Piano Party!

Ben Shaved (like a month ago)

This is a bit late in the coming but since we're more-or-less hermits and no one sees us (and U_Stevsie lives far away and has never seen us) i thought i ought to post it so that in the event that someone stumbles across Ben in some random Pennsylvania hardware store you'll recognize him and engage him in his much loathed small-talk.

Public Congratulations to Casey and Badu

Casey and Badu (Andrew sounds like "Tamaskavick") are officially engaged to be married.

Congratulations you two crazy kids. May you always know the happiness in each other that you know right now.

More Fotos by Finch

The Baby Torture Device

It is a little known fact that car seats were originally designed to inflict severely acute pain to very young children and not keep them safe in the event of an accident, as it is so widely now believed.

Perhaps it's the barbed wire we use for a seatbelt. Or maybe it's the sandpaper seat cover.

Regardless, Esther screams as though red ants are swarming all over her the moment the seatbelt buckle clicks.(fotos by finch)

Just a Note

I promise to post beach pictures, as well as some of the piano and our newly rearranged upstairs. But for now the next post will have to do as far as pictures go.

Ketchup with a side of Ben

Part i, the Piano
After a lot of arguing Ben and I have finally obtained a piano. If any of you have been over for dinner in our loverly but incredibly tiny house you will no doubt have heard our Piano bickering. Ben, being of the musical mind that he is, has wanted a piano since... well forever, i guess. I had agreed to get a piano but that was before we inherited the monster table. I have been trying to tell him that it's either one or the other and he didn't agree...

Anyhow, after a lot of searching we found the perfect piano at the perfect price. It's a Tom Thumb which means it's quite small for a piano (although being in our house makes it look normal sized). It's restored and mahogany (which is NOT Ben's most favorite wood (who has a favorite wood???) but incidentally matches our other more adult pieces of furniture).

Now, we are in the process of trying to find a new home for the Monster Table... Jessica M. would you be interested in taking it, say this weekend? If necessary it won't have to be permanent, we can take it back from you once the addition is built (next summer?)




Part ii, Oh Desert, My Desert...
Ben flew out to Arizona morning of the 3rd. Esther and I drove him to the airport on our way to the beach.

He calls me from phoenix where he and our good friend Mike were to be found in a Mexican restaurant eating delicacies and drinking margaritas.

Ben spent four glorious days in our wonderful home away from home state...

He ate at our favorite places and hung out with some of our favoritest people in the world.

He came back with lots of news about all those we miss and don't keep in touch with (we're awful phone/long distance corespondents).

So I greatly missed him, i greatly missed being there as well, and once i saw the blurry pictures of the landscape between Phoenix and Prescott out the window of Mikes pick-up i almost cried... i did sniff a little....

Postcard to the Desert:

Dear Desert, and more specifically Prescott.
i miss you more than i thought i ever would. The east is too wet, too green, too mildewy. I feel sticky and moist all the time here. With you it was always arid and sweet. I miss your sere disposition, even with the allergies and occasional nose bleeds (every relationship has it's problems, right?). Things are so tough here sometimes. For being so verdant and fertile it's been much harder than i thought it would replanting my roots in the soil. It seems they have become very used to the dust instead.

please give the dry riverbeds a scratch on the back for me... I do promise to come visit soon.
-Libby

Family Portrait

I like this one even though you can only see half of Ben's face
This one accentuates my crooked tooth...

lots to catch up on (ketchup on...)

1. Ben left for Prescott, AZ Thurs morning to give our warm regards to everything we love and miss in person. He gets back tonight.... i can't wait... i miss my buddy.

2. I took Esther to the beach with my family for the weekend

3. Last weekend my aunt threw a going away party (complete with Lechon and water balloons) for my uncle and his family who are moving to Chicago.

4. It's a crappy monday.

5. Tomorrow promises to be equally crappy with the "will feel like 105 degrees" weather report.

I promise to post pictures and in more detail later...

Public Congratulations to Heidi and Chris!

Heidi and Chris you two are absolutely amazing and I am so glad you have found so much joy in each other. I too would like to spend the rest of my life with you guys... you know in a platonic sort of way... mostly...

I love you!!!!!!!!

PS: Well done on the proposal Chris. Ben just said "I love you. Okay, let's be married."

I Used to Be a Badass.

Okay, great... so two of my daily bloggers recently posted about climbing.

I used to Climb all the time. I loved it. I used to say that i was better on vertical surfaces than horizontal (and anyone who has seen how often i trip myself would agree).

I have climbed all over the southwest including Joshua Tree, various parts of Arizona and outside Boulder, Co. Once i even got to meet and climb with Lynn Hill.

In Prescott i started two all women climbing groups: The Boulder Bitches (climbing giant boulders without ropes). and The Crack Whores (Trad Climbing: or aka climbing cracks and placing protective gear up in the crack as you go).

I used to go on so many adventures: backpacking, kayaking, climbing...

I used to drink water with mosquito larva in it because it was the only water around in the bottom of the vast canyon we were stuck in for a week or two...



I have been on top of glaciers, inside the arctic circle, at the bottom of the grand canyon, stuck inside ancient anasazi ruins in the side of a cliff face waiting out a flash flood.


and now i'm sad.....

Oh and about the Cabbage:

Ma Petite Chou-Chou

I bought new shoes. Well, I bought Ben shoes and he bought me shoes but since we share the checking account I guess it doesn't really matter who paid for what...

There are very few things i'm "girlie" about. And i hate to say it, but shoes are one of them. Now to be fair, I only own one other pair of heels and about 4 sets of sneakers, 3 pairs of clogs, and 4 pairs of boots (one of which is a hiking boot, one snow boot, one pair of wellingtons, and a pair of motorcycle boots from 1999)

Anyhow, Ma Petite Shoe was having a sale this weekend and as i've finally found the perfect every outfit, every occasion dress shoe!

These are my new shoes:
Note: When i showed my boss, who is also a shoe fiend she did not swoon over them she said "those are interesting." I guess i don't have good taste in shoes after all... but i sure like em.

Tasty Tuesday 4: Monday

Tuesday fell on a Monday this week.

j&i brought the goods. This week it was Pinto Beans and Corn Bread.



Accompanied by good beer and air conditioning.

I'm raising an evil genius

Also this morning Esther was crawling around on the bed between a sleepy and just woken mom and dad. When Dad opened one eye, peered out at her and said "hi."
Esther looks right at him. Raises her hand in the air and says "hiiii."


Then when my mother got there she did it again...

Also she can now:
wave (sort of)
clap
feed herself little puffs (like cereal)
and when you say "Esther, jump-a-da-bump" she bounces up and down.

Also: i can't believe i haven't told you all this yet, SHE HAS HER FIRST TOOTH!!!!!! (it's on the bottom for those of you who were placing bets).


And if you're wondering where the "evil" part fits in... all you have to do is take one look at her eyes and know she's up to no good.

birds....

so firstly: Last week, Ben and I woke up to a bird sitting in the window by our bed... just sitting there... so we took pictures.



secondly, Esther is so darned cute it kills me. This is her playing with her monster's teeth.

and trying to pull off his arms...


and thirdly, yesterday we had a raving good time at the Orioles game, courtesy of Rex. Thank You Rex!!!!!

New Phone New Phone!!!!

My number has changed: 443-798-5123

And for all those who have made fun of me over the years, I have finally replaced the dinosaur. I had a very "antique" Motorola/verizon model. On the upside it was incredibly durable so durable in fact, that when it was accidentally drowned we got a refurbished version of the same one just cause i drop the damn phone so often.

I am now on Cingular, for those of you who are also on it and want to call me for free. AND I think this one will work at the house so you don't have to call my parents house in the event you want to reach us at home.


So there is the new handsome devil on the far right. The dinosaur in the middle. And i threw in the mouse cause it's so damned cute... also you can see the size difference.

Call me!

Tasty Tuesday 3

Homemade Pizza (with Rice Flour Pizza Dough) and Salad.

Toppings included:
Artichoke Hearts
Kalamata Olives
Spinach
Broccoli
Goat Cheese crumbles
and Goat Cheese Shredded

Mmmmm mmmmm Doooood!

We also finished up the evening with Ian asking Trival Pursuit questions from a very old version of the game. One thing i realized: Not only am i slow, but my knowledge of US presidents is severely lacking.

My Birthday Weekend.

When I came home from work on Friday:
b: You're in a good mood. How was your day?
l: Not particularly great. But the drive home was good and traffic free. aaaaaaaaaand this is the start to my birthday weekend.
b: It's not a "birthweekend" it's a "birthday" silly girl.

Saturday:
My sister came into town friday night. And saturday saw all us girls (mom, casey, esther, and i) on a shopping trip to gabriel brothers in york. We spent far too much money on fun, cheap clothes, shoes and household items... and then we dropped by giant for donuts and starbucks for some bucky's special brews. Once home we proceeded to again try on all our new outfits in front of the fantastic mirror in Mom's new studio.

Uncle Jack and Charlie came to deliver a new washer and dryer and then stayed for a loverly dinner. Sandra joined us later on her way down from a Rugby tournament in Philly. A lovely grilled fish, squash and spinach from One Straw Farms, potatoes from a neighbor's garden, and fried tomatoes from the corn lady's van....

And for desert Birthday Pie from the amish market!

We awoke Sunday morning at 6am to Esther kicking us in the face. And after an hour of coercion finally got her back to bed to sleep in until 8:30. Then it was Apple Dumplings for breakfast and then Casey babysat so Ben and I could take a lovely midday jaunt in the canoe. After a nice swim and some romantic carryings-on. We went home and played in the grass and then napped. Ben installed Esther's new car seat.

And then we were off to j&i's to drop off Esther and be escorted to a lovely Mexican dive in b-more for some food reminiscent of simpler times, and the Mexico vs. Paraguay soccer game. Mexico won. And so did I with some of the best Mole i've ever eatten.

We walked up to Vaccaro's for some desert. And then we were picked up by our loverly chauffeur and taken back to j&i's for a beer and rowdy game of chase the baby.

All in all it was a wonderful birthday!

Let's hope this 28th year of life (i'm 27 now, so this means i'm beginning my 28th year) is a bit more mellow and without as many sharp learning curves as the 27th year was.

Thank you everyone for my amazing presents!
-Casey did an amazing drawing of Esther, she also gave me earrings and shorts from American Apparel. She also did a fair share of babysitting over the weekend.
-Dad got me a massage from Susan Chalker
-Mom paid for our shopping excursion on Saturday and for treats afterwards (also for my bday pie and apple dumpling breakfast).
-Rex and Esther got me a new car seat for Esther in the hopes that it will make car rides with her a bit more bearable.
-j&i babysat for Esther while Ben and i went to dinner. They also paid for dinner. AND i got Eleanors! (only mine are pink, white and brown)
-And Ben had a long list of things he wanted to get me, among them a dirt bike... however, he finally settled on desert. Boy how i love desert. Oh, and he finally shaved. Oh how i missed that upper lip! I forgot what a boy-faced cutie i married. That beard had me convinced we were much older than we actually are.





This is a video j&i made while babysitting for Esther on Sunday.

Tasty Tuesdays 2 & the 4th.

Also we missed Tasty Tuesday this week cause of the holiday. j & i came to the 4th instead. Along with Rex, Dolores, Yaya and crew, and some neighbors (the one's with the monkey).

It was a good time with Venison BBQ (yum!) and some fireworks which E and I missed cause she got scared and it was well past her bed time.

So happy 4th everyone.

And HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUNTIE NINI, AUNTIE MARY, and SNUGGY!