I'll be home for Christmas...

I'm so happy to be back in Athens with the fam. Dad picked me up at the airport last night and mom had some barbecue and homemade chocolate chip cookies waiting. James and I watched "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and waited on Sarah and Tom to arrive.
Today we are running some errands and then going to Atlanta to have dinner and watch the Atlanta Thrashers.

The orange in the bottom of the stocking...

My Uncle Bob blogged about Christmas presents the other day and it got me thinking...When I was little Christmas was all about the presents. Don't get me wrong, I would love Santa to bring me a few things, but now Christmas is more about celebrating with family and friends, remembering all the happy memories from the year, and enjoying time together. One of my friends gave me some fresh fruit as a gift this year and it reminded me of the oranges I used to find in the bottom of my stocking. What a wonderful life...

My idea of paradise...

"My idea of paradise is a perfect automobile going thirty miles an hour on a smooth road to a twelfth-century cathedral" -Henry James

Tonight my idea of paradise is looking at my decorated tree, writing cards to my dear friends and family, and preparing to go home for Christmas! With each passing year I appreciate more the time I spend with my family, and Christmas is the highlight of the year. I can't wait to run around with our dog Kerry and spend time with my parents, sister, and brothers Tom and R., who just returned from China.

Dad got us tickets to a hockey game in Atlanta on Saturday and Sunday my parents are hosting a cocktail party for the neighbors - should be a blast.

I just finished making peppermint bark for my officemates and friends - see easy recipe below.

1 pound white chocolate
1 cup crushed candy canes
peppermint extract
cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper

melt chocolate in double boiler
add crushed candy canes and two drops of peppermint extract
mix well
spread on wax/parchment paper and refrigerate for 45 minutes

Back in Business

I am back, friends, after a long, unfortunate break. I've sorted out my computer issues and I'm ready to go. Merry Christmas!!! I was in NYC last weekend for some family stuff and Sarah sent me a text picture of the tree in Rockefeller Center, which I saved as my wallpaper on my phone. It's excellent.

I hope you are all well. Look for many, many posts in the new year.

Hamstrung

Hi Friends,

I am sorry I am temporarily out of the blogging business. My home computer is not working, and I can't blog at work, so I am limited to standing in the apple store at the mall, where I am now.
Hope everyone is well! Be back to blogging soon.

Check this out

I read an article on nytimes.com about a new phenomenon...creative people everywhere are using ikea furniture as a blank canvas for all kinds of new furniture ideas. Check it out: www.ikeahacker.blogspot.com

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Sarah's birthday is tomorrow, 4 Sept., but I wanted to get the picture up so everyone could enjoy it! Happy Birthday, Sarah! I realized our family has birthday's August-November, and then my brother's birthday in May. Can't wait to hear about your weekend in NC...

Summer Bounty

I went to the farmers market this weekend and scored some great produce including peaches - who knew VA grew peaches? - tomatoes and corn! My friend Susan came over for dinner featuring my farmer's market finds. I served a roast chicken with peach chutney (cut up the peaches and mix with a little onion, balsamic vinagar, salt and pepper and spread it around the chicken before putting it in the oven) corn on the cob and tomatoes. Yum. Susan brought an assortment of desserts from Whole Foods - my fav was the mini cannoli with jimmies (that's sprinkles for you Southerners).

Sunny Side Up

I took a great kayaking class on the Chesapeake today! The day started out a little rainy but we spent the morning under cover learning navigational skills and when it was time to go out on the water it was warm and sunny. We learned how to plan trips in open water, how to use a compass, read navigational charts, and how to account for tides and currents.
As we were paddling around I noticed some clever boat names. Some of my favorites: "Sunny Side Up," "Irish Wake," and "After Taxes."

No Glove, No Love

No Glove, No Love is the name of my work softball team. We play double-headers once a week. Tonight we played 'Industrial Strength' and won the first game but I had to leave a bit before the end of the second game to meet one of my friends for dinner, so I don't know how the second game turned out.
Our coach Larry is super-competitive, which I love, but some of my teammates get annoyed because they just want to have fun. My idea of fun is winning, or at least doing everything you can to try to win.
I ate dinner tonight at Chipotle with my friend Peg who just moved up to DC from Charleston. She is working as an athletic trainer at American U and has the women's soccer team this season. I definitely want to try and catch a game or two.

Marco.....Polo

It was quite the weekend! We kicked off festivities with a nice happy hour at the office. I really like the Sam Adams summer harvest brew...

On Saturday I visited my extended family in Warrenton Va. They have a beautiful home with an inviting pool in the backyard. I spent almost all day in the pool with the kids. We played Marco Polo, sharks and minnows, categories, and all the other pool favorites. Super fun. We then had a nice dinner of rosemary chicken and fresh vegetables.

Saturday night, back in DC, I went out to celebrate my friend Katherine's birthday at a mexican place in Ballston. I met some of her friends, one of whom is from Winder, GA, right outside of Athens! As luck would have it we know some of the same people. Small world.

Sunday I went to brunch at my friend Ana's apartment in Georgetown. She is such a good hostess! She served mimosas, souffle, salad with fresh figs, cucumbers and shrimp, and my friend Brooke contributed an apple pie for dessert. We walked around Georgetown for a while and Ana showed us all the bars where the Bush twins hang out. We then got pedicures...I picked OPI Pistol Packin' Pink. It's hot.

Sunday night I watched some NFL preseason and called it an early night.

Bourne Again

I can't wait to see the new Bourne movie - I hear its an action packed adventure! I also want to see the new Harry Potter and will probably see The Simpsons. I'm not a big Simpsons fan, but several of my friends are, so I will probably go. Another reason to go to movies...I am a huge fan of movie popcorn and fountain coke. I think I work out so much to compensate for my love of food that is not always healthy. Sigh.

It's hot as hell here in Va - the temperature thing in my car said 111 this afternoon. Yesterday I went running on the W&OD - a long trail that winds through northern Va, and I almost passed out. I may try to go again today but will probably end up in the cool gym on the elliptical followed by some weightlifting. Then I will go get a burrito and ruin it all.

Sweet, Sweet Summer

My friend Brooke's uncle sent her several ears of sweet Nebraska corn, and she was kind enough to share some with me!
Summer yields so many amazing vegetables, but corn may be my favorite. I'm going to serve this Nebraska corn with roast chicken and fresh tomatoes. I'm tempted to buy several ears from the local farmer's market and freeze it for the winter...but I can't think of winter right now.
I'm loving summer so much that I sleep with the windows open so I can hear the crickets and birds in the morning...maybe I should move to the country...

"Well, this is not a boat accident! And it wasn't any propeller; and it wasn't any coral reef; and it wasn't Jack the Ripper! It was a shark."

It's Shark Week on the Discovery Channel and I am locked in. I am terrified of sharks - haven't swam in the ocean in years. Jaws is still one of my favorite movies, though, because I am safe on the couch.

kayaking 102

My brother, sister, and I went kayaking down the Broad River in Athens a couple weekends ago and I made the mistake of telling them I took a kayaking course and knew what I was doing. After flipping multiple times and going backwards down waterfalls, I think it's time for kayaking 102 - the second semester, if you will.
I signed up to take another course with one of my friends - this one is on open water and includes learning how to use a compass, understanding currents, wind and lightning, rescues and towing. When I get done I'll be AWESOME ;)

"You Always Look So Cool"

This F. Scott Fitzgerald quote always reminds me of my sister, and this post is dedicated to her. Sarah has excellent fashion sense and sometimes I shamelessly buy the same things she owns.
For example, I just ordered J Crew linen sailor pants which she recommended and I love them! I might wear them tomorrow.

James Goes to China

My brother James leaves for China early tomorrow morning. He has been planning this trip for a long time and I'm very proud of how brave he is to move to another country. We will all miss him very much, but I know it will be a good opportunity for him.
I'm hoping he will come home for Christmas and I may even go for a visit. I hear there's a 1/2 marathon and full marathon on the Great Wall!

Best (So Far) of Summer 2007

My family and I had a nice holiday in New Hampshire this summer. We definitely missed our aunts being there and will miss them for a long time to come. We planted a Japanese maple tree on the lawn in their honor and toasted them many times over the weekend.

My brother and I learned some new water tricks on the lake - see the pic of me on the disk/stool! I mastered it but not before scoring many bruises!

Our dog Kerry was able to make the trip this year and had a blast on the lake - she especially liked resting under the table waiting on people to drop treats...

On the Road Again

Tomorrow I'm headed to Vienna for a couple days before moving on to Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia. Should be an interesting trip. I'm very sad about losing my aunt last week and I just can't get excited about this trip, even though I know I should be.
When I get back to the states on 26 June I will immediately head for NH for July 4th. I'm looking forward to seeing the fam.

Sarah is back in the States!

Welcome back, Sarah! I have some more great pics to share with all of you and so many great memories from the wedding -- I am finally recovering after days of partying.

More Wedding Happiness!

Wedded Bliss

Perfect. That's the only word that can accurately describe my beautiful sister's wedding. She was such a radiant bride. The weekend was so fun, it was a great party, and everyone who attended had contributed to Sarah and Tom's history in some way. I am going to have to post in segments because I have so many fun pictures and memories to share. Everytime Sarah and I would talk in the months and then days leading up to the wedding she was nervous about logistics, but never about the marriage, and I think everyone there could attest to the fact that she and Tom are the perfect couple.

Happy Birthday, R!!!

My brother R is 25 today! Happy Birthday!

if the dress fits...

Every couple of weeks I've been trying on my MOH dress for the big day to make sure it will fit. It's a beautiful green, strapless number that evokes the color of lush summer grass. It's georgeous, and I have to be the right size to make the most of it...Today it was a good fit, so I'll have to keep up my regimen.
Here's what I'm doing so far...running a lot, lifting, eating low carb diet...I'm open to further suggestions.

Finally, Spring

It's been a long, cold winter and I'm so happy it's coming to a close. I know it's going to be a happy spring...Sarah's wedding is only a few weeks away!! I have to start planning my toast! Sarah, if you're reading this know I am working on it!!!
Can't wait.

on the go

I took a little roadtrip this weekend...left VA after work on Thursday and stayed at my sister Sarah's house in Durham. My original plan was to drive straight thru to GA but I was too tired. I stopped at Sarah's and it ended up being the right decision. Sarah has a very cute apt. and I was happy to get in a good visit with both she and Tom. Tom and I both like watching 'Dangerous Catch' on the Discovery Channel; the show follows the adventures of several different fishing boats in the Baltic Sea. The fisherman are rough and tumble kind of guys and it's amazing how much cash they can earn in a short season hauling in king crabs.
I was very thankful to have a great in-between place to crash last night. I continued the journey this morning and listened to my i-pod through the radio adaptor the whole way. I love my 'on the go' playlist feature that allows you to compose an instant playlist from the playlists already loaded on your i-pod. It was a fun trip and I'm so happy its actully spring here in the south. It's been nasty in VA - rainy, snowy, cold, gray days.....
My brother R. (James) is also home this weekend - he is a blast to hang out with and always up for adventures. There's a golf tournament going on in my neighborhood - a Nationwide Tour event - so we'll probably hang out on the deck and drink beer and watch golf.

A Message of Hope for the Hokie Nation

Living in Virginia has offered an up close and personal view of the VA Tech tragedy. There are Hokie flags and other signs of solidarity everywhere. One of my co-workers has a daughter who was directly involved. To me this event is akin to Sept. 11. There is no explanation for the apparent hatred of other people. My thoughts and prayers are with all of my Hokie friends.

Happy Easter...

And thank God for mothers and sisters. This morning I hosted a brunch for a few friends since I couldn't go home for Easter this year. Thankfully my mom and sister armed me with advice and recipes so I wouldn't have to go it alone.
The menu:
cucumbers with cottage cheese and sprouts
smoked salmon with dill and whipped cream cheese on pumpernickel

Aunt Kate's breakfast caserole
blueberry muffins
canteloupe

rice pudding

I would say it went very well and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I missed being home, but this was a good second place.

Chipotle is Excellent

Tonight, after an hour run on the trails, I headed to Chipotle for a burrito bol. It's basically a burrito without the shell and includes steak, rice, black beans, peppers and onions, fresh salsa, and a little cheese. I've been on a chipotle kick lately. I could eat it everyday!

I've been running a lot on the W&OD trail - it stretches for 45 miles through Virginia crossing over all the major highways and snaking through nice woods. It's perfect because it's right of the main road by my house so I can access it in minutes. I've been running for almost an hour everyday - I have to suffer through the first 25 minutes - for some reason I can't hit my stride until then, but when I do I feel like I can run forever!

Echoing Sarah, I can't believe it's only Monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Birthday, Tom!

Tom is a great guy and will be a welcome addition to the family. I can't wait to have another brother! Here he is skiing, and later at the 4th of July events at Pierce Lake, in between Sarah and James.

Happy St. Patty's Day

Saint Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays - I'm more than 75% Irish - my mom's maiden name is O'Shea, and my dad's mother's maiden name is Gohery - both very green names :) I think Kahrs is German but my family has always celebrated our Irish heritage. A few years ago we took a family trip to Ireland and met some relatives, and I would love to go again someday.

My grandmother 'Mom' O'Shea made the best Irish soda bread, and my mom's version is very good too. She made bread when I was home last weekend, and I was tempted to try my hand at it today, but unfortunately it's at the bottom of my extensive to-do list.

Hope everyone has a great day!!!

"like heaven above me, the spy who loved me..."

I was in Georgia this weekend and listened to my mom's favorite Carly Simon cd in her car, and now I have The Spy Who Loved Me song in my head...kind of ironic.

Anyway, I had a great time at home. I went to my 10 year high school reunion - wasn't really sure what to expect, but it ended up being fun. One of my classmates is living right down the street from me here in VA!

My sister and soon-to-be brother in law were home as well - my mom and sister accomplished a lot of wedding stuff...only a few weeks until the big day - I'm so excited! I'm going to j. crew to order my dress tomorrow night!

my two fashionistas - warning: guys may find this posting boring

Whenever I have fashion issues I call two of my favorite people: my sister Sarah and my friend Mary. Both have very good taste. Sarah is always on the cusp of fashion and Mary is the queen of matching and accessorizing. Last night I found a great cranberry colored velvet jacket and I knew I really liked it, but didn't have a clue what to wear with it. Both Sarah and Mary gave me great advice and I wore it today...received many compliments.

Thank you girls!

Darwin's God

There's an interesting article on nytimes.com's most read list entitled "Darwin's God." I found one passage particularly striking:

"In 1997, Stephen Jay Gould wrote an essay in Natural History that called for a truce between religion and science. “The net of science covers the empirical universe,” he wrote. “The net of religion extends over questions of moral meaning and value.” Gould was emphatic about keeping the domains separate, urging “respectful discourse” and “mutual humility.” He called the demarcation “nonoverlapping magisteria” from the Latin magister, meaning “canon.”

My opinion: you can't keep them seperate - and you can love and believe in both. Evolution is so exquisite how could there not be a God? I don't believe I'm living a ruderless existence.

When I read this article I kept thinking about Whitman's Learn'd Astronomer:

When I heard the learn'd astronomer,
When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,
When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide,
and measure them,
When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with
much applause in the lecture-room,
How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,
Till rising and gliding out I wander'd off by myself,
In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,
Look'd up in perfect silence at the stars.

"pleasure lies in pursuit, not in the attainment"

This is Jenny Lake in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I've had the opportunity to go twice and would love to go again, and again...This pic reminds me, though, that the people/places I love the most I just have to enjoy and let go. I miss being with my family, but also have realized that staying in GA just to be close to them would have closed a lot of doors personally and professionally. I think I've finally found the balance between appreciating people and places without having to own them, so to speak...I'm not sure that will make sense to all of you, but it makes sense to me...

Uh-oh

I've discovered that contingency plans for snow in Northern VA are about as disorganized as they are in the deep south: few plows, poor driving, unexplained distribution of sand and salt, and mobs running out to buy white bread and water. It's snowed about three inches in 2 hours, so we'll see if the Feds have to work tomorrow...Here's my car already getting covered...

football!

Today we had our first practice for co-ed flag football. I'm so excited to play! It was a little chilly on the field this am with snow still lining the fences in the shade, but we got in some good practice and I think we'll be ready when the season starts next Saturday.

After practice I went to the gym for some elliptical training and thought about lifting, but I think I'll save that for tomorrow.

Tonight I'm planning to meet some of my sister's friends who are in town for a little sight-seeing. I'm going to invite them to meet me at an Irish bar called Ireland's Four Fields, which has live music and is close to the Cleveland Park metro stop, which is perfect so I don't have to drive...

"Laissez les bons temps rouler"

rough translation: let the good times roll

I went out with my friends Laura and Jessica to celebrate what may be my last carb until Easter...Laura, who is one of my favorite people, invited me to join her and Jessica for a little Mardi Gras party at a cajun restaurant in DC. The food was excellent and it was fun to get out after being snowbound for a while.
Hope everyone had a nice night!

"hope is the thing with feathers"

I decided to name my blog "hope is the thing with feathers" because even in sadness I've had hope for the future. My sister Sarah just told me that 'Hope' ("hope is the thing with feathers" is the first line of the poem) is her favorite Emily Dickinson poem...I had no idea!

We had the day off today, so I accomplished a lot of errands including returning shoes, washing the caked salt and snow off my car, and starting work on a folder I'm entitling "things I love." I have a collection of items including quotes I've ripped out of magazines, an amazing picture of Cate Blanchett in a Roman helmet from Vogue February 2007, and odds and ends I've collected over the years that I love but have no place to put.....

I also went to the gym today. I've been quite stir-crazy for the past week because we had a lot of snow and ice making it impossible to run or do anything outside, or even park anywhere, so going to the gym was also a challenge. My friend Kimberly and I are planning to do a mini-triathlon in early summer, so I'm now in training mode.

Tomorrow the work week begins again, but tonight I'm going to see "Breach" - not my agency, but close enough.

New!

Hi Everyone,
After months of reading my sister's blog (and loving it) I've decided to create my own! When I have more time it will be a prettier blog, but for now I'm just going with the basics.

We have a three-day weekend (thank you, President's...) so today I'm going to the outlets with my friend Brooke and hoping to find some deals at BR, J-Crew, and others. I'm not looking for anything in particular, but you never know what you might find...The last time I went to the outlets I got some great black pants at J-Crew that I wear all the time and some shirts at the Benetton Outlet.

Hoping for the best.