Elephants and Ants

Family history

2011-11-26T17:51:00.002-05:00

Ana, Nara and Damien have been here in Indy visiting. While here, Ana showed some interest in her family history so I have been sorting through old photos and scanning and identifying relatives. Also found some interesting old newspaper articles with family history embedded in them. So here are some of the findings. I will add to this as time goes on.

Trip to D.C.

2011-01-30T17:13:00.004-05:00

Went to Washington D.C. this past week for a conference held by the Washington International Education Council. Got to visit several embassies including China, Bahrain, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia. Listened to speakers from Vietnam and Libya among others. Dennis went with me so we added on three days of vacation. We went on a tour of the Capitol - great guide, good tour. Then we went to the American Indian Museum - beautiful building, beautiful exhibits, really enjoyed it. Then took a taxi ride back to the Doubletree Suites Hotel. We went to the grocery located a block and a half away in the Watergate complex of all places. It was sleeting and snowing - difficult to walk. Heavy snow was predicted right at rush hour. We stocked up and trudged back to the suite. We got 8 inches of snow and the D.C. traffic came to a halt - total gridlock due to the road conditions. Some people got stuck in their cars for 6 to 12 hours. Hundreds just abandoned their cars in the middle of the highway. We watched the storm from our window. But the next day things cleared up quickly and back we went for more tourist visits. We went to the Holocaust Museum - very moving, took our time and really absorbed the visit. Had to go through security screening to get into the museums and the restaurant. On the way back we walked by the Washington Monument at sunset and saw the White House. On the last day we went to the Air and Space Museum and the Hirshhorn Museum. We were exhausted and took a taxi to the airport. Once we boarded our plane, they announced a problem with the plane that would delay our departure and asked all passengers to Indianapolis via Milwaukee to get off the plane and get on another which took us to Atlanta. Got home very late but the car started and the weather was good. All in all a very satisfying adventure.

Lovely weekend 2010 08 07 & 08

2010-08-08T21:48:00.006-04:00

This was a lovely weekend. Started with a skype call to Ana and Damien with a focus on Nara. She was sitting up by herself, babbling and playing with some purpose with toys. Dennis came and it was his birthday. I had purchased a carrot cake from Tony at work. Dennis loved it. We ate supper at O'Charley's and each got a fish dinner. Saturday was Jacob Day and Josh and family, Jacob, Dennis and I went to Conner Prairie. Afterwards we ate lunch together at Legends in Irvington and shared the carrot cake at Josh and Annie's afterwards. Today I went to the Farmer's Market at Ellenberger Park, worked on my budget, caught up on things around the house and had a delicious afternoon nap. All in all a very satisfying weekend.

Nara Elgin Zekants

2010-01-18T11:28:00.002-05:00

Trip to Australia

2010-01-18T11:27:00.003-05:00

On December 22, 2009, I boarded a plane for Brisbane Australia. Three flights and 19 hours later, I was met at the airport in Australia by Ana and Damien, and Damien's parents Jim and Sue. I had not seen Ana and Damien for 21 months. Ana was pregnant and due to give birth on Dec. 26. As it turned out she was to be 10 days overdue. Because she was late giving birth I was able to see quite a few of the sights in and around Brisbane. They live in an apartment within walking distance of the Brisbane River, an important waterway in Queensland with water taxis (the City Cab) and major ocean liners in the port at the mouth of the river. Brisbane is a major metropolitan area. It is surprisingly hilly and green with vegetation including very tall trees filled with the raucous cries of large crows, cockatoos, kuckaburros, parrots, etc.

We visited the Lone Pine Koala Center and saw koalas actively eating and moving about (usually they are sitting stoned on eucalyptus leaves), kangaroos, wombats, etc. We took the train downtown to see where Ana and Damien worked/work and got to see a thriving downtown full of people from all over the world. We ate lunch at an outdoor park area called South Bank and visited the Queensland Museum. I had Devonshire Tea at a nearby mall and learned the joy of drinking a "flat white" coffee. We drove to the Sunshine Coast and enjoyed walking along the gorgeous beaches and ate "fish n'chips". Another nature area was the Brisbane Forest Park where I got to see a platypus swimming in a large aquarium. Interspersed in all of this were visits to bookstores, coffeehouses, movie theater, walks in the neighborhood, good cooking by Ana and Damien, etc.

I also got to meet most of Damien's family though I did not get to visit his parent's farm in Toowoomba (save it for another trip). We visited the birthing center and kept watching my vacation time getting eaten up by overdue days and no baby. Finally on Ana's day 10 of being overdue, she went into labor. Thirty long hours later, she gave birth to Nara Elgin Zekants. Damien and I were able to be in on the entire labor and to give our support to Ana during that difficult, challenging time. Then there were 4 more nights and days in the hospital with Damien and I running back and forth from the apartment to the hospital.

On the day I left for the airport, Ana and Nara were released from the hospital. I said my goodbyes at the hospital and Damien took me to the airport, only to find my plane had been rescheduled and I had five hours to wait. So back to Ana and Damien's apartment along with Damien's parents, Uncle Ross, cousins Zoe and Joel, and sister Bec and her husband Tony and their son Eliott. (I had already met Danica, Lee, Max and Jordan when they came to Ana's apartment to visit prior to the baby's birth.) So the five hour delay turned out to be an opportunity to see Nara in her home and visit more with Damien's family. Finally, on Jan. 10, I flew out of Brisbane back to the U.S. (Note that I was leaving summer in Australia in the mid-to high 80s and came back to winter in the U.S. in the low teens.)

Damien is now back to work and Ana is trying to establish breastfeeding while being sleep deprived - the life of newborn parents.

All in all, my visit was most memorable and unique. It was an adventure I will treasure the rest of my life and a piece of my heart remains in Australia.

You can see picture of my trip on "my photos" on flickr.

International Baby Shower

2009-10-25T10:50:00.007-04:00

Yesterday, we had a baby shower for Ana and Damien with friends and relatives simultaneously gathering in Australia and the U.S. - a day apart, a flip of PM and AM and and a flip of seasons (spring in AUS and fall in US). We played typical shower games with men, women, children all joining in nappie/diaper changing, baby food tasting, etc. While those in the US had supper snacks, those in Australia were having breakfast. We shared laughter, conversation and the joy in Ana and Damien expecting their first child! What an event! A fun party and wonderful union of Ana and Damien's international friends and relatives.

Where did these come from?

2009-10-12T08:49:00.003-04:00

One day they were not there and the next day they were! I wonder what type of mushroom are these? They were just a little creepy.

Pickles and Tomatoes

2009-09-20T09:26:00.007-04:00

It worked - the green tomatoes are now red! Just from sitting in the warmth and sun on the windowsill.

Accomplishment of the day: I made pickles! Unfortunately, they won't taste as good as they should as I harvested the cucumbers before I was ready to make the pickles. I had to find jars. Then I shopped for the canner, couldn't find one and had to order a new one online, wait for it to arrive and wait for the weekend to make the pickles. Also, had to go shopping for several of the ingredients. But finally got my act together and made 4 jars of pickles. I had to adapt the recipe so who knows how they will taste. But in the middle of the winter I will be able to taste the cucumbers, green peppers and onions of my summer garden! I will plan better for next year.

It was not a good growing season for tomatoes - too cool (though I wasn't complaining about the cool summer). So I am trying to see if the green tomatoes will ripen in the sunshine on the windowsill.

Brewing magic potions

2009-09-13T08:41:00.006-04:00

Jacob, Morgan and Wyatt came to Grandma's today to brew some magic potions.

Ingredients included:
Red berries
Spider webs
Cicada shells
moss
dirt
bubble blowing fluid
flower petals
tree bark
and other misc. items found in the yard

After mixing with magic wands and doing research in the "Wandmakers" book, you can add either lunar energy or sunshine, apply to potted plants and the earth will be a better place!

Morgan blowing out candles

2009-08-22T21:42:00.003-04:00

Slideshow: Morgan's 9th Birthday

2009-08-22T21:38:00.002-04:00

Morgan's 9th Birthday

2009-08-22T16:11:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Morgan!

Irvington Storm Damage

2009-08-05T21:51:00.009-04:00

You can see more of the damage on my Flickr photos page. There were two storms yesterday in Indy - one early in the morning around 9:00 or so and another around noon. Both were very strong, brought a lot of rain and a lot of straight-line wind. The rain was coming down horizontally. It hit Irvington particularly hard and sadly many 100+ year old trees, weakened by carpenter ants, fell to the ground, on porches and on houses. Cable and power lines draped over yards. By the time I got home in the evening there were utility trucks everywhere and the sound of chain saws and wood chippers everywhere in the neighborhood. The next day insurance adjustors and cable trucks were combing the neighborhood. Never fool with Mother Nature!

Butterfly

2009-08-02T08:25:00.002-04:00

Look what flew out of my garage when I opened the door the other morning! I ran and got my camera and the butterfly patiently waited.

Slideshow: Canal Walk

2009-07-19T11:21:00.000-04:00

Canal Walk

2009-07-19T11:18:00.007-04:00

Saturday was "Jacob Day" and we all decided to go downtown and walk along the Indianapolis canal. It was very cool out with lots of interesting clouds floating across the sky. The walk was very pleasant. All sorts of conveyances were along the canal: surreys, kayaks, paddle boats, bikes, strollers, dogs, people, ducks. We ate at a very neat restaurant, Creations Cafe at Bugg's Temple (a somewhat historic building). You can learn more about it at http://www.indycanal.com The food was delicious. Jacob thought the french fries were the best he ever had. I had the chicken tortilla soup and loved it!

We felt very proud of the City of Indianapolis and the State of Indiana for investing in the canal and the White River State Park. It is definitely an oasis in the downtown area worth exploring.

Slideshow: Michaela Farm

2009-06-23T08:33:00.001-04:00

Michaela Farm

2009-06-23T08:20:00.003-04:00

Sunday, June 21, 2009 was Father's Day and on the following Friday, June 26 it will be Hadley's birthday.

Josh, Annie, Morgan, Wyatt, Sage, Jacob, Doug and I went to Oldenburg and met Jim Lakewind there at Wagner's Village Inn for their famous chicken dinner served family style. Jacob saw all of the food coming and said, "It's a feast!" We had fun visiting and catching up with Jim. Afterwards, we went over to Michaela Farm to walk around the farm. Hadley lived here for a summer and early fall when he was 20 years old. It was the happiest period of his short adult life. Doug visited with Jim and some other residents of the farm while the rest of us walked the long lane back to the memorial gardens where we had spread Hadley's ashes. The whole place is very peaceful and brings my own childhood to mind when I used to visit my cousins who lived on farms. Then we escaped the heat and drove to Metamora and found an ice cream store and indulged. It was a very satisfying day and I am grateful to all who set aside the time to spend it with us.

Slideshow: Garden in mid-June

2009-06-16T23:08:00.002-04:00

Critters in the Garden

2009-06-16T23:06:00.014-04:00

Look at the critters in the garden! First I have seen a chipmunk in the back yard in 20 years. Got a picture of a butterfly right beside the garden. Also spotted a rabbit - seems to like the clover - has left the garden alone so far. It has lived here for a long time. A robin built this nest earlier in the spring and already raised three babies. Now it looks like she is back again rearranging the nest. Do they raise more than one family in the same summer?

But the real prize goes to my neighbor for spotting a deer, yes a DEER, in my backyard last week. It was a young male and came out of the yard, bounded through our shared driveway and took off south on Ritter. Whatever was it thinking?!

And last but not least - I spotted a turtle today!

Slideshow: Garden & Yard end of May

2009-06-07T21:52:00.000-04:00

Baby robins

2009-05-22T17:59:00.002-04:00

Look at the 3 baby robins in the nest behind my garage! The mother has been very busy finding worms and taking them to the nest.

Slideshow: Garden in mid-May

2009-05-19T22:04:00.001-04:00

Garden in Mid-May

2009-05-19T21:58:00.003-04:00

Conner Prairie on Mother's Day

2009-05-16T08:25:00.001-04:00

Mother's Day at Conner Prairie

2009-05-16T08:09:00.008-04:00

Last weekend was beautiful so Josh, Annie, Morgan, Wyatt, Sage, Doug and I decided to go to Conner Prairie. I thought it would be crowded since it was Mother's Day but actually there were very few people there. The temperature was warm but not hot, plenty of sunshine and the smell of wood burning in the various fireplaces was heavenly! The barn with all of the baby animals was the hit of the day. Wyatt especially wanted to cross the bridge to Liberty Corner where you leave 1836 behind and cross over into 1886. The kids played in the meadows just like the baby goats and lambs. It was a wonderful visit.

Slideshow: Springtime, May 2009

2009-05-03T10:10:00.004-04:00

Early spring May 2009

2009-05-03T09:59:00.003-04:00

My Old Hoosier Home

Is it now that the lilacs are blooming
And the violets purpling in the fell
The fire of the red but will be gleaming
Midst the green tangled vines in the dell
The blue birds and red birds will be calling
As they flit through the dogwood as dense snow
And the sunshine will be gilding the gray stone
Near the old home-my own long ago
My thoughts still flow back to the dear days
To that breeze swept home as you see,
Where a glory of home-.. and brightness
Filled the days with a rapture for me.
I think of the home of my mother
Where.
When I was a barefooted boy
And I know that the lilacs will be blooming
Since the glory of springtime is come
But the dear ones are gone and are parted
Since I left the old home the old home
The breath of the roses and lilacs
Floats in like the incense at eve
And bring back a flood of sweet memories
Which still to my heart fondly cleave
I think of these hills most like mountains
Where my feet when leg weary did rest
I think of those streams that have trout in
That flow near the home that I left.
But wherever my footsteps have wended
Or what sorrows or joys may have come
There are none like those of my childhood
In my old Hoosier home sweet home
Yet, still as I sit in the gloaming
And the spectre of years that are gone
Is borne in with the incense of roses
I’m thinking of home sweet home
M.E. Willis

Happy Birthday #2 Sage

2009-04-27T07:00:00.002-04:00

Sage is now two years old.

Springtime on Ritter

2009-04-19T08:32:00.013-04:00

"Spring Pools" by Robert Frost

These pools that, though in forests, still reflect
The total sky almost without defect,
And like the flowers beside them, chill and shiver,
Will like the flowers beside them soon be gone,
And yet not out by any brook or river,
But up by roots to bring dark foliage on.

The trees that have it in their pent-up buds
To darken nature and be summer woods -
Let them think twice before they use their powers
To blot out and drink up and sweep away
These flowery waters and these watery flowers
From snow that melted only yesterday.

Spring and April

2009-04-05T20:36:00.006-04:00

Hope, purpose, sustenance.

Having enjoyed my cherry tomatoes from my garden last year, I am expanding. I have a large yard but not a lot of daily sunshine, but I am going to try grow more than a flower bed this year. I am making plans, working the ground, starting some seeds inside and am looking forward to actually producing some vegetables. Who knows, I may even learn to turn them into meals!

Happy spring!

8th Anniversary of Hadley's death

2009-03-27T14:23:00.003-04:00

How time flies - literally. This is Hadley's watch - the one that he was wearing when he flew out the window to his death. Surprisingly, the watch survived. I have been wearing it ever since until now - replacing batteries, replacing the strap several times, trying to hold on. The watch has been losing time for weeks now. It can no longer be trusted to give me the right time. It is time for me to give it up. I have purchased another one - very similar to keep reminding me of Hadley's watch. But I am moving on.

Hadley has been gone now for 8 years. His son, Jacob, is now 9 years old. I of course continue to miss him as a person. He was rarely easy to be around but I enjoyed the person that he was striving to be in his saner moments. I have spent this anniversary day doing things that remind me of him - I baked bread, I started tomato seeds indoors, I fed the birds, I listened to his music, I am reading a book about philosophy, I will be eating supper with his father, will talk to his brother and sister, and am planning for a visit from his son tomorrow. I posted an essay I wrote about the day he died on his memorial blog. Tomorrow is Earth Day - he would have enjoyed that event. I am sorry that he chose to die but realize his pain must have been beyond what I can comprehend. Oops, my time is up. I will use my own watch now. I am no longer on borrowed time.

Art Show March 2009

2009-03-21T09:35:00.004-04:00

Wyatt's pre-school had its annual art show last night. It was also an open house so we got to see Wyatt's classroom (the Turtle's). It was a very homey, colorful classroom with the atmosphere of an old elementary classroom even though it was in a church. I could tell he was happy and comfortable there. He will graduate from pre-school this spring and move on to kindergarten in the fall. Unfortunately, he had an accident in his house a couple days before the art show so he had 8 staples in his head and will have to have them removed next week. But the show must go on! It was nice to share in the enthusiasm and excitement of the children and their families.

Slideshow: Art Show March 2009

2009-03-21T09:35:00.003-04:00

Sage - a jumping girl

2009-03-04T21:56:00.005-05:00

Sage has learned how to do a little dance while the family sings a little ditty.

Slideshow: March 2009

2009-03-02T20:47:00.000-05:00

March - lion or lamb?

2009-03-02T20:03:00.012-05:00

For the east coast, it was definitely a lion. We had bitter cold weather but it was sunny so we didn't mind so much. So March came in either as a cold lion disguised with sunshine or a sunny lamb with really cold breath. Either way, I took some pictures to catch the flavor of early March - few signs of spring, more like the last leftovers of winter.

"Reluctance" by Robert Frost

Out through the fields and the woods
And over the walls I have wended;
I have climbed the hills of view
And looked at the world, and descended;
I have come by the highway home,
And lo, it is ended.

The leaves are all dead on the ground,
Save those that the oak is keeping
To ravel them one by one
And let them go scraping and creeping
Out over the crusted snow,
When others are sleeping.

And the dead leaves lie huddled and still,
No longer blown hither and thither;
The last lone aster is gone;
The flowers of the witch hazel wither;
The heart is still aching to seek,
But the feet question "Whither?"

An, when to the heart of man
Was it ever less than a treason
To go with the drift of things,
To yield with a grace to reason,
And bow and accept the end
Of a love or a season?

Slideshow: Wyatt's 5th Birthday

2009-02-25T06:53:00.001-05:00

Snowy day in February

2009-02-21T13:33:00.004-05:00

Saturday morning and the snow is falling. Not expected to get more than 1-2 inches - still the snow is creating a dramatic change in scenery from dull gray to fresh black and white.

A snowy Saturday morning

2009-02-21T13:27:00.003-05:00

February 21, 2009

A good day to stay inside, read a good book, eat some popcorn, bake some bread and watch the snow softly falling.

Slideshow: Jacob's 9th Birthday

2009-02-18T20:02:00.001-05:00

Jacob's "9th" Birthday

2009-02-18T20:01:00.001-05:00

February 17, 2009 was Jacob's 9th birthday. On the Sunday before his birthday, we celebrated by going to see "Under the Sea" at the IMAX in Indianapolis. Doug and I took Jacob, Morgan and Wyatt. It was a really good documentary of life under the sea near the coral reefs off of Indonesia and Australia. Then we met Josh and Annie and Sage at the Spaghetti Factory for a mid-day lunch complete with ice cream. Afterwards, we came back to my house so we could talk to Ana and Damien over skype in Australia. Jacob said at the end of the day, "I really had fun today!"

Abraham Lincoln 1809-2009

2009-02-09T19:45:00.009-05:00

Back in 1983, our family visited Abraham Lincoln's boyhood home near Spencer, Indiana. Here are Ana, Josh and Hadley sitting on the door stoop and exploring the cabin and grounds. I think Doug may be doing an impersonation of old Abe himself!

I am just now finishing "Abraham Lincoln, Great American Historians on our Sixteenth President." I have discovered how popular Lincoln was in his own time and became even more popular since. Yet he has his detractors who chide him for being racist in his time. I come away very impressed with his intellect, his ambition, his leadership and his ability to take on the weight of the world during the years of the Civil War. You can see in the lines of his face the physical toll that the presidency wrought from his body. He was not perfect but he did indeed save the union and the United States as we know it is all the better for it.

"Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal." from the Gettysburg Address, November 19, 1863.

Slideshow: Winter Snow Storm

2009-01-28T16:11:00.001-05:00

Winter Snow Storm

2009-01-28T16:10:00.001-05:00

We received 12.6 inches of snow - the sixth biggest snowfall on record for Indianapolis.

Sage's visit to Grandma's house

2009-01-28T15:51:00.005-05:00

Last Sunday, Sage came to visit Grandma (and so did Grandpa) while Morgan went to Bloomington to get a part in a movie. Sage loves the kitty, played with some toys, had some snacks and we read her some books. She also took a long nap. Grandpa has been reading "I am a Mouse" to her and she really loves the page about the owl. This was a favorite book of Jacob's when he was little and looks like it will be a favorite of Sage's as well.

Happy Birthday to Donald Minton

2009-01-22T19:36:00.002-05:00

Born: January 24, 1917
Died: March 27, 2004

Dad's birthday was always in the coldest month of the year. He was born at home - I wonder what the weather was on that day. He was the first born child - later got two sisters and a brother. His sisters still survive him - Lois living in Alabama now and Leora in Piqua, Ohio. They were a close family and remained so throughout their entire lives.

I can't say that I was close to my father but I learned to live with his cantankerous ways and admired many of his qualities - his work ethic, his honesty, his skill at argument, his sense of responsibility, his irreverance and his love of travel. All of those could be taken to the extreme and I wished sometimes that he had showed more of his loving side, had shared more of his musical ability with his children, had laughed more and allowed himself to relax. In the end, he was a good father, a good provider, a faithful husband and a good citizen. I do miss him and think of him around his birthday. It makes me wonder how, when he was a boy, having a January birthday must have brought a sparkle to those long dark days of winter.

Brrrrrrrr

2009-01-17T08:22:00.003-05:00

You know it is cold outside when the kitty sleeps on the furnace register. We hit -12 yesterday morning!

Banana Walnut Loaf

2009-01-12T21:41:00.007-05:00

Buttermilk: 1/2 cup (I didn't have buttermilk so I just used regular milk)
Butter: 2/3 cup
2 eggs
Vanilla: 1 1/2 teaspoons
Mashed bananas: 1 1/2 cups
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Granulated sugar: 1 1/3 cups
Unbleached all-purpose flour: 2 2/3 cups
Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
Baking soda: 1 1/2 teaspoons
Chopped walnuts: 3/4 cup

Nesting dolls

2009-01-04T19:19:00.010-05:00

Josh, Annie and Doug went together (with Annie leading the pack) and came up with a most unusual and unique Christmas gift. They obtained plain nesting dolls (never painted), took them to a local artist along with some sketches (or pictures) of all of my children and grand-children and the artist painted a caricature of each of them on these nesting dolls. This is so neat because they all know how I love dolls and especially the nesting dolls and these represent my children and grandchildren. Ana, Josh and Hadley are my children. Jacob is Hadley's son. Morgan, Wyatt and Sage are Josh and Annie's children.

Slideshow: Christmas 2008

2009-01-04T14:24:00.001-05:00

Christmas, New Year's and The Wizard of Oz

2009-01-04T13:48:00.005-05:00

Between vacation days and holidays, I was able to take off 8 days during the holidays. Just stayed around home and Indianapolis and enjoyed every minute of it. Went over to Josh and Annie's Christmas morning to see what everyone got for Christmas in terms of gifts. They set some gift guidelines for themselves including preference for buying local, preferring hand-made items, avoiding anything made in China. It made for some interesting gifts and an increased awareness of the value of the items beyond monetary. Christmas evening, everyone came to my house for a spaghetti supper. Then on Dec. 28, we picked up Jacob and went to see Morgan in the Wizard of Oz at the Civic Theatre. She was a munchkin (one of the city fathers). Afterwards, we went back to Josh and Annie's for a pitch-in Christmas supper with the prime item being a smoked ham from "The Goose" store. It was delicious. Then we came back to my house for the gift exchange. Ana and Damien were able to skype in right as we were opening gifts so they were able to share in the gift exchange. Then Jacob, Morgan and Wyatt spent the night at my house. We had rather mild weather - no snowy streets to contend with. The New Year came in rather quietly except for the increased violence between Israel and Hamas. Counting the days now until the Obama administration comes in.

Winter Solstice

2008-12-21T10:28:00.009-05:00

"Winter Solstice - The Tea Party" by Blake Eveleigh

"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost

Whose woods these are I think I know,
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sounds the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

Slideshow: Winter Shadows

2008-12-07T18:22:00.001-05:00

Winter Shadows

2008-12-07T18:06:00.004-05:00

Late day shadows on a winter day

Today I noticed the atmospheric light changing late in the day and I noticed the shadows beginning to form. I grabbed the camera and went around the house catching any images cast by the shadows. I tried to find a poem about shadows but they were all dark and gloomy. I wanted to display the beauty and wonder in the shadows, how quickly they come and just as quickly change and then disappear. So it is fleeting beauty I tried to capture in these photos.

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-11-29T08:24:00.018-05:00

At Josh and Annie's house

Indians and Pilgrims

Grandpa and his beloved mashed potatoes!

Sage at the kid's table with a little pink mug

by Lydia Maria Child in 1844

"Over the river, and through the wood,
To Grandfather's house we go;
The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh
through the white and drifted snow.

Over the river, and through the wood -
Oh, how the wind does blow!
It stings the toes and bites the nose
As over the ground we go.

Over the river, and through the wood,
To have a first-rate play.
Hear the bells ring, "Ting-a-ling-ding",
Hurrah for Thanksgiving Day!

Over the river, and through the wood
Trot fast, my dapple-gray!
Spring over the ground like a hunting-hound,
For this is Thanksgiving Day.

Over the river, and through the wood -
And straight through the barnyard gate,
We seem to go extremely slow,
It is so hard to wait!

Over the river, and through the wood -
Now Grandmother's cap I spy!
Hurrah for the fun! Is the pudding done?
Hurrah for the pumpkin pie!"

From 2007 in Kentucky - we miss Ana and Damien!

From yesteryear - on Oak Avenue

Slide show: Shoes

2008-11-15T17:15:00.001-05:00

These boots were made for walking!

2008-11-15T17:08:00.006-05:00

Who knew that one could get so excited about new shoes! But I have been thinking quite a bit about my shoes. You can see in the slideshow how worn out my hiking boots were. I still can't bring myself to throw them away. But I went to my favorite shoe store today (Stout's) and bought three pairs of shoes. I decided my way of coping with the economic crisis and unstable stock market was to invest in shoes. Stout's is a very old store with a live parrot that greets you with a big "Hello" as you enter the door. Old cables overhead serve to move wire baskets from the ground floor to the office just as a store in Piqua, Ohio used to do where my Grandma Hart worked. The store is just such a quality store. It sells Smartwool socks as well. You just feel good being in there. Well, anyway, enjoy my excitement over my new shoes. The clerk asked me if I was doing anything exciting this weekend? I answered, "Buying shoes!"

"Pairs of Shoes" by Nguyen Quyen (Vietnamese)

My future lives come to me in dreams
Come silently with torn soles.
I am like a skilled shoemaker
Greeting the wandering breath of these feet.

These dreams-my other selves
Sprawl out to sleep like a litter of puppies,
Pinches of ashy fur standing up in tufts
Their young hair like hens fluffed feathers
They lie on their stomachs, pressing against my shadow.

Pairs of shoes from yesterday will come tomorrow
Am I their native land, or a land foreign to them?
Their house, or an inn?
Which road guided them to me?

Tonight I decide to open myself to these dreams,
As anxious for their arrival as a child yearning for milk.
Perhaps fireflies will draw them in a different direction
And perhaps the shoes are no longer ripped.

I feel as empty as a new-born creature.
I spread out like a homeless evening
To meet these footprints turning toward me.

Slide show: Rainy November

2008-11-15T13:19:00.001-05:00

Rainy November

2008-11-15T13:11:00.002-05:00

"November" by Robert Frost

We saw leaves go to glory,
Then almost migratory
Go part way down the lane,
And then to end the story
Get beaten down and pasted
In one wild day of rain.
We heard "'Tis over" roaring.
A year of leaves was wasted.
Oh, we make a boast of storing,
Of saving and of keeping,
But only by ignoring
The waste of moments sleeping,
The waste of pleasure weeping,
By denying and ignoring
The waste of nations warring.

Slide show: November leaves

2008-11-02T07:56:00.001-05:00

Welcome to November

2008-11-02T06:43:00.007-05:00

A new month and one of my favorites - November!

Leaves, winter clothes, cooler temperatures, Thanksgiving, Halloween fading away but still there are pumpkins, mulled cider, squirrels scrambling for the last nuts of the season, turning all of my many calendars to the new month with new images. What will November bring?

From "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman

The wild gander leads his flock through the cool night,
Ya-honk! he says, and sounds it down to me like an invitation;
The pert may suppose it meaningless, but I listen closer,
I find its purpose and place up there toward the November sky.

"My November Guest" by Robert Frost

My Sorrow, when she's here with me,
Thinks these dark days of autumn rain
Are beautiful as days can be;
She loves the bare, the withered tree;
She walks the sodden pasture land.

Her pleasure will not let me stay.
She talks and I am fain to list:
She's glad the birds are gone away,
She's glad her simple worsted gray
Is silver now with clinging mist.

The desolate, deserted trees,
The faded earth, the heavy sky,
The beauties she so truly sees,
She thinks I have no eye for these,
And vexes me for reason why.

Not yesterday I learned to know
The love of bare November days
Before the coming of the snow,
But it were vain to tell her so,
And they are better for her praise.

Collages

2008-10-30T07:41:00.005-04:00

I have recently discovered how to make collages on the computer so thought I would share one. This represents one of my side trips in Norway when I went there to a conference in September of 2007. The side trip was to Roros, Norway - a very old town founded in 1644 as a copper mining town. In 1980, UNESCO listed the town as a World Heritage Site based on the preservation of its original wooden buildings. I would love to return in the middle of the winter to see the town covered in snow and huddle by one of its fireplaces. I did get to experience eating reindeer (sorry Rudolph) and found it surprisingly delicious. It was a beautiful drive from the western coast of Norway (Trondheim) up into the hills following salmon-filled streams and winding along beautiful valleys. A wonderful experience! (If you want to see more, click on "My Photos" and find "Norway Trip" under my sets.)

Halloween

2008-10-24T17:09:00.003-04:00

"October" by Robert Frost

O hushed October morning mild,
Thy leaves have ripened to the fall;
Tomorrow's wind, if it be wild,
Should waste them all.
The crows above the forest call;
Tomorrow they may form and go.
O hushed October morning mild,
Begin the hours of this day slow.
Make the day seem to us less brief.
Hearts not averse to being beguiled,
Beguile us in the way you know.
Release one leaf at break of day;
At noon release another leaf;
One from our trees, one far away,
Retard the sun with gentle mist;
Enchant the land with amethyst.
Slow, slow!
For the grapes' sake, if they were all,
Whose leaves already are burnt with frost,
Whose clustered fruit must else be lost-
For the grapes' sake along the wall.

Slide show: Halloween 2007

2008-10-24T17:09:00.002-04:00

Slide show: details

2008-10-24T11:50:00.001-04:00

Details

2008-10-24T11:49:00.002-04:00

From: "There are Roughly Zones" by Robert Frost

We sit indoors and talk of the cold outside,
And every gust that gathers strength and heaves
Is a threat to the house. But the house has long been tried...

Slide show: October on Ritter

2008-10-19T19:45:00.001-04:00

October on Ritter

2008-10-19T19:36:00.002-04:00

A pretty fall day. No remarkable activities today - baked some bread, did a little cleaning, followed the political talk on Sunday television and took a few pictures to capture the changing of the seasons.

Whole Wheat Bread

2008-10-19T18:14:00.005-04:00

My accomplishment of the day:
Water - 1 1/4 cups
Salt - 1 1/4 teaspoons
Unsalted butter - 2 1/2 tablespoons
Honey - 2 tablespoons
Bread flour - 1 1/4 cups
Whole wheat floour - 2 1/2 cups
Yeast, active dry - 2 1/4 teaspoons

Made in bread machine.

Obama for President

2008-10-19T13:13:00.002-04:00

Secure in his position, Josh relaxes on his porch on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Slide show: New Airport

2008-10-14T22:14:00.001-04:00

Open House at the new airport

2008-10-14T21:59:00.007-04:00

Jacob, Doug and I went to the open house at the new Indianapolis International Airport this past Sunday and were very impressed with the size and sophistication of the facility. It should make a very favorable impression on people arriving in Indianapolis for the first time. We liked the Civic Plaza (commons area), the interactive art and the opportunity to see behind the scenes in the baggage handling, the concourses and the various trucks used to keep the runways clear. Jacob liked the moving sidewalks the best. We look forward to coming back when the restaurants and shops are all open. It is a further drive now for us to get to the airport but apparently the planes will have a shorter taxi time so it is a trade-off.

Slide Show: Goodbye to Lois

2008-09-28T21:30:00.000-04:00

Goodbye to Lois

2008-09-28T21:28:00.001-04:00

Today, family and friends gathered together at Lois Pitsenbarger's church in Houston, Ohio to say goodbye to her as she moves to Alabama to live with Vicki and Brady and their family. Houston is a very small town in the middle of farm country in western Ohio. It was a three hour journey for me coming from Indianapolis. The day began with a brief sunrise followed by patches of dense fog on and off for about half of the trip. Traveling through the midwest countryside observing the farms and fields is always calming and reminiscent of my childhood. Greenville, where my parents lived for their most senior years, is Annie Oakley country. Then comes Covington where many of my mother's relatives settled, then head north on Rt. 48, around a detour for a bridge out, and into Houston. This reunion included the parishoners of the church, local friends of Lois and many family members not at the last reunion at Leora's. It was a quick visit but a very nice farewell to Lois. She and Leora look so much like my dad. They are the last of that generation and it was a sad parting for me.

Slide Show: Ohio Family Reunion

2008-09-28T21:27:00.001-04:00

Family reunion in Ohio

2008-09-08T19:41:00.009-04:00

On Sunday, September 7, 2008, a number of the relatives came together at the home of Leora Minton Long (my father's youngest sister) to say good-bye to Lois Minton Pitsenbarger (their sister), who is moving from Piqua, Ohio to Alabama to live with her daughter Vicki and her family. Pictured here from left to right are: Jean Minton Maher, Bill Minton, Kim Estes, Janet Minton Estes, Leora Minton Long, Lois Minton Pitsenbarger, Bob Minton, Wayne Long, Nancy Minton Roof, Neal Long. We reunited and learned new tidbits about our family history: from homebirths to one room schoolhouses, from farming and milking cows to world wars, The Great Depression years and courting. We learned about ourselves by learning about our roots. We remembered how special Great Aunt Eva was. We remembered who worked the farms, who were the teachers, who worked in an office, who worked in a factory. We remembered life before computers, before television, before telephones, before central heat and plumbing. We missed the recently departed - we have all lost parents, siblings, aunts and uncles, cousins and children. Old photos brought back memories of collie puppies, old cars, hair styles, graduations, births, other reunions. We laughed, we remembered, we rejoiced in our relationships and our shared history. We are not a demonstrably emotional family - tending more toward the reserved, quiet observances of life. But on Sunday, you felt the love, the attachment of family, the warmth of being a part of a long line of relationships which we all share. It was quite a remarkable day for all of us.

Slide Show: Apple pickin' 2008

2008-08-31T17:48:00.003-04:00

Apple pickin' 2008

2008-08-31T17:28:00.003-04:00

The Days Gone By, written by James Whitcomb Riley

O the days gone by! O the days gone by!
The apples in the orchard, and the pathway through the rye;
The chirrup of the robin, and the whistle of the quail
As he piped across the meadows sweet as any nightingale;
When the bloom was on the clover, and the blue was in the sky,
And my happy heart brimmed over, in the days gone by.

In the days gone by, when my naked feet were tripped
By the honeysuckle tangles where the water-lilies dipped,
And the ripples of the river lipped the moss along the brink,
Where the placid-eyed and lazy-footed cattle came to drink,
And the tilting snipe stood fearless of the truant's way-ward cry
And the splashing of the swimmer, in the days gone by.

O the days gone by! O the days gone by!
The music of the laughing lip, the lustre of the eye;
The childish faith in fairies, and Aladdin's magic ring--
The simple, soul-reposing, glad belief in everything,--
When life was like a story, holding neither sob nor sigh,
In the golden olden glory of the days gone by.
***********************************************************
By James Whitcomb Riley

Beside the wood-house, with broad branches free
Yet close above the roof, an apple- tree
Known as the "Princess Harvest" - Magic phrase!
That was a boy's own tree, in many ways!
Its girth and height went both for the caress
Of his bare legs and his ambitiousness;
And then its apples, humoring his whim,
Seemed just to fairly hurry ripe for him -
Even in June, impetuous as he,
They dropped to meet him, half way up the tree.
And O their bruised sweet faces where they fell! -
And ho! The lips that feigned to "kiss them well!"

********************************************************
After Apple-Picking by Robert Frost

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

Slide Show: Commuting to IUPUI

2008-08-25T20:44:00.002-04:00

Commuting to IUPUI

2008-08-25T20:36:00.003-04:00

Inspiration hit today. Having to face another hot Monday morning in August, I tried to think what can I do to make this day special? I decided to record with pictures my daily commute to IUPUI and a typical day of working at the Office of International Affairs. From the first cup of coffee and the first construction site, through the array of buildings, corridors and physical space on campus, to more construction, traffic jams and the return home - here is my daily commute.

Video: Happy Birthday song

2008-08-18T19:22:00.003-04:00

Morgan Patrick Roof - born August 17, 2000

Birthday celebration was held at Lazy Daze Coffeehouse in Irvington (Indianapolis).

Morgan's 8th Birthday

2008-08-18T19:18:00.003-04:00

Slide Show: White River Gardens and Zoo

2008-08-17T12:13:00.004-04:00

White River Gardens and Zoo

2008-08-17T11:45:00.007-04:00

Beautiful day in August, 2008. Picked up Jacob in Brownsburg, met Josh, Annie, Morgan, Wyatt and Sage at the White River Gardens and Zoo. Discovered how beautiful and serene the outdoor gardens were - will plan to revisit many times in the future. Also need to come back and see the Desert Building and dolphin show. It was a wonderful day!

Slide Show: Irvington Farmer's Market

2008-08-10T16:22:00.001-04:00

Irvington Farmer's Market

2008-08-10T16:11:00.002-04:00

A beautiful day for the Irvington Farmer's Market and Art Show.
And a chance to show off your dog to all of your friends - both human and canine. Take a look at the photos and enjoy a sense of community.

Slide Show: Stop and smell the roses!

2008-08-10T12:38:00.003-04:00

Stop and smell the roses!

2008-08-10T11:40:00.003-04:00

Well, I don’t have any roses in bloom right now, but exploring with my camera,
right outside of my house
on an early Sunday morning
in late summer,
yielded many photo opportunities.

Next week is our orientation week for the international students coming into IUPUI. This weekend was the opening of the Olympic games in Beijing. Two of my grandkids just finished a week at a Confucius Camp at IUPUI and will both be taking Chinese this fall.

I think about my daughter and her husband exploring new parts of Japan during their holiday week. I am planning a trip to Japan in December and am currently reading the book "The Mother of Dreams, Portrayals of Women in Modern Japanese Fiction" edited by Makoto Ueda.

Doug, my ex-husband and best friend, is getting ready to reconnect with high school friends some forty years later.

I have been reading books about the Holocaust and immersing myself from the perspective of second generation Holocaust survivors and children coping with their Nazi childhoods.

From here to there and everywhere (I think that is a quote from Dr. Seuss).
The future, the past and the here and now.

And now I am back in my own backyard looking for bits and pieces of beauty to help ground me – to help me cope with the larger world and the unknowable future.

Please enjoy my Sunday morning through the pictures in this blog.

I miss the squirrels!

2008-07-22T19:46:00.008-04:00

I took them for granted - the squirrels I mean. We had a whole family of them last summer. They jumped and climbed on the bird feeders right outside my diningroom window. We took pictures of them as they displayed their antics. They dashed around on the ground below the feeders picking up all of the spilled birdseed. They crawled craftily along the top of the fence, hiding amongst the vines and overgrowth along the fencerow - looking to see if they had been spotted. They ran up the telephone pole when too much movement was detected within the windows, the humans peering out at them. They would come as many as five at a time - five fluffy creatures brave enough to come close to the house - lured by the smell of sunflower seeds. We would laugh and call out to each other to come to the window and watch. Hurry before they run away. Look at how they interact with the birds. Listen to them yap at each other in squirrel-talk. Such fun. I wonder what happens to them when the Indiana winter winds bring snow and sleet and bitter cold. Are they cuddled up together in nests high in the tops of trees, full of our birdseed, filled with the warmth of summer?

And then winter passed. Spring came. I filled the bird feeders and birds came - but no squirrels. I must have just missed them. I will surely see them tomorrow. But tomorrow came and still no squirrels. Did they not survive the winter? I miss them.

2008 Irvington Garden Tour

2008-07-20T16:41:00.002-04:00

2008 Oldenburg Freudenfest

2008-07-20T16:35:00.002-04:00

Beginnings

2008-07-20T09:38:00.000-04:00

Welcome to new beginnings. A place to connect, a place to think, a place to ruminate and to germinate.