Cup of Tea and a Good Book

For Mom

2010-07-18T09:58:00.001-07:00

For Mom, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

My mother was tired of seeing my "sad" face. And so was I. A picture from a recent visit with her. Thanks Mom!

A Fresh Face

2010-04-06T14:17:00.001-07:00

A Fresh Face, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Took a break from 365. Trying to get back into it with Tracy Clark's Picture Spring project! Of course I'm late, this is day 6.

Will probably go back and fill in some blanks from the days that I did take pictures.

70/365 - photobooth

2010-03-11T20:54:00.001-08:00

70/365 - photobooth, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

I can't believe this is my first photobooth picture. I was sure I'd have many by now. Just been a crazy day. I'm tired and uninspired. So here it is!

69/365 - bee tree

2010-03-10T20:35:00.001-08:00

69/365 - bee tree, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Standing under this tree you are surrounded by the gentle buzz of bees.

67/365 - yaaaawwwn

2010-03-09T16:29:00.001-08:00

67/365 - yaaaawwwn, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Trying to capture interesting cat shots for a Pioneer Woman's photography assignment.

66/365 - crazy weather

2010-03-08T20:49:00.001-08:00

66/365 - crazy weather, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Today the weather was crazy.

Rain with sunny skys. Sunny skies and light, fluffy clouds, downpour with hail that resulted in a beautiful double rainbow!

65/365 - beautiful day

2010-03-07T19:33:00.001-08:00

65/365 - beautiful day, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

64/365 - march

2010-03-06T17:49:00.001-08:00

64/365 - march, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

64/365 - breakfast

2010-03-05T15:31:00.001-08:00

64/365 - breakfast, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

A quick breakfast with sister and dad. Then yet another visit to the Cartier exhibit at the Legion of Honor. Lovely day.

63/365 - cherry blossom

2010-03-04T20:27:00.001-08:00

63/365 - cherry blossom, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

I bought some cherry blossom branches from Costco. There was nothing on them when I bought them but now their springing out allover.

62/365 - reading

2010-03-03T15:04:00.001-08:00

62/365 - reading, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

61/365 - tree

2010-03-02T20:43:00.001-08:00

61/365 - tree, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

60/365 - three flowers

2010-03-01T21:09:00.001-08:00

60/365 - three flowers, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Not very exciting. But it is a picture. I took it today. So that counts?

59/365 - mothering

2010-02-28T21:05:00.001-08:00

59/365 - mothering, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

58/365 - travel

2010-02-27T20:38:00.001-08:00

58/365 - travel, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Not the prettiest of pictures. But I liked the different textures.

57/365 - gray day in the bay

2010-02-26T19:10:00.001-08:00

57/365 - gray day in the bay, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

56/365 - the sun breaks through

2010-02-25T20:03:00.001-08:00

56/365 - the sun breaks through, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

We had streams of sun in the afternoon. It was fantastic.

55/365 - project

2010-02-24T20:09:00.001-08:00

55/365 - project, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

A quilt square that I am decorating for a gift for the PTA president. I'm the Author Day co-chair.

54/365 - Rainy day lunch

2010-02-23T20:12:00.001-08:00

54/365 - Rainy day lunch, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

53/365 - take me out to the ballgame

2010-02-22T20:24:00.001-08:00

53/365 - take me out to the ballgame, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

First day of baseball practice. He really didn't want to do it but the coach was great. He let him be his helper until he got comfortable. He ended up loving it. He said he was proud of himself. (And so was I)

52/365 - an afternoon at the museum

2010-02-21T20:14:00.001-08:00

52/365 - an afternoon at the museum, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

A rainy Sunday. Took the boys to the Legion of Honor in SF today. They enjoyed lunch and the mummies the most. I enjoyed the Cartier exhibit. Afterall, diamonds are a girls best friend.

51/365 - afternoon reading

2010-02-20T17:55:00.001-08:00

51/365 - afternoon reading, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

I was sitting at the table reading Vanity Fair for a very long time this afternoon (it's the Hollywood issue.) After playing for awhile, my son sat down with a couple of books and starting perusing them. See I wasn't wasting time, I was helping to build a reader!

50/365 - blow

2010-02-19T21:13:00.001-08:00

50/365 - blow, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

49/365 - Braid

2010-02-18T17:18:00.001-08:00

49/365 - Braid, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

A lovely (though chilly) morning spent with friends at the Discovery Museum. Of course my camera battery died. But before it did, I was able to take a picture of her golden braid. Hope she doesn't mind!

48/365 - Sunshine at the Park

2010-02-17T19:02:00.001-08:00

48/365 - Sunshine at the Park, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

47/365 - lollipop

2010-02-16T19:36:00.001-08:00

47/365 - lollipop, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Can't seem to stay away from the heart imagery!

46/365 - lego

2010-02-15T19:22:00.001-08:00

46/365 - lego, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

45/365 - at the valentine/lunar new year/mardi gras dinner

2010-02-14T21:57:00.001-08:00

45/365 - at the valentine/lunar new year/mardi gras dinner, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

The only girl in the barrel of boys that is our family.

44/365 - two hearts

2010-02-13T19:25:00.001-08:00

44/365 - two hearts, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Valentine's Day frivolity is a easy subject matter. Wonder what will happen when the holiday is over!

43/365 - big pill

2010-02-12T17:35:00.001-08:00

43/365 - big pill, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Luckily the pill I really had to take was much smaller. This was a Menthos that I found in the bottom of my purse for prop purposes!

Taken at UCSF where I had to stay the night after a simple procedure.

42/365 - camera

2010-02-11T11:13:00.001-08:00

42/365 - camera, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

My Great-grandfather's camera!

41/365 - pink tulips

2010-02-10T17:41:00.001-08:00

41/365 - pink tulips, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

'm always buying grocery store flowers to have at home. I especially love this time of year when all the bulbs start appearing.

40/365 - Valentine Gnomes

2010-02-09T20:19:00.001-08:00

40/365 - Valentine Gnomes, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Made today for the kids to take for school Valentines. Got the idea here: familyfun.go.com/crafts/gnome-sweet-gnome-valentine-66823...

39/365 - magic hour

2010-02-08T19:25:00.001-08:00

39/365 - magic hour, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Had a hard time being motivated today. Pretty much about everything. At least there were some pretty colors in the sky tonight.

38/365 - First Bloom

2010-02-07T19:58:00.001-08:00

38/365 - First Bloom, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

37/365 - Saturday Morning

2010-02-06T17:20:00.001-08:00

37/365 - Saturday Morning, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Concentrating hard on his Nintendo DSI.

36/235 - Treat

2010-02-05T15:43:00.001-08:00

36/235 - Treat, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Bought these for a Valentine's project for the kids. Don't know if they are going to last that long!

35/365 - me

2010-02-04T12:11:00.001-08:00

35/365 - me, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

When I first started this project one of my goals was to take some self-portraits. I thought I'd start out simple. Camera on table. Me no makeup (well some lipgloss and a bit of powder.) My next promise to myself is to get more adventuresome with the self-portrait. Special thanks to A la mosey (moseyalong) for prodding me.

34/365 - february

2010-02-03T20:12:00.001-08:00

34/365 - february, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

33/365 - little house

2010-02-02T18:42:00.001-08:00

33/365 - little house, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Out of the mouths of babes

2010-02-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

I was washing my dear sweet son's hair last night. He was gazing at my face that was so near his. I thought he was adoring his "beautiful in his eyes" mama. He opened his mouth and I waited for those charming words that only a young child can say...."You're growing a beard."

WHAT!?!

I laughed it off but immediately made my escape to bright lights of my bathroom mirror. And there is was, one long straight, thick hair. Why had I not noticed it before!?! It was plucked with gusto.

It sucks getting old.

32/365 - lemon tea

2010-02-01T20:28:00.001-08:00

lemon tea, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

January 365

2010-01-31T21:21:00.001-08:00

January 365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

One month down. Never thought I'd make it. Didn't get any self-portraits which I challenged my self to do. I will try for one or two in February! This project has helped my so much. I'm starting to understand the technical side of my camera (which has always been a problem for me.) It's also made me want a new lens. Especially one that works well in low light situations. Maybe a Valentine's gift to myself!

31/365 - Peanuts

2010-01-31T21:01:00.001-08:00

31/365 - Peanuts, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

These were my Aunt's (Lucille/Lucy) and Uncle's (Charles/Charlie). I have lovely childhood memories of them. When they passed away they made it to my Dad's home. Snoopy's leg is broken off. But, I'm sure he won't let that get him down.

30/365 - court

2010-01-30T18:50:00.001-08:00

30/365 - court, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

My son had basketball practice today. This is not him but one of his teammates.

29/365 - Earth

2010-01-29T16:17:00.001-08:00

29/365 - Earth, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

28/365 - I Love Sunshine

2010-01-28T19:25:00.001-08:00

28/365 - I Love Sunshine, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Sunshine today! Hooray!

27/365 - bright

2010-01-27T14:53:00.001-08:00

27/365 - bright, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

More flowers. The sun finally came out for a bit today.

26/365 - boots

2010-01-26T20:27:00.001-08:00

26/365 - boots, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

I had rainy day lunch duty at my son's school. I quickly captured this shot.

25/365 - everyday

2010-01-25T18:55:00.001-08:00

25/365 - everyday, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Another gray rainy day. Kids out of school today for a teacher work day.

24/365 - bowl

2010-01-24T16:15:00.001-08:00

24/365 - bowl, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

A bowling Birthday Party. Great photo opportunities. Of course in the rush to get out the door, I forgot my camera. But that's ok. I love the camerabag app on my Iphone.

23/365

2010-01-23T17:59:00.001-08:00

23/365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

22/365 - Bloom

2010-01-22T19:25:00.001-08:00

22/365 - Bloom, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Playing around with a "bloom loom".

21/365 - Color

2010-01-21T21:10:00.001-08:00

21/365 - Color, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Touch of Color on a Gray Day!

20/365 - The End

2010-01-20T20:04:00.001-08:00

20/365 - The End, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

He was actually reading the end of the book before he started it.

19/365 - minis

2010-01-19T21:19:00.001-08:00

19/365 - minis, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Yumm!

18/365 - rain

2010-01-18T13:21:00.001-08:00

18/365 - rain, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

A very rainy day!

17/365

2010-01-17T19:55:00.001-08:00

17/365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

This was a last minute scramble. Not feeling very inspired today.

15/365 - Lola

2010-01-15T18:29:00.001-08:00

15/365 - Lola, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Haven't had a shot of the cats yet for the 365 project.

Had two sick boys home today. Well semi-sick. By the afternoon, it was apparent that they were feeling much better.

14/365 - cup of tea and a good book

2010-01-14T13:44:00.001-08:00

14/365 - cup of tea and a good book, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Blog title appropriate photo! I got these books today from Amazon. They have beautiful covers by Coralie Bickford-Smith. They have a few more classics with similar covers. I think I'm going to have to make another order!

13/365

2010-01-13T18:04:00.001-08:00

13/365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Lucky 13. Can a weed be pretty?

Listening

2010-01-13T13:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday right after getting home from school, my son put his raincoat back on and headed out into the backyard for no apparent reason. I followed him out hoping to get some photos and asked him what he was doing. He simply said, "I'm listening". So I listened. I heard the rain hitting the leaves, drips from the leaves hitting the ground. It was magical. I love that our little ones can teach us every day to stop take a breath and listen to the rain.

12/365 - spilt cereal

2010-01-12T20:31:00.001-08:00

12/365 - spilt cereal, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

This afternoon Conner punched an Costco sized bag of cereal because he doesn't like the smell when his brother eats it. Needless to say it was open and spilled everywhere. He got a timeout. I got a picture.

11/365 - camelia

2010-01-11T17:44:00.001-08:00

11/365 - camelia, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

More flowers!

10/365 - Peanut Butter and Jelly

2010-01-10T18:44:00.001-08:00

10/365 - Peanut Butter and Jelly, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

9/365 - Fruit Kebobs

2010-01-09T19:18:00.001-08:00

9/365 - Fruit Kebobs, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

A star wars themed birthday party for my 7-year old twins. These are the Obi-Wan Kebobis.

8/365 - touch of color

2010-01-08T17:31:00.001-08:00

8/365 - touch of color, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

I know that spring is still a way off but I love this time of year when spring colors start appearing in the grocery stores.

7/365

2010-01-07T20:36:00.001-08:00

7/365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Bauble. Another last minute addition. Scraping the bottom of the camera!

This was a crazy day of kid stuff. We haven't quite gotten back into the swing of homework after the break. It has been frustrating to say the least. Thank God tomorrow is Friday.

6/365

2010-01-06T17:44:00.001-08:00

Ducktail.
This really means he needs a haircut. But is is so cute why do it.

5/365

2010-01-05T19:40:00.001-08:00

5/365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Another last minute picture. I need to take more in the daylight!

4/365

2010-01-04T16:21:00.001-08:00

4/365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Day 4! I beat last year's 2 days! Babysteps...

3/365

2010-01-03T20:47:00.001-08:00

3/365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

Paleontologist in Training.

2/365

2010-01-02T21:52:00.001-08:00

1/365

2010-01-01T19:44:00.001-08:00

1/365, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

So, I've decided to try a 365 project again. (That's one picture each day.) I started it last year and only got to day 2! I'm going to try harder this time. I'm also going to try and incorporate the dread self-portrait into this. We'll see!

Of course, today I forgot all about it until the sun was already going down. I rushed around trying to photographing things. I'm hoping this won't happen every day.

The life of cats

2009-12-21T09:51:00.000-08:00

Wouldn't it be nice.

Tartine's Gingerbread Cookies

2009-12-18T00:14:00.000-08:00

I first tried Tartine's Gingerbread Cookies last year after reading about them on Emilystyle.

I love gingerbread cookies but have found most recipes to be lacking some pizazz. This recipe definitely isn't lacking the pizazz factor. The addition of black pepper makes them deliciously spicy. The teacher's of my kids kindergarten classes asked for the recipe after I sent them to school as their birthday treat. My kids love these too, they've even requested them again this year for their school birthdays treats.

Playing around

2009-12-17T10:33:00.000-08:00

With my favorite Apple Iphone app "Camerabag"...

Sisters

2009-12-11T09:42:00.000-08:00

Sisters

There were never such devoted Sisters

Never had to have a chaperon "No, sir!"
I'm there to keep my eye on her

Caring

Sharing
Every little thing that we are wearing

When a certain gentleman arrived from Rome

She wore the dress while I stayed home

All kinds of weather

We stick together

The same in the rain or shine

Two diff'rent faces

But in tight places

We think and we act as one

Those who've

Seen us

Know that not a thing could come between us

Many men have tried to split us up but no one can

Lord help the mister

Who comes between me and my sister

And Lord help the sister

That comes between me and my man

(Sisters from the 1954 White Christmas Soundtrack

by Irving Berlin)

Sisters, a complicated relationship, a simple relationship.
Times in your life that you can be so cruel to each other. Other times you can be so kind.
True unconditional love.

Happy Birthday to my sister, my friend!

(Please excuse me for using Christmas reference on your birthday. I know you hate that!)

The last days of fall...

2009-12-03T12:20:00.000-08:00

Thankful...

2009-11-27T14:00:00.000-08:00

for quiet moments in our chaotic lives.

Two Movies

2009-11-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

I was able to sneak away to a movie this weekend and last. Yesterday, I saw "Coco avant Chanel". Lovely to look at and Audrey Tautou is amazing. The costumes were great. The story was very languid but it worked for me. Made me want to run out and get a striped fisherman's sweater.

Last weekend, I saw "An Eduction". Another great performance this time by Carey Mulligan. And again the costumes were fabulous. More fast paced than "Coco", it was sweet and fun.

I recommend sneaking out for either or better yet both!

The last of the roses...

2009-10-27T11:38:00.000-07:00

Treats

2009-10-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

We had a couple of events that required "treats" this weekend.

Even though I swore I would always make brownies homemade after trying this simple and yummy recipe, I resorted to buying them from Costco and adding my own little spidery touch...

Then there was the end of Soccer season picnic...

Decorating "treats". One of the things I love about being a mom!

Dinner

2009-10-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not so much of a good cook as a good recipe follower. I'm forever trying out new meals on my unsuspecting family. Some are keepers. Most are not. I have some great cookbooks but I love to find good family tested recipes on other's blogs, so I thought I'd share some of my winners here. (Also, I tend not to remember which ones are keepers and where I got them. So this will also serve as a personal recipe book for me!)

My kids give me a thumbs up when they like something. This recipe got two thumbs up from each (so four thumbs up). It was super easy and quick. I tripled the recipe for the 4 of us, used frozen shrimp and served it over brown jasmine rice. Next time, I'll try it with udon or thai noodles.

Sesame Shrimp and Noodles
recipe from: Martha Stewart's Everyday Food

Put the water on to boil before you prepare all the ingredients, then cook the shrimp and vegetables at the same time as the pasta.
Prep: 20 minutes Total: 20 minutes

Ingredients
Serves 1

Coarse salt and ground pepper
2 ounces thin spaghetti
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red-wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 ounces medium shrimp
1 small yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Directions
In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain; return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together marmalade, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, bell pepper, and scallions; toss to combine. Transfer to a rimmed (or toaster-oven) baking sheet, and spread in a single layer.
Heat broiler (or toaster oven). Broil, 4 inches from heat source, until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Transfer contents of baking sheet to pot; toss with pasta to combine.

A trip to the bowling alley

2009-10-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

Being the mother of twins, I rarely spend quality one-on-one time with only one boy. The other day after dropping one boy off at a birthday party, the other mentioned that he thought the bowling alley was nearby and asked to go bowling. My first thought was, "I'm really tired, I just want to go home." My second thought was, "We can't go bowling without the other boy." My third thought was, "Why not?"

So one boy and I headed to the bowling alley. We hit the vending machines (For me: socks, for him: Skittles.) Put on our spiffy shoes. Picked out the lightest balls (for both of us.) And we had a blast. If it wasn't for the lucky strike I got in the second half, he probably would have beat me.

Sometimes, it does seem strange not to have them both with me. We are our own little pack. I will always cherish our adventures as a threesome but as they boys get older, and start having different interests and friends, I'm looking forward to spending more quality alone time with each of them.

Just Because...

2009-10-20T08:31:00.000-07:00

I really liked this picture that my son drew. I have it pinned above my computer. Even though I don't believe I'm the inspiration for the picture, the picture gives me inspiration that sometimes I am Wonder Woman to him.

Found Heart

2009-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm always amazed when I see other people's "Found Heart" photos. So the other morning at breakfast when one boy said, "Look Mom, a heart", I rushed out to take a picture. So this really isn't my found heart, but his.

Soccer Mom

2009-09-20T10:18:00.000-07:00

I've become one of "those" Soccer Moms. The mom I swore I never would become. I knew I couldn't avoid the minivan and the twice weekly shuttles to and from practice but I would never become one of those mom's who screams bloody murder along the the sidelines.

I mean I don't even really know how to play soccer. Sure, I can pretend pretty well kicking the ball around in the yard with my son. And I know that David Beckham is a Soccer Player, but quite honestly if he didn't have such great abs and wasn't married to Posh, I'd have no idea.

But then at the first game: "Don't bunch up!" "Get ahead of the ball!" "Go Eagles!" I find myself screeching. The whistle blows. My taciturn husband edges away from me on the blanket. I clamp my hand over my mouth in mortification. In my normal life, I'm pretty sedate. A quiet person. But at a 6 year-old's soccer game, I might as well be wearing one of those cheese hats and have my face painted blue. The action continues. My hand drops from my mouth. "KICK IT DOWN THE SIDELINE!" I can't help it. Hello, my name is Heather and I am one of "those" Soccer Moms.

a good book...(or three)

2009-09-09T09:42:00.000-07:00

I've realized that despite my blog title, I write more about television than about books. But I do read books. Lots of them. Mostly what I've read of late have been so-so. But I did read three books this summer that I really enjoyed (and no it is not the Twilight saga, though I really enjoyed those too.)

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society. A charming story about a writer in post WWII England and her research on Guernsey Island, it's inhabitants and it's occupation during the war. The story is relayed via letters. It is a refreshing change of pace and the title alone was enough to reel me in.

The Help. I really liked this one. Set during the civil rights movement in the South. The story skips around from three different points of view. It is full of a wide range of interesting characters.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Just finished this one. So fun, charming and whimsical. Set in England in the 1950's with a 11-year-old girl detective.

I'm currently reading The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox which I'm enjoying so far. Hmmmm, but doesn't the Fall television season start this week? What a distraction!

The centerpiece..

2009-09-08T16:26:00.000-07:00

What a boy and his cousin find for a centerpiece. First the bowl of flowers was plopped down then the snail was carefully placed on top with a "now for the piece de resistance" flourish. Not exactly appetizing for Sunday Brunch but they swore the shell was empty and they were so proud. So we let it stay...

the after school snack

2009-08-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

One of my romantic notions of the stay-at-home mom is the after school snack. Something healthy ready and waiting when they get home.

The first day looked like this (cucumber and tomatoes from the garden, the rest from costco)...

The second day, I couldn't resist going the opposite direction (brownies from inside a black apple's recipe, truly scrumptious)...

But then of course, my enthusiasm waned and the next day was whatever they could scrounge from the pantry shelves...

OK, so maybe I can only be Martha Stewart some of the time...

thirtysomething

2009-08-25T19:20:00.000-07:00

I just about burst into tears when I read on mommy track'd that the first season of thirtysomething was releasing on DVD today. My fingers couldn't move fast enough over to Amazon to place an order.

I don't know how this happened without me hearing about it before now. I've been waiting for years for this fabulous show's release (it was held up due to music right issues). When it was shown on Lifetime (oh, a lifetime ago), I actually taped each episode in seasonal order. I rewatched them all the time. Until our VHS player and subsequently all the VHS tapes went the way of landfill. Yes, I'm a total geek.

If you've never seen this show, you must! If you have and remember it as being whining and depressing, give it another try. You might find you have a different perspective twentysomething years later!

From the garden

2009-08-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

So, our first foray into gardening has been met with middling success. Our little plot is only 8' x 4' and my husband and I were a little ambitious (and clueless) when choosing the plants(Squash and pumpkins need a lot of space!)

Raspberries, grapes, corn, watermelon, strawberries not very productive.

Cucumbers and beans (when we could find them hidden in the exploding tomato plants) limited but tasty. We have two lovely deep orange pumkins waiting for fall.

Zucchini's and Tomatoes we have coming out of our ears.

We enjoyed our first caprese salad the other night....

We've been picking handfuls of these little jewels on a daily basis. The kids eat them like candy...

We've also eaten zucchini everything. Meatloaf, fries, stuffed, bread, risotto... The kids are getting a little tired of it. But I find it very satisfying to be using fresh ingredients straight from the garden.

Any favorite zucchini recipes out there...?

Silence

2009-08-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

Thursday was the first day of 1st grade for my kids. Their first full day of school (kindergarten ended at 11:30.) It was wonderful. The best part was eating my lunch in complete silence with a good book.

Blissful silence.

The Art Weekend

2009-08-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending The Art Weekend organized by Nicole from A Little Sussy. Over two days, I attended two Illustrator classes taught by Alma Loveland. This was the first time I'd dabbled in a program like this. It was very cool and I can't wait to play with more.

I also took Nicole's tabletop photography class. She taught us little tips of the trade when it comes to styling and shooting food.

Basically, Nicole did all the set-up. I just pressed the button. But I'm hoping with a little practice I'll be able to apply the lessons to my own photography.

To top off all the Art goodness, I snuck off to the SFMOMA during a break between two classes. I went initially to see the Richard Avedon Exhibit, but fell in love the Robert Frank's The Americans series. Both were wonderful.

Richard Avedon

Robert Frank

Even having my car towed the first day due to a total rookie manuver of misreading the street signs couldn't put a damper on the experience. It was a lovely, inspiring two days.

Madmen

2009-08-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

AMC's Madmen starts is third season on August 16th. If you haven't seen it, you must! The first two seasons are out on video. You'll enjoy it if not only for the great acting and writing but for the fantastic costuming and set decoration...

On AMC's Website you can Madmen yourself. Check it out if you have some time, it's addicting. The closest to how I am...

And how I wish I was...

Have fun watching or playing!

A tale of two vacations

2009-07-16T10:49:00.000-07:00

I find it rather ironic that at the same time that my good friend moseyalong was exploring the italian countryside and lounging under pergolas reading this...

I was standing in lines at Disneyland and lounging by a Mickey Mouse shaped pool teeming with kids reading this...

Hmmm...something is wrong with this picture!

the seeing tree

2009-07-13T19:45:00.001-07:00

the seeing tree, originally uploaded by topsyturvydays.

I love these trees that I came across in Squaw Valley. I'm sure they are very common trees. But to me, they are magical, mystical and wonderful.

Simple Summer Pleasures

2009-06-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

A trip to the amusement park...

Slipping and Sliding...

A lemony treat...

Peas from the garden...

Homemade popsicles...

The Artful Dodger

2009-06-16T21:12:00.000-07:00

So it seems I've entered into a new realm of motherhood. I'm not sure I'm ready for it. It seems just as you've figured one stage out a new one sets in.

My son stole some bubblegum from the grocery store the other day. I was shocked to say the least. When confronted, he said he'd tried to get my attention to ask if he could have it and when he couldn't he slipped into his pocket. Of course, my fault. I stayed calm and explained how wrong it was and told him we had to return it to the store.

I think I was more nervous than he was. See, I was a good girl when I was a kid. But it wasn't entirely for virtuous reasons. I hated getting in trouble, disappointing people. I didn't want to get caught. But I bit the bullet and led my son to Safeway's customer service desk. He laid the gum on the counter and I explained what he'd done. The woman behind the desk smiled sweetly and said "O.K." What!? No burly security guard, no taking him into the back office and giving him a strict talking to? She must have noticed my questioning look because she followed it lightly with, "You're going to be a good boy right?" That's the best she could come up with?

Hopefully he's learned a lesson. Hopefully for the right, virtuous reasons and not just because he's afraid of getting caught. Hopefully, I've learned something from this. Hopefully, I'll be ready for the next stage.