Between series that I am in the middle in, have been recommended to me, and new books by authors I have enjoyed in the past, I added my current summer reading list to the top.
But if you have a recommended book or two based off of what I have read before, or have above or on the side etc. I am more than willing to read more if I can squeeze them in.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Home study interviews
Yesterday we had our home study interviews, and they really weren't that bad! We had two people and the wife interviewed me, and her husband interviewed Blake and saw the house and then they talked to us together, and that was it!
Blake and I, comparing notes yesterday, found that they asked us very different questions, probably to get a full picture of our family. They also let us know that a lot of what they know about us comes from the stack of papers that we had to give them, including our references, and the interviews in some ways are just a formality to match that what they read in our autobiographies and see in the references matches what we are really like.
I do have to say that it is really starting to feel more real now... besides the one pesky video we haven't gotten to yet... it is just waiting for paperwork type steps before we are at the stage where we are waiting (months?) for that special call (or e-mail?) that says will you accept this child and go through a bunch of more steps for them and raise them and call them yours. That step is huge! I think it is at that step that we go from the potential parent to really starting to feel like parents. And it is coming closer now...
Blake and I, comparing notes yesterday, found that they asked us very different questions, probably to get a full picture of our family. They also let us know that a lot of what they know about us comes from the stack of papers that we had to give them, including our references, and the interviews in some ways are just a formality to match that what they read in our autobiographies and see in the references matches what we are really like.
I do have to say that it is really starting to feel more real now... besides the one pesky video we haven't gotten to yet... it is just waiting for paperwork type steps before we are at the stage where we are waiting (months?) for that special call (or e-mail?) that says will you accept this child and go through a bunch of more steps for them and raise them and call them yours. That step is huge! I think it is at that step that we go from the potential parent to really starting to feel like parents. And it is coming closer now...
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Garden 2011
Yesterday we took a trip to Morning Song Farms (our CSA) and got to see a bunch of their plants and their animals there, and it made me realize that I haven't really talked about our garden at home in a while.
So I went out, took some pictures (Didn't resize them... so they are big), and decided to do a blog focused on our garden.
First off, its berry season, and we are getting lots of blueberries! So excited! (Apparently we had been getting them for a while now, but only a few, and Blake was eating them when he saw them... so I didn't know as soon :P)
These were all picked yesterday from our plants.
As compared to this time last year, our tomatoes are a bit behind. I have a feeling this is because it has been colder this year than last year, but they are growing, slowly but surely. We even have a few green tomatoes growing, so I have lots of hope for our crop this year!
The two raised beds that Blake built this year are doing well. The first one below has beets, herbs, eggplant and Swiss Chard. We have already harvested beets once (each row was planted a few weeks apart for us to have beets at even intervals) and Swiss chard a few times. Most of our herbs in there are doing well too.
The second raised bed is newer, so the plants are smaller. It has tons of onions, and then some spaghetti squash, pumpkin and cantaloupe. After our visit to our CSA farm, we also got some cuttings of fig trees, so we will see how they do.
Our peppers this year (way fewer planted than last year) are like the tomatoes, slow but growing and doing well.
In other news, we have our first home study interview tomorrow! I am trying not to go crazy cleaning the house or worrying about it, but I am somewhat nervous... fingers crossed it goes well.
So I went out, took some pictures (Didn't resize them... so they are big), and decided to do a blog focused on our garden.
First off, its berry season, and we are getting lots of blueberries! So excited! (Apparently we had been getting them for a while now, but only a few, and Blake was eating them when he saw them... so I didn't know as soon :P)
These were all picked yesterday from our plants.
As compared to this time last year, our tomatoes are a bit behind. I have a feeling this is because it has been colder this year than last year, but they are growing, slowly but surely. We even have a few green tomatoes growing, so I have lots of hope for our crop this year!
The two raised beds that Blake built this year are doing well. The first one below has beets, herbs, eggplant and Swiss Chard. We have already harvested beets once (each row was planted a few weeks apart for us to have beets at even intervals) and Swiss chard a few times. Most of our herbs in there are doing well too.
The second raised bed is newer, so the plants are smaller. It has tons of onions, and then some spaghetti squash, pumpkin and cantaloupe. After our visit to our CSA farm, we also got some cuttings of fig trees, so we will see how they do.
Our peppers this year (way fewer planted than last year) are like the tomatoes, slow but growing and doing well.
In other news, we have our first home study interview tomorrow! I am trying not to go crazy cleaning the house or worrying about it, but I am somewhat nervous... fingers crossed it goes well.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Ireland Thoughts and Reflections
I was planning on writing a long description of each day in chronological order, but have since decided against that (though I will post my typed in Ireland blogs that are still on my mom's computer at some point) and go more towards the main couple stories I tell my coworkers and friends about the trip.
Overall it was an amazing experience, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to go!
It totally lived up to its stereotypes in that it is truly very green with lots of sheep and cows everywhere. Also, our Irish taxi drivers were really nice and talkative and our tour guide that we used Monday was great as well since he was really informative and nice.
We were amazed at seeing such great intact structures that were so very old, most notably the 5 thousand year old tomb. Standing in there, looking up at this ceiling that was made so long ago and still standing was really a great experience. I also loved seeing the 8th century monastery and 12th century castle. Any old structure, I really was impressed by just the fact that it is still there. But the other thing that struck me is how it is just a part of life to those who live there. One place, Bective Abbey was old, and amazing, but local families took it as a nice picnic spot, and kids were playing hide and seek there. I just felt like here, we would turn it into a really guarded area, but since they have so many of these places all around, it doesn't have to be that protected, it can just be an awesome picnic spot!
All my walking tours were interesting and informative, and pointed out things that I wouldn't have known or noticed if I was just walking around by myself. Like the statue of justice at Dublin Castle. Unlike most portrayals of justice as a woman, she was notably not blindfolded, and she faced the castle, not the city. Also, I learned that on rainy days (which are common in Ireland) the scale used to tip! My Irish tour guide said that it was a correct representation of justice in Ireland for centuries, back to the people, tipped scales and not blind. Also, another walking tour pointed out the bullet holes and plaques that I wouldn't have noticed without the tour.
My main hiking day turned out to be the rainiest day, but I am really glad I went because they are also my favorite pictures from the trip. I most felt like I was in Ireland that day too because I was actually around in the green hillsides hiking instead of in the city. At the time I was tired and wet... but still glad I was there doing it.
On that note, it was different than other cities I have been in because there are centuries old buildings everywhere, but it was also very similar to every other city in that there was still graffiti, there was still homeless people, and there were still the major chains (Subway, McDonalds, Starbucks etc.).We did purposely try to avoid the places we could eat at home, though I did go to a Starbucks for convenience one day. Our favorite spot by far was a place called Bewley's. (I think that's the spelling). We ate there for dinner twice, dessert once, breakfast once and a late snack/lunch one day too! They had the best coffee... an Orange Mocha that I didn't try until Friday and feel like I will spend the rest of my life wanting another one!
It was amazing being in the old cathedrals as well, and we even got to hear a men's choir singing in one. At the time, my main thought that I could barely make real is that I am hearing something that people have heard here for hundreds of years! I took some pictures of the inside... but they don't really do justice to the beauty of the stained glass windows or huge ceilings. Even their organs were impressive!
My only negative for the trip was the flying back. Flying there wasn't too bad because we slept off and on from Philadelphia to Dublin, but we didn't sleep on the way back, so it was a long time on planes that day and I was ready to be done by the end. Even so, I would gladly do it again in a heart beat.
Overall it was an amazing experience, and I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to go!
It totally lived up to its stereotypes in that it is truly very green with lots of sheep and cows everywhere. Also, our Irish taxi drivers were really nice and talkative and our tour guide that we used Monday was great as well since he was really informative and nice.
We were amazed at seeing such great intact structures that were so very old, most notably the 5 thousand year old tomb. Standing in there, looking up at this ceiling that was made so long ago and still standing was really a great experience. I also loved seeing the 8th century monastery and 12th century castle. Any old structure, I really was impressed by just the fact that it is still there. But the other thing that struck me is how it is just a part of life to those who live there. One place, Bective Abbey was old, and amazing, but local families took it as a nice picnic spot, and kids were playing hide and seek there. I just felt like here, we would turn it into a really guarded area, but since they have so many of these places all around, it doesn't have to be that protected, it can just be an awesome picnic spot!
All my walking tours were interesting and informative, and pointed out things that I wouldn't have known or noticed if I was just walking around by myself. Like the statue of justice at Dublin Castle. Unlike most portrayals of justice as a woman, she was notably not blindfolded, and she faced the castle, not the city. Also, I learned that on rainy days (which are common in Ireland) the scale used to tip! My Irish tour guide said that it was a correct representation of justice in Ireland for centuries, back to the people, tipped scales and not blind. Also, another walking tour pointed out the bullet holes and plaques that I wouldn't have noticed without the tour.
My main hiking day turned out to be the rainiest day, but I am really glad I went because they are also my favorite pictures from the trip. I most felt like I was in Ireland that day too because I was actually around in the green hillsides hiking instead of in the city. At the time I was tired and wet... but still glad I was there doing it.
On that note, it was different than other cities I have been in because there are centuries old buildings everywhere, but it was also very similar to every other city in that there was still graffiti, there was still homeless people, and there were still the major chains (Subway, McDonalds, Starbucks etc.).We did purposely try to avoid the places we could eat at home, though I did go to a Starbucks for convenience one day. Our favorite spot by far was a place called Bewley's. (I think that's the spelling). We ate there for dinner twice, dessert once, breakfast once and a late snack/lunch one day too! They had the best coffee... an Orange Mocha that I didn't try until Friday and feel like I will spend the rest of my life wanting another one!
It was amazing being in the old cathedrals as well, and we even got to hear a men's choir singing in one. At the time, my main thought that I could barely make real is that I am hearing something that people have heard here for hundreds of years! I took some pictures of the inside... but they don't really do justice to the beauty of the stained glass windows or huge ceilings. Even their organs were impressive!
My only negative for the trip was the flying back. Flying there wasn't too bad because we slept off and on from Philadelphia to Dublin, but we didn't sleep on the way back, so it was a long time on planes that day and I was ready to be done by the end. Even so, I would gladly do it again in a heart beat.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Ireland preview
When I return, I fully intend to write a long extended post (or posts) about my trip detailing what I learned and saw and took pictures of. But at the moment, I am in an internet cafe because I just finished a walking tour that was supposed to be 2 hours, but ended up being closer to three, and while I learned a lot and enjoyed it, there were no real opportunities to sit, so I decided to use this as an excuse to rest.
We are here, we had a great day yesterday, and a good day Sunday, though we were totally exhausted. Today is Blake's first day of work, and my first day of being here on my own. I am doing well with it, and learning to adapt to changes in my original plan. For example, I was going to catch a 1:30 train to Skerries today, but since the tour ended up going long, that didn't happen, and I am not sure when the next one is so I most likely won't be going today, but more importantly I am currently tired (thus the cafe), and hungry (and will be searching for food after this) and my camera is out of batteries (so I need to search for those).
To be honest, I am fine with the change of plans. I have lots of options, currently I am thinking about a museum or two after I get those problems mentioned above taken care of.
I am happy to state a lack of fear as well, since Blake and I were walking around a lot the days before, I now feel fairly comfortable with the layout of our area, and there are TONS of people everywhere, so I don't really have many opportunities to feel alone or scared.
That's my little update.
On a random note... it has been pretty wierd to be disconnected from the internet for the most part while here, having to find out the weather from TV or newspapers, and not being able to check e-mail, but I think its been good to disconnect.
Not sure if/when I will get a chance to post again, but this has been a nice little chance to catch up on e-mails, facebook, and my blogs. :-)
We are here, we had a great day yesterday, and a good day Sunday, though we were totally exhausted. Today is Blake's first day of work, and my first day of being here on my own. I am doing well with it, and learning to adapt to changes in my original plan. For example, I was going to catch a 1:30 train to Skerries today, but since the tour ended up going long, that didn't happen, and I am not sure when the next one is so I most likely won't be going today, but more importantly I am currently tired (thus the cafe), and hungry (and will be searching for food after this) and my camera is out of batteries (so I need to search for those).
To be honest, I am fine with the change of plans. I have lots of options, currently I am thinking about a museum or two after I get those problems mentioned above taken care of.
I am happy to state a lack of fear as well, since Blake and I were walking around a lot the days before, I now feel fairly comfortable with the layout of our area, and there are TONS of people everywhere, so I don't really have many opportunities to feel alone or scared.
That's my little update.
On a random note... it has been pretty wierd to be disconnected from the internet for the most part while here, having to find out the weather from TV or newspapers, and not being able to check e-mail, but I think its been good to disconnect.
Not sure if/when I will get a chance to post again, but this has been a nice little chance to catch up on e-mails, facebook, and my blogs. :-)
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