95th Division Reunion

My Grandpa Komp is an amazing man. Period. He was in WWII - and has opened my eyes to so much more history than my 26 years of education ever did.

We went to a military reunion for the 95th Division down just outside of Indianapolis...and we heard amazing stories from WWII vets. These men are heroes. I was pretty much in awe most of the weekend.

One of the families hosted a BBQ for all of the vets and their families at their farm outside of town:

Here is the inside of their house: (I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beadboard ceiling, so I took a picture of it, because I WANT IT!!) That's my cousin Elizabeth in the corner...

We also took a visit to the airfield at Camp Atterbury, who hosts the Atterbury-Bakalar Air Museum.

Grandpa gave Joe a 95th coin...and told him that the next time he sees him...he should have that coin with him. And if he doesn't...then he will have to buy drinks for everyone in the room. :)

And a pic of the boys - enjoying ice cream sundaes at Zaharkos (a cool ice cream parlor that has been restored)

catching up with pics...

Joe playing pitcher...he LOVED playing the infield, and he really got into the game when he was a part of the action. If he was in the outfield however...forget it. He was more interested with the dirt.

For mother's day, my boys got me the most beautiful crock from the Greenfield Village Artisans. Handmade in the village...this is for chilling wine. It currently resides in my fridge...at the ready!! :)

And here is the start of the garden pictures. Joe was helping me plant the onion starts/sets I got from Luke's Feed Store in Troy. I love that place.

silly string and rain barrels

Joseph's birthday party. Sleepover with 5 boys. A silly string fight. A flashlight scavenger hunt and a tent in the basement. Crazy.

I was able to get the Township to donate a Rain Barrel to Joe's school...here we are installing it.

Joe was very happy to get his own fishing license:

more pics...

I know i've been lax about blogging...so I'm going to try and make up for it with a bunch of photos for the next few blogs...enjoy!! Sometimes I'll caption them...sometimes i won't.

Before I started my new job, I took a road trip by myself to New Jersey, (just on the other side of Philly) to see my best friend (practically sister)...B.

Windmills on the way....so cool.


we went out to eat at an AMAZING restaurant...Rat's. OMG. Best food ever.

Baseball

Just a few pics from Joe's baseball games:

He bats left, but plays right in the field...

And yes - I'm coach Mom. I help out in the dugout, keeping the players organized, keeping score, etc.

What an awesome horoscope for the day:

You may be stressed by your inability to logically describe what's going on in your life now. It's not that anything bad is indicated; it's just that you would feel better if you knew where the current events were leading. Nevertheless, you have an opportunity now to envision your ideal future, without the pressure of having to make it real. Set aside your concrete goals for just a little while and let your imagination be your guide.

How I wish I could just "set aside my goals". I am consumed by goals. I am consumed by expectations. Isn't everyone? I mean, if we didn't set goals, and just lived on imagination alone...it would be a very different world.

Musings

I haven't blogged in a while, and I am trying to get back into it.  but there is SO much that has happened since I last blogged.  You know me and my lists...so, I'll start one (in no specific order):   1. I am now working at an environmental consulting firm in A2 about 30 hrs/week.  I. Love. It.  2. I have discovered I like KIND bars (http://kindsnacks.com/) 3. I have been getting up at 4AM 4 days a week to train for a triathlon.  I know..crazy, right? 4. I started back working 8-12 hours a week at my old job (the one that laid me off).  It is for very specific work tasks...nothing like what I was doing, but still good stuff. 5. I'm very worried about Dax.  She is getting old, and the sore on her side won't heal.  I really need to take her in to the vet. 6. Little Joe is playing coach baseball with Little League.  He isn't very good, but he is the youngest on the team.  He thinks baseball is boring. 7. A few weeks ago, I made an awesome cake for my cousin's Quincineara.  (pics to follow). 8. I ran an indoor triathlon a few weeks ago (10 min swim; 30 min bike; 20 min run).  AWESOME!! 9. Joe turned 7 years old. 10. Joe had a sleepover birthday party, with a camp-out theme.  We pitched the tent in the basement, roasted marshmallows, played flashlight tag, had a scavenger hunt, had a silly string fight, with 5 boys.  11. Big Joe went to St. Maarten a few weeks ago.  He came back relaxed and refreshed... 12. I'm kind of glad that teaching this semester is done.  I didn't have a good experience. 13. I signed a contract with the Department of Architecture at LTU to teach in the Fall. 14. We are going to Indianapolis this weekend to see family, and a military reunion.  I'm excited!!  I love seeing my family! 15. My boys are awesome.  (I'm just saying...) 16. I'm really having a hard time staying gluten-free.  I keep getting glutened when I least expect it.  My stomach is constantly in pain.  17. I planted flowers in my yard this past weekend.  Still waiting on the veggies until it is a smidge warmer. 18. I can't WAIT for this summer.  Good things. 19. I am going to be starting a new batch of wine.  Australian Shiraz.  I need to finish bottling the chardonnay though...I ran out of bottles.  20. My birthday is in a few days. 21. I am having issues with anxiety...maybe because I am spreading myself thin?  (duh!)  22. I miss some of my old friends. 23. I had a wine-tasting party at my house a few weeks ago.  Lots of girls came - we had a great night. 24. I wish I had more free time, but I'm happy the way things are. 25. I need to find a replacement for scotch. (yes, the drink...)  I told myself that I would learn to enjoy good scotch this year...but I have read that because of the way it is processed...it has gluten.  I'm not sold on this...so I either need to clarify if scotch DOES have gluten - or I need to find another snooty beverage to learn to enjoy...Bourbon?  I don't know.  ideas? 26. I also need to start practicing pie crusts with gluten free flours.  My rhubarb is RIPE...and I don't know what to do with it all! 27. My birthday is in a week, and I have barely had time to think about it.  This year is going too fast. 28. Not only is little Joe playing baseball, but I am "Coach Mom" for the team.  I help the other coaches by keeping the players in line, batting orders, positions, all the details, even keeping score!  It is actually quite fun! 29. I missed my moms on Mother's Day this year...but not too badly.  I thought good memories of them. 30. I need to stop procrastinating!!!!

My return

I swear…I’m not dead.  I’m just overwhelmed.  Very. 

 

1.       I started a new job.

2.       I’m training for a triathalon.

3.       I started another new job.

4.       I’m teaching at LTU.

5.       It is springtime…and my mind is thinking about my garden.

6.       I am officially “Coach Mom” for Joseph’s baseball team. 

7.       I’m a mom.  Deal with it.

 

I promise I will update. There might be less pictures…there might be some soapbox rants.  Deal with it. 

 

Love and kisses to you all!!!

 

Random Info - 3 Quirks

So, in an effort to share way too much information with you, I will be listing my top three "quirks" that drive me crazy, and they must be just so. I am by no means OCD, however, I have some OCD tendencies. (If you looked at my house, you would know that OCD ain't a problem...)

3. Water on my face. No. Not a good thing. When I shower, I lean back at a crazy ridiculous angle to wash my hair, but I NEVER EVER let the water touch my face. When washing my face, I must splash the water on with my hands. It probably is related to why I hate putting my face in the water when I swim.

2. Coffee cups. I don't have any matching coffee cups, and I NEVER EVER want matching coffee cups. I have many coffee cups, and they all tell stories, and make me think of either the person who gave it to me, or a special occasion. Silly, yes...but true. When I choose a coffee cup to use in the morning, it essentially defines me for the rest of the day.

1. Little spoons. When I eat soup, cereal, something that needs a spoon, I MUST use the small one. The smallest possible. I hate those "cereal" spoons, and the "soup" spoons you get at a restaurant. Too Big!! I don't need a construction shovel for goodness sake!!

OK - there. you know more useless random information about me.

Starting Anew

Yup. Today I start my new job. At a place that I have admired for many years. I. Am. Happy.

Mind you, I won't be in the office today, they asked me to attend a workshop...so, I'm headed there instead. But, nonetheless...I. Am. Happy. !!!!!!!

Things are good. I am busy. LTU is kicking my butt. Teaching is hard. No matter what anyone says. There is so much that goes on behind the scenes. Ugh.

Little Joe is good too. He finds out which baseball team "drafted" him next week. Yeah! Little League starts!!! I love watching him play baseball!

I started seeds last week, and yesterday. Tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, summer squash, zinnias, cosmos, sunflowers. Whoot! pics to follow. You know me.

Short update - nothing exciting. Life is good.

Breakfast from Heaven.

I made myself the most AMAZING breakfast today. I have to share...

Those of you who know me...know my passion for smoked salmon. (i.e. Gravlax or Lox). Not the dried out stuff...(though that does have it's uses). I LOVE the cured, raw-looking buttery melt in your mouth, salmon. I have yet to make it in my smoker...because I'm scared I'll ruin it. It is perfection...when done properly.

We have some AWESOME neighbors behind us that we share our garden bounty with during the summer. The husband is a foodie. Major foodie. He also has a smoker - and he has been smoking for much longer than me...and he can throw DOWN some awesome food. Including lox. LOX!!!! He makes his own LOX!!!

I stopped by their house on Sunday to drop off some things, and he hands me a package. I look in my hands...and I want to hug him. Fresh. Homemade. Smoked. Tender. Moist. Lox.

Hence....Breakfast today:

Oeufs en Cocotte with Lox:
1 Egg

1 Tablespoon Parmesan, Grated

1 oz. cream cheese, cubed

1 oz. Lox, Chopped Fine
½ Teaspoon Butter

handful chopped red onion

dollop of sour cream

Butter a small 4-oz ramekin.
Crack the egg into the buttered ramekin. Take care not to break the yolk.
Add the lox to the dish. Add the cream cheese to the dish.
Sprinkle the cheese, salt and pepper to the egg.
Bake in a water bath at 350 º F until egg white is set, but the yolk is still runny or done to your liking. Baking takes approximately 12 – 15 minutes. Sprinkle red onion and sour cream on the top and enjoy!!

funk and feeling alive

It's been a while. Sorry. Just getting some things done. Life, and all. You know how it goes.

I've been in a funk lately. For no good reason though. I'm happy with my life. I love my family. I'm alive. I have a roof over my head. I have food in the pantry. These basins of life should be all I need. Yet, I'm just in a funk. I'm imagining that it probably has a lot to do with the whole job thing. Yes, I still an officially unemployed. Mind you, I'm still teaching at LTU, and really enjoying that. But, I'm not integrated into campus life. I don't have an office on campus, I'm only an adjunct faculty member.

I visited a 1st year architecture studio class last week. One of the profs I'm working with asked me to help him jury his student's projects. I jumped at the chance. (A jury is a peer-based review of your posted/submitted work. All projects are hung up, and discussed. Sometimes called a "Crit" or a critique.) So, I show up in his class, talk with some of the students, and I feel...alive.

Alive.

The creativity flowing out of that classroom was amazing. I wanted to badly to be a part of that. The studio. The creativity. Holy Crow - I am in heaven. I spent about 2 hours there, listening, giving feedback, and really enjoying myself.

We'll see.

Other than that - things are going OK. I'm starting to get my rear end to the gym on a somewhat regular basis, thanks to my workout buddy! I will DO this triathlon. Period. I may suck at it - but I will DO it!! I've planted some seeds. Planning out the garden. Getting ready for Little League and (maybe) Football. (Little Joe wants to play football, and I found a youth league here in Redford!!!)

I'm enjoying some of the smaller things in life...and I love it.

Music...A common language

Check this out...even in this crazy world we live in...there is a common language that we all speak. Some people know the language better than others...but we all can hear it, even if we can't "say" it exactly correct. Wow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne6tB2KiZuk

Makes you think a little bit about all the hateful and horrible things that people do to each other. I've never understood hate. I don't see what a person could have done to make you so angry, and lose all compassion for human life. Don't get me wrong, there are people that I don't like, there is one guy that I REALLY can't stand (pretty close to hate), but life is too short to waste on being angry.

If music can be a shared language for us, maybe it can also make us realize that we aren't that much different from the person sitting next to us. Maybe it can help us realize that the "Horrible things" aren't so horrible...and the hate isn't worth the effort.

Enough pondering for an early Sunday morning...I already went to the gym this morning, now I am enjoying my coffee, listening to Little Joe snoring on the couch (yes, he slept on the couch last night), and getting ready to read my book!

Happy Sunday!!

Do You Have a Passion? (Or are you a passionate person?)

What is your passion? I mean, TRULY? What is something that you love to learn about, engross yourself in, surround yourself with, and/or simply love?

Can you have more than one passion? Yes
Can your passion change daily? Yes
Can you share your passion? Yes (you should!!)

I'll share a little bit of what my passions are today...(yes, in list form...)

1. being an awesome mom & wife - I still haven't figured how to do this exactly...but I try darn hard to do so! Whether it is making sure that my husband is taken care of, or showing my son how to tie his shoes (for the umpteenth time). This will be a lifetime passion of mine. Sometimes I think it comes easy; sometimes I feel like I have lost the "passion". But I know that this is one thing that truly brings joy to me: my husband and son.
2. music - so many different forms and sounds and colors. I know music. but I don't know EVERYTHING about music. I know what sounds good. I know what brings a good resonance to my ears; I know that I love Beethoven and Mozart and Verdi and Bach and Handel and Tchaikovsky and Dvorak and Mahler and ugh...I could go on with who I love...I'm OK with Stauss, Wagner, some Italian operas, opera in general isn't my favorite. I love some folk music, but not all of it. I like some Gershwin, but it depends on who is singing it. I love R&B, but not the new nasty stuff. I love Jazz, but not all the time. I love choral music, but not modern stuff. Daniel Pinkham is an exception. I love movie soundtrack music, but only if the movie was good too. Enough about music...I seriously could go on forever.
3. landscape history - how does the built environment and the existing landform create a landscape for human interaction? Ugh. This could be a dissertation...but I find that looking for pattern and proven successes in landscape can teach us lessons for the future and cultural development. (I think I want to teach a class in this!!!)
4. Michigan history (including Detroit history) - Detroit has such a colorful history. Looking solely at the census for the past 100 years, Detroit was once an icon of what a city should be. Now it is an icon of what a city DOESN'T want to be. But the bones are still there. The architecture is still there. The art is still there. The people, maybe not so much.
5. french horn - I wish I still played. I love listening to horn music. There is something sultry, smooth and bold about the horn. It isn't used enough. (I think that is the complaint of all horn players...we were always relegated to playing the peck horn part, which sucks!!)

Tomorrow, I know my passions will be different. Maybe they will be similar...but that's what I like about me. I have so many interests, and I truly enjoying so much.

What are your passions?

I'm not getting a kickback...but HOW COOL IS THIS??

This would help me achieve one of my goals for this year. Most of the GF recipes have the amounts in mass/weight, rather than cups of whatever. So...this would be PERFECT. Now, I just have to find one at a store near me, or order it from Amazon.com. I could have bread again!! YEAH!!!

cakelove.

Here it is. The cake I made for my cousin's 16th Bday party. Yes, I worked hard on it. Yes, I learned lessons about mixing fondant colors. But..how cool is this cake???

On a random note - I found the cake stand at an antique market in Livonia. That place on Plymouth Rd., just west of Wayne Road? The one that looks like a flea market? Yeah - that one.

Feeling Creative

So, I've had some time on my hands recently, and I was feeling rather creative. I love papercrafts, and I love sarcastic art. (Heck, I just like sarcasm). Anyways...I decided to MAKE a Valentine's Day Card for my dear friend, B. She is a cardiologist. a HEART DOCTOR. So...I made her this card...

How cool, right? I thought so. :)

I'm feeling somewhat creative lately - nothing major, just want to create. We'll see where this path takes me. :)

Blabbering.

Horoscope for today:

You want to meet your obligations today, but may be fearful about making a promise that you cannot keep. You are particularly aware of your own shortcomings and don't want to set yourself up for failure. However, being overly concerned about your ability to follow through now is counterproductive. It's of no value to judge the current situation by what you did or didn't do in the past. Keep things as simple as possible; do what you can and then let it go.

Can you say “INSECURITY”? Sheesh! This horoscope makes me want to crawl back in bed and not even try to start my day! I get it..”you can’t do everything, you aren’t perfect, do what you can do” blah blah blah…Wow. I’m in a foul mood, and it is still early today!

Just a few things going on here in the Lawson house…(yes, I am going to make a list)

1. Joseph got his hair cut. This might seem minor and inconsequential, but this was the first time he actually took an opinion when the barber asked what he wanted, and he didn’t say “Princeton” which is the style he has had ever since forever. He decided he wanted “long” hair…not supershort. So, he looked so different now. I like it…but different, nonetheless.

2. I went to the gym this past weekend and I am still feeling it. I tried a class called “Strictly strength”…which apparently used to be called “Basic Training”. Wish I had known THAT DETAIL!! Just this morning I can bend my right arm again…my bicep was destroyed during the “lift until fatigue” part of the workout. Ow. Ow. Ow. But – I had a great time doing it, and oddly enough, I want to go back! New leaf, People. Get Jen in shape for a triathlon. We’ll see how this goes this summer.

3. As for the career things…I can’t say much, because nothing is in writing. I have SO many things going on, but nothing has been set in stone…so I am in total flux. Just know that I am scared out of my mind, but looking forward to SO many awesome changes. For the better. It’s not that I was unhappy in my previous job, but getting laid off has opened my eyes to so many other possibilities that I never even considered. Yeah!

4. Making a cake for this weekend. My cousin’s sweet 16 bday party…I’m looking forward to making it!! I LOVE making cakes! It is very relaxing…and creative. So FUN! I’ll post pics when it is done.

Racking the Wine...with a little help.

So, last Sunday evening...I decided to rack my wine. I started this wine on December 29th...so it has been fermenting/etc. for a few weeks now. It has been stinky, and cloudy, and now...check. it. out:

I had a (little) bit of difficulty though...and I'm SO glad my favorite 6-year old son was there to show me how to do things. First...after siphoning the wine into the bottles...I couldn't put the cork in. Yes. You read that correctly. I couldn't figure out how to work the corker....Until...MY SON SHOWED ME HOW. No joke. geek. But, I hadn't soaked the corks long enough, so there was some difficulty there....AND....to make matters worse, I didn't have the corker screw set correctly. (I learned this after "finishing" each bottle with a hammer to pound the cork in the rest of the way). But....this is the end product:

Yumm!! Chardonnay. I'm going to let it rest for at least another month...and then start drinking it in April-ish. I did taste it while racking it...it was bright, fruity, not very mellow, but tasty. We'll see what happens!!!

Spoonbread isn't BREAD!!!

OK. Anyone who tells you that spoonbread is good...is incredibly mistaken. And GlutenFree Spoonbread? Disgusting. Incredibly disgusting. I found a recipe that was GF, and looked easy. It was made with cornmeal...and the recipe made it sound so yummy. It even looked REALLY pretty when it came out of the oven:

Instead, what it did taste like was cornmeal mush souffle. Yup. I just typed that. I don't think cheese would have helped this recipe out. And cheese usually fixes EVERYTHING! So, if you are ever offered spoonbread...be forewarned.