives me. Last Friday, I baked two loaves of banana bread for weekend breakfasts. Today, I have a pot of steel-cut oats baking in the oven and I made myself a single serving of French toast with sliced pears for breakfast with a decaf hazelnut (mock) latte on the side. We're still working out the kinks in terms of when I go into the office; I need to try to impress upon them that we should consolidate my visits as much as possible (as it takes half an hour either direction to get there).

Oh good. Now Bella is barking at the box by the front door that arrived yesterday. It's a box of baby wipes from Amazon.com. They were such a good deal, I couldn't resist, even if there is no baby yet to wipe...

We also got our crib mattress this week, so things are starting to look more and more put-together in the nursery. Last week we bought a car seat that goes with our stroller (we found the stroller for less than half price at a consignment store around Thanksgiving). Coupons and special offers combined to make it seem like the time to buy.

Next on our list: a glider and a changing table/dresser. We decided that, with almost $200 in shipping charges, the dresser from JC Penny that matches our crib was too expensive, so now we're looking for a more economical option. We've found one online at Babies R Us that, even with shipping costs, is about $200, so that's probably our best choice.

I want to know why they make all the gliders so low to the ground? I have trouble getting in and out of them now, even without trying desperately not to wake the sleeping baby in my arms.

We'll be driving to Dallas in about two weeks for Gray's Christening and my baby shower. Expect photos, I'm sure!

One Moment: 20 Weeks

2010-12-10T06:06:00.000-08:00

Stole this idea from Anne, where you post a photo of a single moment on Fridays. This was the view out my kitchen window this morning.

Today, I am officially at 20 weeks along. I feel the baby move many times a day, more and more forcefully. In less than a week, we go for the ultrasound that will hopefully tell us baby's sex. In the meantime, I'm on deadline for work (my last one at the office), trying to get ready for Christmas, and trying not to be sick every day.

Something to live up to

2010-11-22T12:49:00.000-08:00

I still feel that the challenge I've always faced as a writer was naming my children. And I feel that your name is like a one-line poem and that it should resonate even before somebody even meets you.

~E. Ethelbert Miller

Baby's Room

2010-11-20T11:45:00.000-08:00

The Bean's room is starting to look more like a nursery.

We got the crib home yesterday after a little misstep. We had ordered it from the JC Penny catalog, and when we went to pick it up at the store, we realized that the box would not fit in either of our cars.

So, yesterday, Brandon rented a small Uhaul, picked up the crib and brought it home.

Thankfully, when we order the dresser, it will be delivered to the house.

I think it looks pretty good in there. But it does make the room feel a lot smaller. We'll have to see if the bookshelf gets to stay once we've brought in the dresser and a rocker of some sort.

An important moment

2010-11-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

I look a little bewildered in this photo. And if you look very closely, you might be able to see why.

Brandon took this picture mere moments after we discovered that we are going to be parents.

I wish I'd taken a photo of him. He is so very excited.

We are about 14 weeks along now in this baffling journey, starting to think about picking out a crib, starting to talk about names, almost finished clearing out the room that will be the nursery. Much less nausea (though it hasn't fully gone away), much more energy for me.

But still trying to wrap our brains around the enormity of the thing.

I have been craving cheese. And guacamole. Sometimes together in the form of nachos.

I have been instructed to take photos of my belly, but have so far resisted.

I have also been asked when I would make a baby blog. But I think, all things considered, that this is the place for any baby blogging that might happen. This blog has been with me an awfully long time (in blog years, it's ancient). It seems only right that I record the next chapter here as well.

So stay tuned. In a few months, these unfinished files will seem even more unfinished as we bring a brand new blank page into the world.

Strawberries

2010-08-22T15:09:00.001-07:00

Strawberries
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Oh man. So many berries. So much jam!

Yesterday, we picked 12 pints of strawberries and 6 pints of raspberries, as well as a pound of basil and bought two pounds of tomatillos.

Yesterday, I made salsa verde. Today, I made eight pints of strawberry jam (some with balsamic vinegar—really good!), one and a half pints of raspberry basil jam, six cups of pesto and a partridge in a pear tree. That left two pints of raspberries and two pints of strawberries to freeze, and two pints each to eat fresh.

Thank you so much to my husband who hulled about a million strawberries while I cooked!

Perfect

2010-08-12T10:49:00.001-07:00

DSC04684.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Is it weird that I miss his toes?

Pooped

2010-08-12T10:47:00.001-07:00

Pooped
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Sometimes, it's hard work being a puppy (or a Brandon).

Puppy Hugs

2010-05-09T13:24:00.001-07:00

Puppy Hugs
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Sometimes, we like to pretend she's a lap dog.

Graduation Day!

2010-04-27T10:25:00.001-07:00

Graduation Day!
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Bella graduated from beginner puppy training on Sunday, and they had an adorable hat for her to wear! She looks so unhappy, though!

I call this one, "Cone of Shame."

Bella and Brandon Roughhousing

2010-03-15T06:59:00.001-07:00

Bella and Brandon Roughhousing
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This, my friends, is the face of puppy love. Look at that sweetness! I'm going to get a print of this and tape it to the fridge to look at when she's busy destroying something.

More photos on flickr!

Meet Bella

2010-02-17T06:18:00.001-08:00

Bella's First Day
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Allow me to introduce you to Bella, the newest member of our little family.

Bella is six months old and she's a black lab/border collie mix. We found her today at a PetSmart. She'd been with Every Creature Counts, a no-kill shelter here. The woman from the shelter (named Wendy!) told us that animals come to them when they've got no options left; Bella was slated for euthanasia in Mississippi before she was rescued by Every Creature Counts. So, we named her Bella because she's a southern belle.

She was pretty shy and scared when we got her, but she's warming up to us beautifully. She's been in shelters her whole life, so she doesn't really know what to do with a house and a yard. They told us she wasn't potty trained, but we've only had one accident.

Wendy from the shelter was nearly crying when we said we wanted to take her, because she was so scared, she wouldn't even come out of her crate. We spent more than half an hour, sitting outside the crate, tempting her with treats to get her to come close enough to be petted. Wendy said she was afraid Bella wouldn't get adopted, because no one would take the time to get to know her. But we just fell in love and felt like we could give her a forever home and all the attention she needs.

Cleo is taking this a lot better than we had anticipated. She's not hiding or anything; she's mostly interested and a little wary, though not keen on being approached too quickly! We're really pleased that she's handling it as well as she is.

More photos to follow, I'm sure! Or you can click the picture and go to flickr to see more photos from her first day.

A Preview

2010-02-11T19:41:00.001-08:00

Emily's Shower
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This is just a preview of what Baby Richardson will have to look forward to when he meets his Pop.

Home Sweet Home

2010-01-29T08:37:00.000-08:00

We've been working on filling up our somewhat empty "formal" living room space so that it echoes a little less, and over Christmas, we added quite a few things!

In the photo, you can see the lovely pillows my mom got me. I love the way the red and taupe colors pick up the colors of the room.

You can also see the bench we bought on a whim while shopping in Dallas! It makes a great coffee table/foot rest/extra seating/extra storage piece! (It opens up so you can store things inside.)

We also got the rice paper lamp in the corner from Ikea. It looks just as good as I hoped it would, and really warms up that corner!

We haven't hung the curtains we bought yet, but I'm excited to see how they look.

And also on the sofa, you'll see my favorite accessory of all: the cuddly miss Cleo in her favorite corner of the sofa.

The Folded Twenties

2009-11-23T09:12:00.001-08:00

The Folded Twenties
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

The Folded Twenties ROCKED the Fox Theatre Sunday afternoon. ;)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacylu42/sets/72157622861461610/

New Mexico, Part Tres

2009-11-01T05:58:00.000-08:00

This is King, and he was kind enough to carry me around the next morning in Red River. We went horseback riding with the funniest, most polite cowboy I have ever met, up into the mountains, and it was beautiful. I sort of remembered how to ride. A little bit. Enough that I wasn't too sore the next day, at any rate!

After lunch we left Red River and headed for Angel Fire. The town is so-named because of a crazy light phenomenon that happens sometimes at sunset, where the mountains are painted red with light. We checked into our hotel and then went on a drive to visit some local artists.

This man and his wife make pottery in a wood-fired kiln. As you can see, it's bigger than he is! When this thing gets going, they have to continuously feed the fire for 40 hours straight.

That night we had the best meal of the whole trip at a restaurant called the Roasted Clove. Exquisite food cooked up by a chef who used to be the vegetarian chef at the North Pole!

Sunday morning we had some time to ourselves before heading up to the top of the mountain on the longest chair lift in the US. Then they packed us back in the vans and heading to the Buffalo Thunder Casino Resort in Pojaque.

Finally, on Monday morning, we visited el Sanctuario de Chimayo.

This church is a pilgrimage destination because it is said to have holy, healing dirt. It's also a photographer's dream.

That night, I got to have dinner with Larry and Zana, and then flew back the next day. It was an amazing trip and an amazing experience, only cementing my love for Northern New Mexico.

Dinner Party at Steph's House

2009-10-26T12:48:00.001-07:00

Dinner Party at Steph's House
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

We had a dinner party at Stephanie's house for an article/photo shoot, and this is one of the photos from our awesome photographer, Julie.

New Mexico, Part Dos

2009-10-23T12:46:00.000-07:00

We last left New Mexico on the gorgeous expanses of Ghost Ranch. In the above photo, you can see Georgia O'Keefe's beloved Peternale (the mesa).

From there, we got lost (only briefly) and then went to Tierra Wools which is a shop just outside Chama trying to keep the old traditions alive by ranching traditional Churro sheep that the Native Americans used to keep here, and then dying and weaving their wool in traditional ways. This shop keeps 25 local weavers employed full time.

That night, we were hosted at a reception by the Jicarilla Apache nation, and they sang and danced for us — and then we all joined in! It was very cool, and they were extremely friendly and willing to tell us all about their customs.

The weather was bitterly (and unseasonably) cold, so most of us hadn't packed appropriately. On the way to the train the next morning, our PR host let us stop at a Dollar General, where we cleaned them out of gloves, hats and scarves. It made us all a LOT happier on the train!

Because of the cold, we got a really unusual treat: snow and changing aspens at the same time! The ride through the mountains on the Chama railroad was absolutely breathtaking. The train stops at the top, half way, where you have your choice of turkey dinner, meatloaf dinner, or soup and salad for lunch. It was actually very, very good!

That isn't everyone who was on the trip, but all of us who rode the train. Carol (second from the left) turned 65 that day! So we celebrated with Little Debbie cupcakes I bought at the Dollar General! ;)

That night we were treated to a cowboy dinner, complete with entertainment, which was when I decided that I needed me a set of cowboy children. They were all so cute and polite and helpful… when they weren't trying to lasso one another.

That's it for now! More to come!

Northern New Mexico Trip

2009-10-18T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last month, I had the amazing opportunity to go on a press trip to Northern New Mexico for work. It was an eight-day trip of epic proportions that I will be writing about for our annual travel issue in 2010.

We started in Santa Fe, which I'm sure many of you know, is one of my favorite cities in the world. There's something about Santa Fe that simply defies explanation: is it the light? The air? The people? The food? What makes this place so magical that even common doorways and mailboxes are photo opportunities?

I can't say that I know, but I do know that I was taking full advantage of every history walk, every restaurant stop, every moment — and full advantage of our new camera.

One of my favorite parts of the trip was a restaurant tour we took through the Santa Fe Cooking School. They take the group around town on foot, visiting four or five different fine restaurants, where you get to meet the chef and then sample some of his food, sometimes even right in the kitchen!

After Santa Fe, we trucked up to Los Alamos and Bandolier National Monument. It was a gorgeous day, if a little chilly, and our guided tour of the dwellings with the ranger was fantastic. (We also got a lecture on proper terminology. The people who lived here are no longer called Anasazi [which is the Navajo word for "strangers"], they are the Ancestral Puebloans. And, because in native beliefs, everything is always as it should be, they are not ruins, because there's nothing ruined about them! They are dwellings.)

We also got some of the history of Los Alamos when we went back to the city, which was fascinating. Because the city didn't actually "exist" during the war, the 150 children who were born there at that time all have "P.O. Box 1667, Santa Fe, NM" as their place of birth on their birth certificates. We stayed in a hotel directly across the street from Brandon's apartment, and ate at a restaurant where he and I used to eat!

After Los Alamos we headed to Abiquiu to visit Georgia O'keefe's home. (They don't allow any photos of her home, but it was lovely: very minimalist and modern.) Then we went on to Ghost Ranch where she had a second home and where she painted much of the scenery. We took a great tour where the guide pointed out the scenery and then showed the painting of it, which was fascinating. Beautiful country, too. It's now owned by the Presbyterian church, which uses the facilities as a wellness retreat center.

That's all for now! More when I upload more photos. To see the whole set that I've uploaded so far, click here.

Pictures of the Garden in Late Summer

2009-08-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

This Our House: Episode 6 "Say Hello to Our Little Friends"

2009-08-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

About three weeks ago, we came home to discover that our four-foot square summer vegetable garden had been completely dug up by something the size of a small dog. All the plants were torn out and DEEP holes had been dug in several corners.

We filled the holes in (the plants were not salvageable—no veggies for us!) only to have a repeat performance the next day. And every couple of days since.

About a month ago, my in-laws were visiting and saw a red fox in our yard in the early morning. That was kind of exciting! Foxes are awfully pretty and not as threatening or worrisome as seeing a coyote in your yard—OR SO WE THOUGHT.

Last week, Brandon and I saw it for the first time—in fact we saw two at once one morning—and that's about the same time we started finding little presents left for us in the yard; so far the remnants of two birds, one rabbit, and a bag of beggin' strips dog treats, plus some droppings.

And they're still digging up the now-empty garden square.

We're pretty sure it's the foxes doing the digging. Someone at a local garden store suggested they might be attracted by the smell of the manure we had mixed in for fertilizer. At the advice of the internets, yesterday we sprayed all around the wood enclosing the square with ammonia, as well as in the places where they'd left droppings and refuse from their meals in hopes that it would deter them.

No such luck. This morning, the garden plot was completely dug up again.

Our second attempt is going to be mothballs. Brandon put a bunch of them in old socks and put one at each corner of the garden. If that doesn't work, I'm not sure what we'll try next. I've wondered if maybe a friend would let us borrow a big dog that could pee all over the yard. We've also read it might help if Brandon went out and, er, marked his territory a bit as well.

And if those don't work? I guess we'll have to call vector control. It's not that we mind them passing through the yard, but we don't want them to make a home here, and we DEFINITELY don't want them to get habituated to digging up our garden; someday, I'd like to have veggies out there that WON'T get torn up.

In other news, there are now two snakes. Brandon is not pleased.

Stay tuned.

Housewarming Party

2009-07-30T07:47:00.001-07:00

Housewarming Party
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This was the spread at our housewarming party last weekend! Unfortunately, it rained, so we had to nix our plans for showing a movie in the back yard, but we still had a great time catching up with friends.

P.S. We are STILL working on those sandwiches, because this was sandwich platter one of two!

This Our House: Episode 5 "I fought the lawn and the lawn won."

2009-07-15T09:16:00.000-07:00

Sorry to have been AWOL for a few weeks. We have been busy bees, though! Two weekends ago, we started making serious progress in the yard and built a garden! Take a look:

Brandon built a frame for our new "square-foot" style veggie garden and we decided where to put it.

Then my sweet husband had to dig out the lawn there. I want you to know, that while he did all the digging, I mowed the entire lawn. And then did some other digging later.

I just wanted you all to know that so you don't think I was sipping lemonaid and working on my tan while he labored.

The next day, I got my hands dirty and put the crops in. We tried to stick with things that, we were assured by our books, would do OK in late summer and fall. So here's what we planted:

1 tomato
1 eggplant
1 summer squash
1 green bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
1 cauliflower
2 bush beans
radishes
lettuce
spinach
shallots
carrots
and some marigolds to help keep bugs away

Some of these were transplants, and some were seeds, as you can see. The transplants are mostly thriving; none of the seeds have come up yet.

But even if the seeds don't work, this is a test year. So that's OK.

Then, because our local greenhouse was having a sale, we put in some flowers, too!

These are cosmos that I put in around the base of our bird feeder (the aforementioned digging). We also planted some daisies in the back yard and some sweet william in the beds in the front for some color.

The rest of the weekend was dedicated to pulling weeds. We have so many weeds, you guys. It's just not even funny. We considered going for a "meadow" look and just letting the weeds have their way, but it looks so much nicer when they get pulled out.

And I'm not even talking about dandelions in the lawn, though we definitely have those too. I'm talking about four-foot tall lambs-ear looking things, and stuff with a tap root that I'm tempted to cook up like a carrot. And thistles that sting straight through solid leather gardening gloves. Not to mention this creeping vine stuff with pink flowers that would be nice enough—if it didn't think it needed to take over the world. Honestly. Kudzu has nothing on this stuff. I swear it grows about three feet overnight and if you leave a pile of it lying on the ground, I think it sprouts roots before you can move it.

Thankfully, after about a month of solid pulling and chopping and weed whacking, we've finally made a pretty good dent in all of them. And look what we found in the back corner after we'd cleared out all the thistles and brambles:

More pretty flowers!

This week is going to be dedicated to emptying out the last of the boxes and hanging pictures. Then we'll have a marathon cleaning session and finally a PARTY!

Stay tuned!

P.S. Made a trip out to the compost bin last night and the snake is STILL THERE! I feel like we should name him; he's clearly going to become a part of the family.

Photo of the day:

2009-06-26T11:10:00.001-07:00

Baby bird behind the YS office:

I heart my family

2009-06-25T19:44:00.001-07:00

DSC00906.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This is my daddy, diligently fixing a big old chunk that was missing from the bottom of our French doors. I'm not sure he, or my mom, or my sister know how much of a gift they gave us coming to help us out at the house last weekend.

More to come! There were moose involved!

This Our House: Episode Four "Taming the Jungle"

2009-06-09T08:49:00.000-07:00

Oh, so much yard work.

So. Much. Yard.

Work.

We managed to mow all six feet (six inches) of grass on the forty acres (one-third of an acre) of yard we have. Then we used our machete (clippers) to remove ten cords (a big pile) of dead wood from the trees and bushes.

Then we found a snake. No parentheses on that one. I was opening the composter that the previous owners left, trying to see if I could move it, and there's a sliding panel on the side, presumably so you can get to the good compost at the bottom.

Only when I slid it open, there was a snake.

I swore loudly and ran over to Brandon.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"You don't want to know," I said.

"Oh god. How big?"

Not that big really. Probably. I didn't see very much of it or very well. Brandon wouldn't go within ten feet of the composter without his weed whacker for defense. We didn't see it again.

But it could still be out there. Lurking.

Have some photos to distract you from that thought:

Pretty poppies in the flagstones.

Lavender in the herb garden.

Herb garden, all trimmed up, with the sage that plans to take over the world.

Our first roses.

Pretty Clematis, I think.

So, after mowing and clipping and pruning and yanking about a thousand thistles and other weeds (with about three thousand more to go), we called it a day in the yard when it started to get hot on Saturday and when it started to rain on Sunday. We moved into the house and we managed to FINISH the master bedroom. Thank goodness.

Look how happy he is to be done.

And, remember the weird closet of doom?

This is what it looks like now:

SOOOOOOOO much cleaner and better looking. WOO HOO!

So now, we're going to finish up the walk in closet (just needs a fresh coat of white) and move on to the small bedroom, which will be our office. And the first thing we need to tackle is...

...the dino wallpaper.

Stay tuned for the next episode, "Death of the Dinosaurs."

This Our House, episode 3: Name That Plant!

2009-06-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

Today is our first day of serious yard work. Brandon bought weed whacker and a reel lawn mower this week:

He mowed our postage-stamp-sized front lawn on Wednesday when he bought it. Today? We tackle the back 40.

Here are some plants I know we have:

grass
ginormous lilac bushes
a Russian olive tree
a Fuji apple tree
two little aspen trees
two big cottonwood trees
many various irises
tulips (no longer blooming)
grape hyacinths (no longer blooming)
many various rose bushes
phlox
mint
sage
rosemary
lavender
chives
TONS of cat mint
two columbines
a clematis (I think)
a couple of poppies
a gooseberry bush

Now, here are a few things I CAN'T identify!

This tree/very large bush:

According to the other photos we have, its leaves keep getting darker purple as the summer goes on. No idea what the berries do.

And we have an awful lot of this:

There are more, but I just realized they're on the computer at work. I'm sure I'll also find MORE things I can't identify today when we start working, but that's enough for now. Anyone know what these are? Anyone? Poppy? Mickey? I'm especially interested in the little pom-pom flowers because there are a TON of them planted (I assume) around the house.

Stay tuned for next time when I talk about (presumably) how hard yard work is and how foolish we were to want a big yard!

This Our House, episode 2: Meet Stella

2009-06-03T05:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a week today since we took posession of the house, and a lot has happened! We have (in no particular order):

Changed the locks on the front, back, and garage doors
Reprogrammed the garage door opener
Went around and collected all the miscellaneous stuff that the people left that we didn't want (and threw it away!)
Cleaned the two bathrooms to within an inch of their lives (my husband volunteered for this!)
Vacuumed the rugs
Swept the floors
Swept out the garage
Sorted through all the paint cans and other junk in the garage
Took down all the ugly curtains we didn't like
Washed the curtains we're going to keep
Took all the nails out of the walls in the master bedroom (there were a LOT)
Took down the ugly light fixture in the master bedroom
Patched all the many holes in the walls in the master
Re-caulked all four windows in the master
Sanded all the trim and built-in shelves in the master
Painted 3/4 of the trim and all the built in shelves
Painted two big walls in the master

It feels really satisfying when I write it all in a big long list like that. (We won't talk about the fact that it is BARELY a fraction of the total list.)

We've been over there every single day doing something. Today, we're taking the night off. I'm getting my hair cut, and Brandon is going up to McGuckins to buy a lawn mower and a weed whacker before we get overrun by tall grass. Then we're going to take ourselves out to eat.

The master bedroom is coming along swimmingly. It's kind of an odd shape, so picture this: there is one long wall that runs the entire width of the front of the house and has four windows in it; that wall will be painted bright white. All the other walls will be "milk chocolate" brown with bright white trim and a white ceiling. (The carpet is a sort of blue grey, like the carpet at my parents' house.) We've got two of the brown walls done, and it looks really good!

Everyone told me to pick one room and make it perfect, so the master is that room. The downstairs doesn't need too much; we need to patch a hole or two and clean it really well, but that's doable. The other two bedrooms will be painted next, but I'm not sure if we'll get to them before we move in. The smaller of the two will be our office, and I want to paint it bright green, possibly with black and white pinstripes. We'll see how ambitious I am when we get there. Not sure on the color scheme for the guest room yet.

Last night we cleaned, and I don't know what it is, but something about the fact that it's other people's dirt and junk that we are cleaning really creeps me out. There are certain things I don't mind keeping — like a couple of shovels, a hose, some nice wood hangers that were left in the front closet — but other stuff just skeeves me out for no reason. The squeegee for the glass shower doors that they left is probably perfectly fine, but I think we're going to get a new one because it just gives me the heeby jeebies. Why? I have no idea.

I DO have plant photos from the back yard for playing "Name that plant!" but I can't upload them now. Next time!

On a final note, Brandon has decided that the house is like an abused puppy that we are rehabilitating. He has named her Stella.

This Our House, episode 1

2009-05-30T06:06:00.000-07:00

More house stuff!

Our new sofa arrived! It is awesome. It is a grown up sofa. (The sofa we currently have feels more like a teenage IKEA sofa.) It looks pretty good in our red living room, don't you think?

Brandon moved all his plants over to the house. They seem to like the sunshine on the deck quite well.

This Columbine is a volunteer between the flagstones below the deck. Pretty!

This is the gargantuan lilac bush in the back yard. There's another that's just finishing flowering, but it is not nearly as gargantuan.

Some of the local fauna.

Yesterday Brandon changed the locks and reprogrammed the garage door opener. I think it gave him a feeling of power…

He also took down the pink crocheted curtains in the master bedroom. He didn't like them for some reason. Can't imagine why.

Here's where we enter... the closet zone.

That's the end of the master bedroom. You can see there's a closet down there, and what looks like space for another closet that was ripped out.

But if you turn left at that closet...

...you find this closet, which was actually once a pass-through to get to the bathroom (but the door has now been blocked off with a shelving unit in the bathroom).

Riddle me this, my friends: why did anyone think this room needed three distinct closet spaces? And does that look like a load-bearing shelf unit to you, or do you think we could rip the whole thing out?

I guess we should just be glad that those three (two? four?) closets don't look like THIS:

Yup. That's orange shag carpet. It's in the bottom of all the other closets. Which says to me that it was, at one point, in the entire rest of the upstairs of this house.

It was built in the '70s after all. That was probably the height of sophistication then.

By the way, that particular closet is in the fish room:

Brandon thinks that curtain has to go, too. He's so picky.

Stay tuned! Next time on this our house we play "Name that plant!"

Homeowners

2009-05-29T05:33:00.000-07:00

Well, we are officially homeowners!

It happened Wednesday afternoon. The husband and I each took a half day off work and met at the house around 1:15. I was a little early and a little dismayed to find the previous owners still moving a ton of stuff out of our garage and into the neighbor's garage! We met our real estate agent and walked through the house, which wasn't clean, but wasn't in bad shape.

After we made sure they hadn't knocked down any walls or anything, we all drove downtown to the Land & Title company for the actual closing. The seller's agent? Was ridiculously smarmy. Poufy hair, beady eyes, a navy blazer with bright gold buttons everywhere and a hideously false smile. We were really glad this was the only time we had to deal with him! Brandon leaned over and whispered "Don't agree to buy a used car from him!"

We signed a huge stack of papers, and then the title guy had to go email some to our mortgage company. They had already wired the money, but they wouldn't release it until they saw all the paperwork was in order. So we sat there for 45 minutes, making awkward small talk with the previous owner until we got the all clear. The title man came in, shook our hands, and said "Congratulations! You're owners!"

The drive back took way too long, and we decided to stop and drop off our rent check on the way. We didn't realize until we slipped it into the slot that it was our last rent payment ever! It's all mortgage from here on out.

Then we went to the house. We parked in the driveway. The keys worked. We went inside. We hugged and I got a little teary. It was really real.

We have a house!

Seth and the Dimple

2009-05-16T09:31:00.001-07:00

Seth and the Red Balloon
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This little boy right here? He's totally stolen my heart.

Sorry Brandon.

You could just get lost in that dimple, couldn't you?

TBR Tallboy

2009-04-27T12:23:00.001-07:00

Woo hoo!

Bookshelves of Doom is accepting orders for the first issue of the TBR Tallboy!

And if you look closely, that is my name right there on the cover, it is.

I might be excited about this.

Go ye and buy one if you want to! They're only $5!

House Update!

2009-04-14T11:34:00.001-07:00

If you haven't heard, it's official: we got the house! We're extremely excited and shocked all of the sudden by the SOONness of everything. We close on May 27th, but we'll probably take our time moving in, as our lease is not up until the end of June. We're probably going to paint a few rooms and we're looking at maybe having new carpet put in upstairs before we move in as well.

The house is a cute three bedroom, one and a half bath two-story number with a giant back yard and a two-car garage. It is painted salmon pink on the outside (ha!) but we looked past that to the greatness within. Just about everything in the house has been redone, with newish hardwood floors downstairs, a brand new kitchen, new bathroom, etc. It's in Westminster, which is a little south and west of Broomfield (north and west of Denver. It will be a slightly longer commute for me, but a significantly shorter commute for Brandon, so that's a good compromise.

We are SO EXCITED! Yesterday we signed the loan application and hired an inspector, so the ball is really rolling now! We'll try to keep you updated as much as possible, and I think Brandon has some photos saved, so I'll try to post some of those soon, too.

HAPPY HOUSE!

House!

2009-03-20T05:35:00.001-07:00

I got a heckuva birthday present yesterday: the listing agent on the house we wrote an offer on was good to his word and got approval from the bank on a counter-offer—which we accepted and signed last night! I think we are under contract to buy this house as of about 9am today!

I am pretty flippin' excited about this, although it still feels really surreal.

Here is a link to see photos of the house, if you're interested!

If all goes as planned, we should close at the end of May and move in sometime in June!

A Touch of the Irish

2009-03-18T09:22:00.000-07:00

Every time I mentioned to someone that I was going to attend a whiskey-tasting dinner last week, I got one of two reactions; either people wrinkled their noses and said, "REALLY???" in an incredulous tone or they said, "You mean Scotch?"

No, actually. I mean whiskey. Irish whiskey, to be exact, and it is entirely different from Scotch.

Once a year, for St. Patrick's Day, Bushmills distillery sends their master distiller, Colm Eagan, on a tour of the states. "You do St. Patrick's Day a lot bigger over here," he told us with a playful smile. Colm was everything an Irish host ought to be: generous with his time, generous with his stories and generous with his drinks.

Our tasting dinner was held at Beatrice & Woodsley, an unusual—but beautiful—venue tucked into a nondescript space on South Broadway in Denver. We were greeted at the bar with a Blackbush and ginger ale, and I took my first taste of Bushmills whiskey: smooth, a little sweet, and more complex than I had anticipated. I had been afraid that I'd be fighting down a grimace all night if the liquor was too strong, but I needn't have worried. Turned out, I could get to like whiskey.

People have been making whiskey in the tiny village of Bushmill, Ireland since the 1100s, and the first license to distill was granted in 1608, so a lot of history goes into this drink. Colm himself told us that he was destined to be at Bushmills, especially because he met and fell in love with a beautiful girl who'd grown up there. He described his first visit to the distillery, when he paid his two pounds to take a tour, painting a picture for us of whitewashed walls and black slate roofs nestled amid the green Irish hills, shining copper stills warm with their work, and a little crystal stream running through it all. "As my nose was being drawn to the smell of the whiskey," he told us, "I was being drawn to the distillery."

Enchanted by this vision, we entered the tasting. Colm explained how they malt the barley, allowing it to just sprout before air drying it to halt the growth (and here is the biggest difference from Scotch, which is smoked to halt the growth, giving it its distinctive flavor). From there, the barley is fermented in much the same way beer is, only without the hops. After it is distilled three times (no more, no less), the alcohol is decanted into oak barrels where it ages for at least five years.

The barrels are what give the different whiskeys their different flavors. A fresh oak barrel is too strong for the fine alcohol Colm spends so long distilling, so he chooses to use barrels that have already been used by another liquor that has stripped away much of the strong oakiness. Most of the Bushmills whiskeys start in bourbon barrels, giving them their lovely color and some of their complex aromas. From there, some are finished in sherry barrels, some in the casks used to age Madeira wine.

When asked the best way to enjoy whiskey, Colm smiles. "Any way you like it," is his answer, whether you enjoy it with a mixer or without. He does, however, suggest adding a little water, which opens the whiskey up, allowing the aromas to better flow. "More aromas, more taste," he told us, tipping his glass to one side in the light so we could see the subtle mixing of the alcohol and water.

The food was delicious, the company a delight and the drinks more fascinating and enjoyable than I could have imagined. The highlight of the evening, however, came with the dessert course, when we were treated to a taste of Bushmill's 1608 whiskey. Colm created this one specifically to celebrate last year's 400th anniversary, and only a very limited quantity was produced. The whiskey, made with crystal malt, won Colm and Bushmills whiskey of the year and innovator of the year in 2008. It was a delight, with distinctive vanilla and milk chocolate notes that lingered pleasantly on the back of the tongue for a long finish. If you happen to see the 1608 on a menu any time soon, indulge yourself, because when it's gone, it's gone.

I couldn't have expected to have such a marvelous time tasting and learning about Irish whiskey, but now I plan to buy a bottle and keep it around for those occasions when I want to ensure the conversation flows freely. Because, as Colm told us in his final toast:

There are good ships,
and there are wood ships,
The ships that sail the sea.
But the best ships, are friendships,
And may they always be.

Back and Blogging

2009-03-18T09:07:00.000-07:00

This blog has sat somewhat dormant for a while, not for a lack of things to talk about, but for a lack of words to express them.

When I got laid off, I really didn't want to talk about it. I was fighting off depression and working hard to stay positive; I didn't want to indulge in writing about being depressed, and writing about staying positive was just too much.

Then, I got caught up in a whirlwind of a new job. There are issues with blogging about work at the best of times, but I certainly didn't want to jeopardize a new job. Happily, things seemed to have evened out, and I'm now fully employed.

So hopefully, HOPEFULLY, I'll be more able and inclined to blog again. :)

I'm going to post a blog I wrote this week about a whiskey-tasting dinner I got to attend last week in honor of St. Patrick's day. What a great experience!

See you soon!

A Letter to Senator Cynthia Nava, NM Senate Education Committee Chair

2009-03-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

Dear Senator Nava,

Please don't let my college die.

I am an alumnus of the College of Santa Fe, class of 2003. I received a degree in Moving Image Arts from the college and graduated magna cum laude.

I chose the College of Santa Fe for a variety of reasons. First, I wanted the best film school education I could afford, and at the time, CSF was ranked fourth in the nation—behind only the behemoths of NYU, USC, and UCLA. Quite an impressive achievement for a school barely a fraction of their size.

Second, I wanted a smaller school where I wouldn't feel like just a number. My graduating class from the college was smaller than my graduating class from high school, and that made for an amazing experience, forging a close bond between my classmates and my teachers.

Finally, I fell in love with Santa Fe, plain and simple. Santa Fe is for artists, and at your disposal you have one of the finest campuses for the arts ever conceived, with state-of-the-art facilities for the visual arts, the theater arts, and the moving image arts all in one place. There is no other facility in the New Mexico state system to rival it. You have a place rich with history, interwoven into the tapestry of the history of Santa Fe itself. And you have the perfect city culture for nurturing young artists in a community dedicated to the arts at all levels.

Please vote yes on House Bill 577 and do not let this college go quietly into the night. Too many people—faculty, staff and students alike—have poured their hearts and souls into making the College of Santa Fe the quality educational institution that it is. Please don't let our love be only for a memory, our good work be in vain. Do not let the financial mistakes of a few ruin the future of this venerable institution.

Please vote yes and ensure that future students will have the opportunity to live and work in Santa Fe, to pursue their art in an environment that is utterly unique in the world, and to come away from the experience better, stronger, more accomplished citizens than they were when they began.

I implore you to support HB 577 for the good of the New Mexico state university system, for the good of the city of Santa Fe and for the good of the thousands of future students who will bloom and grow at the College of Santa Fe.

Most sincerely yours,
Me

Who's that Knocking On My Front Door?

2009-01-30T10:40:00.000-08:00

I? Have been a busy monkey.

I just wish I could say it was at a paying job.

BUT! They are all opportunities. Opportunities are knocking left right and center lately, I just have to encourage them to come on in. Here's some of what's been going on:

First, last weekend I went to the American Library Association convention and, just by chatting with people, became an "official" blogger for Penguin's young adult imprint. That means they are going to send me books — before they come out — for me to review. For free. WOO! I also picked up about 50 free advance reading copies of other books to review, so I'm going to be a busy little blogger.
Because of all that, I redesigned The Spiral Notebook so that it looks a little more professional and hipper. Cool, right?
I also applied to be an "examiner" on Examiner.com, which is like a local blogger, and I got the gig! I'm now the Eco-Friendly Living Examiner for the Denver area, which means I blog about eco-friendly living (duh) in the Denver area (double duh) and — wait for it — they pay me money based on how well my articles do (how many people visit them, etc.). No idea yet if this will pay off, but we'll see.
Finally, I got my first ever real live freelancing gig from a former boss. I'm writing about jewelry designers in Colorado. Right up my alley, right? :D Doesn't pay a ton, but if it were to be the first of many, that would be OK by me.
Also, I'm trying to be really diligent about working on my book. I've got all this time off, I need to be putting it to good use, right? The other exciting opportunity that came out of the ALA conference last weekend is that I might have found a new critique group. Which would be awesome, because I always work better on a deadline!

So that's what's been going on. Nothing terribly promising yet on the permanent job front, but I'm applying all over the place. Guess I'll just keep using my down time to explore other opportunities while I can!

Deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome someday.

2009-01-19T14:52:00.000-08:00

Looking for the Open Window...

2009-01-09T09:33:00.000-08:00

As some of you may have already heard, I was laid off from my job of just over two years on Monday. The company cut eight positions from the production team, including editors, designers, web monkeys and others. My boss made a point of telling me more than once that it was purely a financial decision and not a reflection on my performance, but frankly, that's small comfort when they've also just told you your position has been eliminated.

On the up side, I'm actually doing fairly well, all things considered. Monday was hard, and I took the day to be sad and upset about it. But since then, I have just gotten my rear in gear and got to work at the job of looking for a job. I've already had one phone interview, and I'm in the process of connecting with a second.

This isn't a good time personally or economically to be out of a job. It's really going to put a major damper on our plans to buy a house before our lease is up in June. But I'm trying to remember something Gini Moore told me almost 15 years ago — that whenever God closes a door, he opens a window.

Y'all tell me if you see an open window anywhere, OK?

Sunday from Scratch

2009-01-04T19:22:00.000-08:00

I made an apple coffee cake today! I had some apples that were just a little too soft to be eaten by themselves, so I looked up "apple cake" in my trusty Joy of Cooking and found a recipe for a sour cream (or yogurt) coffee cake with apples on top, so that is what I made!

It wasn't at all difficult. It astonishes me sometimes how much I take for granted; like many, I automatically assume that making a cake from scratch will be so much more difficult than making one from a mix when, aside from a little measuring, it really isn't that much more involved.

We also watched Sabrina today, the old version, and I remembered why I like it so much. But I also lamented that I will never be as elegant or graceful as Audrey. Ah well. C'est la vie.

And now I've got La Vie En Rose stuck in my head from the film. So, all in all, a nice Sunday.

Christmas Photos!

2008-12-31T07:19:00.000-08:00

It was an excellent Christmas in Dallas, filled with family and lots of good times.

We must have all been very good, because Santa (and Mom and Dad and all the family) was very good to us!

The food was good, the company even better. To see all the photos from Christmas, click here.

And happy new year!

Snow Day!

2008-12-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

The wind chill this morning is -17 and it's snowing. I have to admit, I'm kind of excited to have an excuse NOT to run all my errands today.

So, if anyone needs me, I'll be here on the sofa, wrapped up in blankets, enjoying my own personal snow day.

*snuggles in for a long winter's nap*

(The clip is from the movie "Elf" which is actually a really cute Christmas movie. I thought there was more to this cute little duet, but that's all they wrote!)

Geni.com Family Tree

2008-12-11T09:16:00.000-08:00

View more of Lacy's tree | Get your own family tree at Geni.com

I just started playing with the family tree tool at Geni.com and it's addictive and kind of fun! I think it would be so neat if a lot of us started contributing to it, uploading photos, adding events to the timeline, etc., to create a living picture of what's going on with our family.

I think I sent out invitations via the website for people to join me, but if you didn't get one don't be offended! It was something of a squirrely process! Just send me an email if you want to join or leave a comment here and I'll be sure you get on.

I'll start adding photos once I have access to them from home!

Las Cruces

2008-12-05T07:28:00.001-08:00

I promised photos of Thanksgiving in Las Cruces and, more importantly, the bundle of adorableness that is my nephew!

Seth was immediately taken with his uncle Brandon. He shouted "UNCLE! UNCLE!" throughout the whole trip, wanting Brandon nearby, playing with him, or watching what he was doing at all times. It was pretty freaking adorable.

I was surprised at how well he did on the hike we took on Friday. He didn't complain much, and walked a lot of the way by himself. But he was a little too fascinated with rocks — of which there were MANY lining the path — and he really wasn't having any of the backpack/carrier his parents provided.

He did, however, get pretty sleepy by the end, and he took a nap on my shoulder for a while until my arms gave out and I had to give him up to someone else to carry. He was pretty good at saying "Lacy" because his speech therapist's name was Lacy!

Overall, he is such a sweet, fun, happy boy! He's a joy to be around, and I know his parents and grandparents are so very, very proud.

Frost

2008-12-05T07:14:00.001-08:00

Frost
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

We got 4 inches of snow yesterday in Broomfield, and I awoke this morning to the most intricate coating of frost over everything. Absolutely beautiful.

Blogging, Blogging Everywhere!

2008-12-04T14:50:00.001-08:00

For those who are interested, here's a look at some of our designers' work on the Weaver Design Blog.

And, although we don't post much in the way of samples, you're welcome to check out the conversation at the Weaver Editorial Blog.

A Guide to Lacy on the Web

2008-12-01T10:10:00.000-08:00

So, I'm on the web a lot. A LOT, a lot. More than I probably should be. But there are a lot of places to keep up with my various interests and what I'm doing, and I thought I should create a handy-dandy list for anyone who is interested.

First and foremost, this blog is best for you, my family and friends, who want to keep up with me. This is where I post personal stuff about my life, my travels, my work, my photos, etc. If you fall into the category of family and or friends, never fear! You are in the right place. This blog's for you!

If, however, you are interested in what else I'm doing, here's where to look:

Swurl – The Web According to Lacy – OK, so this is the mac daddy of them all. This nifty little service aggregates (almost) everything I do online. Not only will you be able to see blog posts, photos and links to interesting stuff, like you can here, you will also see what movies I'm watching from Netflix, what stuff I've added to my Amazon wish list, and all my mini updates from Twitter and Facebook. The only thing NOT aggregated on this page is my livejournal, because it's not supported yet. But as soon as it is, I'll add it. If you want a quick overview look at what else I'm doing online, this is the place for you!

The Spiral Notebook – This is what I like to think of as my "professional" blog. I write here about my trials and travails with writing and review books that I've read. When I become a rich and famous author, this will be my website. Unless I make a better one. ;)

Lux Aeterna – This is my livejournal and as such, is mostly about fannish things — TV shows and movies I watch, books I read, etc. It's mostly a good way for me to keep in touch with my online friends. Anyone is welcome to read, just beware the rabid fangirls.

The Me Makeover – This blog started about a year ago as just a place for me to record my progress on my resolutions and goals, and it continues as such.

Photos on Flickr – This is my flickr page. All my flickr photos rotate in that cute little box on the right hand side of this page, and you can get there by clicking on any of them. But if you'd like to bookmark the main page, this is it.

Twitter – Twitter is a "micro-blogging" service, through which you can only make posts of 140 characters or fewer. Allison told me to get on Twitter, so I blame her for this, exclusively.

And that's it! OK, so it's a lot. And yes, I might have a problem. But I also have fun.

See you on the web!

So. Much. Snow.

2008-12-01T07:07:00.001-08:00

So, the drive from Santa Fe to Denver that should have taken about six hours, maybe seven because we had a leisurely lunch? Took TWELVE HOURS. We got to Colorado Springs and everything just stopped. It usually takes about an hour to travel the 60 or so miles from Denver to Colorado Springs. Last night? It took four hours.

Seriously. Four hours. I wanted to kill somebody. Particularly CDOT, who had not plowed the roads. At all.

That's the end of my complaining, I swear. Photos to follow.

Election Day

2008-11-04T07:48:00.000-08:00

"In the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope."

Did you?

Weaver Halloween

2008-11-01T07:58:00.001-07:00

Weaver Halloween
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Happy Halloween! I've got some fun photos of Halloween shennanigans at work yesterday up on Flickr. We carved pumpkins, decorated cupcakes, and watched the Thriller video. Good times.

Photos from the State Fair of Texas!

2008-10-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

Miles of Pumpkins

2008-10-19T10:20:00.001-07:00

Miles of Pumpkins
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Taken with my phone (so excuse the low quality), this is a view of the pumpkin patch near our house. That orange glow on the hills? All pumpkins.

Autumn Glory

2008-10-19T10:19:00.001-07:00

Autumn Glory
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This is the tree right outside our condo (as seen from our front porch). Autumn in Colorado ROCKS.

Photos from the State Fair of Texas!

2008-10-19T10:03:00.001-07:00

My friend and coworker Hernan and I had so much fun at the State Fair! Petting zoo! Baby goats! Dog show! Ferris wheel! Fried bacon! :D

I think the fair was actually more fun than I remembered it. It wasn't nearly so hot!

Did you know that the Texas Star is the largest Ferris wheel in North America?
(And did you know that Ferris wheel was capitalized? It is.
This is what you learn writing travel guides.)

Chicken fried bacon! Seriously!

More photos soon. I took some with the old-fashioned film camera, and they still need to be developed.

Obama

2008-09-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

Obama - 8
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Guess who I got to see speak today?

It was so awesome! Of course, the waiting for about four hours was less awesome, but still worth it. He spoke at Mountain View High School, less than five miles from our house. In total, there were probably around 2,000 people there — but still, what an incredible experience to see him speak in such a relatively small venue! We had pretty great seats, as you can see.

My favorite part was when he started to say, "If I become president..." and someone in the crowd shouted, "WHEN!" and the entire gym was on its feet, clapping and cheering. It was pretty astounding.

Oh Em Gee!!!!

2008-09-28T08:34:00.000-07:00

Brandon got up at 6:30 this morning to stand in line and he got us tickets to see Obama tomorrow! I'm wicked excited!!!!

More Birthday Trip to Aspen

2008-09-22T18:00:00.001-07:00

Birthday Trip to Aspen - 1
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Look at my handsome husband! A couple more photos added to the birthday set — I took actual film photos and had to get them developed!

Into in the Woods

2008-09-21T12:17:00.001-07:00

Lacy in the Woods.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This is maybe my new favorite picture of me. ;)

Brandon at the Cantina in Aspen

2008-09-21T12:16:00.001-07:00

Brandon at the Cantina.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Yesterday, we took off and drove up to Aspen to see some fall color and celebrate Brandon's birthday. click here to see all the photos!

Me sorting books

2008-09-19T07:01:00.001-07:00

Me sorting books
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

I promised more photos of the blue hair, and now there are a few on my flickr page! This one and several others are from my volunteer day this Wednesday. My company gives us a day off to go volunteer for the cause of our choice. My group chose education, so we went and sorted donated books in the morning, then changed clothes and headed to a local high school to talk about our careers in the afternoon.

Volunteering

2008-09-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, some coworkers and I volunteered to talk to some high school kids at West High in Denver about our careers and how we got here.

More photos to follow!

Corporate Safari

2008-09-17T17:48:00.001-07:00

If anybody's even remotely interested in what I do at my job, I just found out that there's this funny video we made a couple of years ago, starring my friend Johnny D. :D

Hurricane Ike

2008-09-11T14:05:00.001-07:00

Time to activate the circle of good vibrations, people.

My sister and brother in law, as well as my aunt and uncle and cousins all live in Houston and are currently figuring out what to do and where to go for Ike. Current predictions are saying there will be a 14-foot storm surge or more with winds in excess of 120 mph. The fear is that the storm could come right up the Houston ship canal and flood the city.

My parents, in Dallas, are reporting that the news is saying THEY could get as much as a foot of rain and 65mph winds.

I believe in the power of positive thinking, so if it crosses your mind in the next few days, please think positive thoughts for my family and all the residents of the Texas Gulf Coast.

Gwen, Lacy, and Brandon

2008-09-09T12:27:00.001-07:00

Gwen, Lacy, and Brandon
Originally uploaded by jaredwbrown.

Just a fun photo of us and friend/coworker Gwen at friend/coworker Hannah's wedding.

Ambient Awareness and Social Networking

2008-09-08T08:11:00.001-07:00

This article in the New York Times Magazine is a fascinating look at a particular kind of social networking that provides realtime updates about the minutiae of our lives. Services like Facebook and Twitter provide an opportunity for users to update friends on their "status" at any time of day with brief one or two-line descriptions of what they're doing.

This is the paradox of ambient awareness. Each little update — each individual bit of social information — is insignificant on its own, even supremely mundane. But taken together, over time, the little snippets coalesce into a surprisingly sophisticated portrait of your friends’ and family members’ lives, like thousands of dots making a pointillist painting. This was never before possible, because in the real world, no friend would bother to call you up and detail the sandwiches she was eating. The ambient information becomes like “a type of E.S.P.,” as Haley described it to me, an invisible dimension floating over everyday life.

The article also dives into the question of whether following or "friending" people on these sorts of sites truly constitutes a social relationship. Can I be friends with someone I've never physically met?

As I interviewed some of the most aggressively social people online — people who follow hundreds or even thousands of others — it became clear that the picture was a little more complex than this question would suggest. Many maintained that their circle of true intimates, their very close friends and family, had not become bigger. […]

But where their sociality had truly exploded was in their “weak ties” — loose acquaintances, people they knew less well. It might be someone they met at a conference, or someone from high school who recently “friended” them on Facebook, or somebody from last year’s holiday party. In their pre-Internet lives, these sorts of acquaintances would have quickly faded from their attention. But when one of these far-flung people suddenly posts a personal note to your feed, it is essentially a reminder that they exist.

And, according to the author, this social network of "weak ties" is incredibly powerful. I have a friend online — who, incidentally, I have only met once in person — who calls this, "the wisdom of the internets." She has a blog with a large (3,000+) following of avid readers. If she has a problem or a question, her cadre of readers is usually the first place she turns for advice.

This may seem like a strange new world to some, but for others, it's just how life is. Think about a generation younger than us who have never lived in a world without Facebook! The article makes some interesting conclusions about that, from a socialogical prospective as well.

The status update is becoming a literary genre, an answer to the dictum to "know thyself." It can even be a sort of zen reflection on life.

"Indeed, the question that floats eternally at the top of Twitter’s Web site — “What are you doing?” — can come to seem existentially freighted. What are you doing?"

Purple Cow

2008-09-04T08:36:00.000-07:00

I never saw a Purple Cow; I never hope to See One; But I can Tell you, Anyhow, I'd rather See than Be One.

Well, Mr. Burgess, I have seen one. In my office. In the lobby. In fact, it scared the dickens out of me the first time I walked in and saw it. Apparently, our new tennants brought it. I have a feeling its one of those that they put on street corners and then auction off for charity.

But still. There's little more random that walking into work and staring down a purple cow.

I want to believe.

2008-08-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

"Vote for him or do not; but take pride that this nation can produce men and speakers such as that." - Keith Olbermann 8/28/08

I have never been called to proselytize — on religion, or politics or much of anything. I firmly believe it is not my place to tell anyone else how to think or act or believe. So please consider this not an attempt to change anyone's mind or even to influence anyone's thinking, but rather, simply the act of recording the moment when I made up my own mind.

It is no small irony to me that Michelle Obama got in trouble for saying this very thing, but I am finally, truly, honestly feeling proud to be an American.

I have always loved parts of my country. I love its ideals, its ingenuity, its capacity for greatness, its propensity towards hope. But I will admit here and now that in my adult lifetime, I have never felt those good qualities embodied in a politician, a governing body or even much of a legislative act. The closest I have come was watching Rudy Giuliani leading people down the streets of New York — not because I think he is a great politician, but because in those few moments on that black day, I think he overcame the politician in him and was a leader. Too bad he had to go back and ruin that with politics.

I have never trusted a politician. I never knew a time when people were enamored of their leader. I'm too young to really remember much of Regan and not old enough to ever have experienced the passion Kennedy inspired. But I think I understand it now.

Up until last night, when asked, I was hard pressed to come up with a reason why I liked Obama so much. It was just a gut feeling. I wasn't ready to get involved, because I couldn't really speak to his position on the issues; the news reports I watched and the pundits I listened to made it seem as though, in reality, he wasn't that far off from Hillary Clinton or even John McCain on the details. It seemed silly to tell people he just felt right somehow, though I know in my heart that is how many of us decide who to vote for. I was careful when speaking about him to most people. I said I liked him because he was different, because he is a great speaker, because he represents a departure from the same old same old if only in the sound of his name and the color of his skin. Secretly, I just wanted to believe.

But now I can tell you why I think he is the right man for the job. Listening to him last night, I agreed with nearly everything he said. I agree with his energy policy. I agree that we need to talk to those who disagree with us, rather than simply bullying the world into doing what we want, but that we also need to be able to protect ourselves and our allies. I agree that taking care of those who cannot care for themselves is a government's function.

But more than any of those things, the part of his speech that had me on the edge of my seat was the part about personal responsibility. I actually shouted out loud when he started saying those things. I can't remember ever hearing a major national politician have the guts to say, yes, government is here to help you but you also have to help each other and yourselves.

Ours is a promise that says government cannot solve all our problems, but what it should do is that which we cannot do for ourselves – protect us from harm and provide every child a decent education; keep our water clean and our toys safe; invest in new schools and new roads and new science and technology.

Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work.

That's the promise of America – the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper.

That's the promise we need to keep. That's the change we need right now.

[…]

And Democrats, we must also admit that fulfilling America's promise will require more than just money. It will require a renewed sense of responsibility from each of us to recover what John F. Kennedy called our "intellectual and moral strength." Yes, government must lead on energy independence, but each of us must do our part to make our homes and businesses more efficient. Yes, we must provide more ladders to success for young men who fall into lives of crime and despair. But we must also admit that programs alone can't replace parents; that government can't turn off the television and make a child do her homework; that fathers must take more responsibility for providing the love and guidance their children need.

Individual responsibility and mutual responsibility – that's the essence of America's promise.

THAT is what I agree with. I believe what he said. He has articulated for me the platform about our country I have been searching for. Individual and mutual responsibility is the ideal I have been trying to articulate, trying to find in my own life. It speaks to so many things that interest me from energy conservation to eating locally to participating in a community. For the first time in my life, I found myself wondering how I could get involved in this campaign, and further, how I could use my own gifts and serve.

That is why I am going to vote for Barack Obama. He makes me not only hope for a better America, he makes me want to be a better American.

Read or watch his full speech here.

Family Visit to Colorado

2008-08-15T08:47:00.001-07:00

Emily and Elk
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

We had so much fun when Mom and Emily came to visit at the end of July! Finally got some photos uploaded. Don't miss the video of the elk and the marmot!

Best. Video. Ever.

2008-08-14T12:36:00.001-07:00

Full disclosure: this nearly made me cry, so have the tissues handy.

WTF, CSF?!?

2008-08-06T11:32:00.000-07:00

Oh my god, my college is so pretentious!

I just got an email about homecoming, and this is what it says:

“What is 4D? Well, in art-school parlance, 4D is time-based creation: video, sound, performance, telenetics — 4D art does not keep still. What does this have to do with Homecoming @ CSF? Well, there are four distinct groups involved: alumni, students, family and founders. And 4D is the space-time continuum — moving into the future without leaving the past behind. 4D transcends the individual. 4D is about all of us.”

Then? THEN? There’s a list of events, which includes Quadstock featuring Devotchka (an Eastern European band, which couldn’t be more painfully indie if they tried).

And then they talk about a fun run with the P-Dogs. That’s right. They shortened our already terrible mascot, the Prairie Dogs, to the even more terrible P-Dogs.

I think I just died a little bit of horror.

(What the heck is telenetics, anyway?)

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

2008-07-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

OMG yay! This was one of my favorite books as a kid. I will totally go see this movie.

My Favorite Fanboy Fruitcake

2008-07-21T12:17:00.001-07:00

I really enjoyed this article about the influences of Hamlet on Dr. Who (and vice versa, considering David Tennant is set to open as Hamlet this week).

Unlike any actor who has preceded him in the role of the Doctor or the Prince of Denmark, David Tennant is both an accomplished Shakespearean (he has often turned out for the RSC) and a complete and utter Doctor Who fanboy fruitcake.

[…]

The Stratford production's swift sell-out suggests that the audience is anticipating a rare kind of cultural twofer: Shakespeare's most celebrated hero, performed by the actor who now gives life to television's most celebrated hero. And in the case of both parts, it's hard to be unaware that you are watching only the latest of a long line of interpreters. New Doctors must overwhelm or accommodate the shades of William Hartnell and Tom Baker just as new Hamlets must compete with the ghosts of Olivier, Gielgud and David Warner. Tennant has already performed one successful act of exorcism. He seems destined to complete a second.

If anyone were interested in procuring me a ticket to Stratford on Avon and a ticket to the show, I think it might very well cause me to expire from joy. But don't let that stop you. ;)

Like a 1950s Stereotype

2008-07-21T10:29:00.003-07:00

Sunday morning, as I sat reading the newspaper and drinking my coffee, I heard a crash from the second bedroom/office. I looked up and saw the cat come barreling around the corner into the living room like she was chasing something.

"What have you got?" says I, standing up to get a better look. "Have you got a bug?"

It was not a bug.

It was a mouse. A real, live mouse.

I promptly shrieked for Brandon and hopped up on the kitchen counter. My shrieking awoke him from a sound sleep and he came barreling out of the bedroom, thinking the house was on fire, just as Cleo chased the mouse under the sofa.

I had no idea I was such a big girl about mice, but apparently, I really really am. Bugs don't particularly bother me; I mean, I'm not a huge fan, but when you grow up where the roaches are the size of your hand, you learn to deal.

Anyway, the chase ensued. Brandon got out a bunch of towels and blocked off doorways and under bookshelves and stuff, hoping to chase it out the patio door. I did my part by holding the squirming, flailing cat under one arm and the mag-light in the other. We moved the sofa and got it pinned under one of the bookshelves. Brandon tried to scare it out with a broom, but it wasn't having any. So we decided to let the cat try to flush it out. I let her go, and the mouse came RIGHT AT ME.

I shrieked again.

The mouse went around the corner towards the laundry room and tried to hide in some towels Brandon had used to block the door. Brandon saw it and slammed a large bowl down on the towels to try to catch the mouse.

By a quirk of aim, the mouse was no more.

I told Brandon that he had definitely earned his keep as a husband that day, and we made a pact that he would deal with rodents and I could deal with reptiles.

He checked and it was a male mouse, so hopefully we do not have baby mice living somewhere. Also, Allison confirmed my suspicion that if we hadn't seen any evidence of him before yesterday (which we hadn't) he probably hadn't been there for very long.

Of course, when we moved the sofa, we found all of Cleo's missing toys, and now, whenever she comes tearing through the house chasing after something, I have to quell the urge to jump up on the counter and scream.

Drumroll Please

2008-07-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Today, my company entered the new Dallas magazine in the Folio awards for Best Redesigned Magazine.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Dr. Horrible!

2008-07-15T07:05:00.001-07:00

What happens when Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Firefly) gets bored during the writers strike? Why Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, of course!

Neil Patrick Harris plays a mildly inept super villain named Dr. Horrible.

The first bit is funny, but as soon as Nathan Fillion showed up, I CRACKED THE HELL UP.

Oh Joss. You so crazy.

:D :D :D

Counting to Four

2008-07-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

I love it when musicians go on Sesame Street to do versions of their songs! YAY!

Rocket-Mom!

2008-07-14T08:23:00.000-07:00

From Mom:

After 40 years, playground equipment at Heights Park in Richardson to be removed

Thought you might be interested in the article from DMN…Our HOA went to bat for the Rocket ship and such to be sure they were turned into sculpture and remain in the park. I have this vivid memory, Lacy, of your being in the TOP of the Rocket ship, unwilling to come down alone and me about 8 months pregnant with Emily…Climbing up to the first stage was ok, but the second and part and the third were absurd…Small openings where I had to literally heave my middle, soon to be delivered Miss Emily, through the opening before the rest of me sort of. NIGHTMARE! At dusk when there was NO ONE there of a normal size to assist. On the other hand, I am thankful there was no YouTube then or cell phone cameras…… - Mom

I actually joined a group on Facebook called "Save the Heights Rocketship!" I'd like to think I did my small part. ;)

This is my favorite part of the article: "Much of the equipment presents serious dangers, including head entrapment, impalement and entanglement hazards. In addition, the equipment doesn't meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements."

Hahahaha! Head entrapment!

Whatever. Kids today — with their non-death-trap playgrounds. Pshhh. :P

Born on the Fourth of July

2008-07-04T06:01:00.001-07:00

Two clips for this Independance day!

These are both from one of my favorite movies of all time, Yankee Doodle Dandy, the story of George M. Cohen, known as the father of the musical comedy, and writer of "You're a Grand Old Flag," "Over There," and "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (among many others).

I love old movies like this. I have to admit, I've never experienced this kind of patriotism in real life, but these clips absolutely give me goosebumps. It's the best sort of Hollywood veneer, showing us what might be. :)

What Am I Up To on the Web

2008-07-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

So, I'm trying a new service called swurl which aggregates my online activity into one place. If you click the link, you can see the blogs I've posted, photos I've uploaded to flicker, things I've added to my Amazon wishlist, and more.

It's kind of a nifty little thingy, and I especially like the calendar function! You can see what I was doing every day for several years back (because I've been keeping this blog for a LONG time!).

So check it out, bookmark it, and start up a conversation with me, if you're so inclined. :)

I {heart} Hedghogs!

2008-06-23T10:09:00.001-07:00

more cat pictures

New Feature

2008-06-23T10:05:00.001-07:00

You may notice a new little feature in the right hand column! I've provided a list of links to my friends' blogs — and the cool thing is that Blogger tells you what their latest post is and when it was posted!

So you can feel free to visit their blogs as well. (Be sure to check out Charlie's Baby Tuesdays at Pull It Together for your weekly dose of adorable.)

Vacation Photos!

2008-06-19T06:43:00.001-07:00

L&B at Fairy Caves.JPG
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

Finally got most of the vacation photos uploaded! You can view a slideshow or pick and choose which ones to look at!

Enjoy!

10 Things

2008-06-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

Some random things:

1. Vacation was good. Colorado is a beautiful state. Husband was violently ill second night out. Husband also melted shoes on sand dunes. Good times.

2. Photos to follow (see below!).

3. Survived the second trip to the dentist. Tuesday was cleaning. I HATE the picky thing with a vengeance. It gives me the willies. So I listened to Dr. Who on my ipod and tried not to bite the hygienist because my jaw was clenched so tightly.

4. Next week is fillings. One new, replacing one old. Joy. (Although, that's pretty effing good for not having been in EIGHT YEARS. (And the old filling is well older than that.))

5. I have been a bottomless pit of hungry since getting back from vacation. (My theory is that I ate too much whilst on said vacation and stretched my stomach.) But I have been very good and "on plan" so far. I'm about to go wolf down a big bowl of popcorn, though, because it is very low points. And filling.

6. Some friends want us to go to a concert Sunday night of some blokey I've never heard of. He's playing at a Unitarian church, which worries me. According to friend, he has a gorgeous voice and is "very funny and very liberal." I'm not at all sure what to expect.

7. They're showing Shaun of the Dead at Red Rocks in two weeks and I totally want to go.

8. On vacation, we ate french fries drizzled with truffle oil and fresh grated Parmesan. Never has a more perfect dish been conceived, nor eaten.

9. One of my dad's idols died. RIP Stan Winston.

10. And now it's time to go watch disk three of season one of SGA. This show is highly cracktastical, in that sometimes it's a smidge incoherent, but mostly, it's just freaking addictive.

Fat Tire

2008-06-08T08:12:00.000-07:00

Brandon and I went to the New Belgium brewery in Ft. Collins yesterday to unofficially start our vacation and we had a blast! For the price of the answer to a silly question, you can taste four of their beers, and then you can take a tour of the brewery (and taste MORE beer!).

The Benefit of $7 Gas?

2008-06-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

The only reliable way to cut oil use — to reduce the flow of money to Iran, Russia and Saudi Arabia, to reduce the odds that the planet just keeps getting hotter — is to make oil more expensive.

This, of course, is precisely the specter that has been raised by opponents of new carbon rules. Gas costs way too much already! Yet that argument gets cause and effect almost perfectly backward.

Oil has become so expensive mainly because the world is using so much of it. Yes, making it more expensive — about 40 cents a gallon more expensive by 2030, according to two analyses of the current bill — will bring some medium-term economic pain. But the pain can be greatly reduced through broad-based tax cuts, financed with the revenue raised by a good cap-and-trade system (or, as many economists prefer, a carbon tax).

More important, raising the cost of energy could bring enormous long-term benefits. It could make the country more secure, strategically and economically.

“The real concern,” said Nathaniel Keohane, the head of economic policy and analysis at the Environmental Defense Fund, “should be our vulnerability to $7-a-gallon gasoline that is a function of global demand and stagnant supply.” Goldman Sachs recently suggested that $7-a-gallon gas was conceivable.
The New York Times

Ha!

2008-06-05T11:15:00.001-07:00

more cat pictures

For the Win!

2008-06-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Because if we are willing to work for it, and fight for it, and believe in it, then I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal; this was the moment when we ended a war and secured our nation and restored our image as the last, best hope on Earth. This was the moment — this was the time — when we came together to remake this great nation so that it may always reflect our very best selves, and our highest ideals.
Presidential candidate Barack Obama, St Paul, Minnesota, June 3, 2008

Social Revolution

2008-06-03T07:54:00.001-07:00

This is a really interesting article about television, the internet, the ways we interact with media, and the next social revolution.

…the critical technology, for the early phase of the industrial revolution, was gin.

The transformation from rural to urban life was so sudden, and so wrenching, that the only thing society could do to manage was to drink itself into a stupor for a generation. The stories from that era are amazing-- there were gin pushcarts working their way through the streets of London.

And it wasn't until society woke up from that collective bender that we actually started to get the institutional structures that we associate with the industrial revolution today…

If I had to pick the critical technology for the 20th century, the bit of social lubricant without which the wheels would've come off the whole enterprise, I'd say it was the sitcom. […] And it's only now, as we're waking up from that collective bender, that we're starting to see the cognitive surplus [time spent watching TV instead of thinking or working] as an asset rather than as a crisis. We're seeing things being designed to take advantage of that surplus, to deploy it in ways more engaging than just having a TV in everybody's basement.

Red rover, red rover, let Lacy sit on the sidelines and watch.*

2008-05-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

We just played Red Rover out in the courtyard at work.

My boss got clotheslined and broke the finger of the girl who clotheslined her.

I'm pretty sure most of you cannot say that you saw that today at work.

*I decided to watch because I think a broken wrist would hamper my ability to do my job. And it would hurt a lot.

Carpool Lane

2008-05-26T06:55:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow starts my first week of carpool with some ladies from work. There are three of us, and we're going to rotate driving by weeks.

Even if I only end up riding in someone else's car two weeks out of the month, it will save me a considerable amount of money.

My commute is almost exactly 20 miles each way. I figured out, using the IRS' standard mileage deduction, that it's costing me more than $100 a week to commute to and from work. That's insane! Now, that's supposed to include the entire cost of operating the vehicle. If I just figure out fuel, I'm still spending nearly $25 a week just driving to and from work.

Even if I only ride two weeks out of the month, that will save us $50 in gas!

I'm quite excited about the whole thing.

Booklust

2008-05-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid — I guess we'd call me a "tween" nowadays — I read voraciously, addictively. I would lock myself in a quiet place for hours and hours on end. I distinctly remember my mom chiding me one time, telling me to come out of my room and "be a person" for a while.

Probably there aren't TOO many moms who have that problem with their teenagers. ;) At least, not addicted to books.

I've been rediscovering my ~~addiction~~ passion lately. I've been reading the "Uglies" series by Scott Westerfield, and I CANNOT. STOP. READING.

I spent three hours yesterday finishing "Specials," the third in the series, and I went to the library today to get the fourth.

I read sixty pages when I got home, and then put it aside. I need to be a person for a while.

But it's still sitting in there.

Waiting.

Explaining to someone why I blog:

2008-05-24T19:32:00.000-07:00

"I narrate my life. Have since I was 3. And if I don't narrate it to someone else, it starts to get a little strange..."

Love This!

2008-05-23T07:26:00.000-07:00

more graph humor and song chart memes

Millennials

2008-05-13T14:39:00.001-07:00

I thought this was an interesting op-ed piece in the New York Times that explains a bit about WHY people of my generation — "Millennials" as we're being called — are voting more democrat and in particular, more for Obama as a demographic group.

This is a generation that is in danger of being left out of the American dream — the first American generation to do less well economically than their parents. And that economic uncertainty appears to have played a big role in shaping their views of government and politics.

A number of studies, including new ones by the Center for American Progress in Washington and by Demos, a progressive think tank in New York, have shown that Americans in this age group are faced with a variety of challenges that are tougher than those faced by young adults over the past few decades. Among the challenges are worsening job prospects, lower rates of health insurance coverage and higher levels of debt.

[…]

The upshot of all this is ominous for conservatives. The number of young people in the millennial generation (loosely defined as those born in the 1980s and 90s) is somewhere between 80 million and 95 million. That represents a ton of potential votes — in this election and years to come. And the American Progress study shows that those young people do not feel that they have been treated kindly by conservative policies or principles.

According to the study: “Millennials mostly reject the conservative viewpoint that government is the problem, and that free markets always produce the best results for society. Indeed, Millennials’ views are more progressive than those of other age groups today, and are more progressive than previous generations when they were younger.”

This made me laugh and laugh.

2008-05-06T15:07:00.001-07:00

more cat pictures

Brandon at home

2008-04-26T10:52:00.001-07:00

Brandon at home
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

The trees around our house have started blooming! I have no idea what these pretty white trees are, but they always bloom first at our house.

Crabapple Tree

2008-04-26T10:51:00.001-07:00

Crabapple Tree
Originally uploaded by LacyLu42.

This is our pretty crabapple tree (at least, I think that's what it is) right at the foot of our stairs.

Apparently, I equate spring with food...

2008-04-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Oh lordy lordy, it feels like spring!

It's an amazing day (although it's supposed to snow tonight) and we spent the day running errands with the windows rolled down. We bought some seedlings: tomatoes, lettuce, basil and sage and rosemary and strawberries!

Now, I'm marinating a chicken (local, free-range, organic) with lemons (organic), onions (local and organic), rosemary and olive oil that I'm going to serve with roasted new potatoes and a strawberry and spinach salad with balsamic dressing. And I've just finished slicing a fresh pineapple for dessert. Mmmmm.

Life is pretty dang good.

The Unfinished Files

Recipes

In the Deep Midwinter

One Moment: 20 Weeks

Something to live up to

Baby's Room

An important moment

Strawberries

Perfect

Pooped

Puppy Hugs

Graduation Day!

Bella and Brandon Roughhousing

Meet Bella

A Preview

Home Sweet Home

The Folded Twenties

New Mexico, Part Tres

Dinner Party at Steph's House

New Mexico, Part Dos

Northern New Mexico Trip

Pictures of the Garden in Late Summer

This Our House: Episode 6 "Say Hello to Our Little Friends"

Housewarming Party

This Our House: Episode 5 "I fought the lawn and the lawn won."

Photo of the day:

I *heart* my family

This Our House: Episode Four "Taming the Jungle"

This Our House, episode 3: Name That Plant!

This Our House, episode 2: Meet Stella

This Our House, episode 1

Homeowners

Seth and the Dimple

TBR Tallboy

House Update!

House!

A Touch of the Irish

Back and Blogging

A Letter to Senator Cynthia Nava, NM Senate Education Committee Chair

Who's that Knocking On My Front Door?

Deep in my heart, I do believe that we shall overcome someday.

Looking for the Open Window...

Sunday from Scratch

Christmas Photos!

Snow Day!

Geni.com Family Tree

Las Cruces

Frost

Blogging, Blogging Everywhere!

A Guide to Lacy on the Web

So. Much. Snow.

Election Day

Weaver Halloween

Photos from the State Fair of Texas!

Miles of Pumpkins

Autumn Glory

Photos from the State Fair of Texas!

Obama

Oh Em Gee!!!!

More Birthday Trip to Aspen

Into in the Woods

Brandon at the Cantina in Aspen

Me sorting books

Volunteering

Corporate Safari

Hurricane Ike

Gwen, Lacy, and Brandon

Ambient Awareness and Social Networking

Purple Cow

I want to believe.

Family Visit to Colorado

Best. Video. Ever.

WTF, CSF?!?

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

My Favorite Fanboy Fruitcake

Like a 1950s Stereotype

Drumroll Please

Dr. Horrible!

Counting to Four

Rocket-Mom!

I heart my family