Scavenger's Delight

I've always been a scavenger. Even in grade school, I would drag home treasures that I found on my short walk home. The people on the corner were great neighbors. They threw away so much good stuff. I remember somehow carrying home an entire set of dishes. My family actually used them for a long time. They were pink and grey, very nice stoneware. But I digress. Here's the real story.

I currently live two blocks behind a private school. The other night on my walk home, I discovered that the art department had cleaned out the pottery studio and discarded projects that students had not picked up. A gold mine for a scavenger and a step up from dumpster diving.

Lizz (yes, Lizz with two zs) had a good thing going that I don't think she fully appreciated. Having just attended the Three Rivers Art Festival, I had seen a lot of pottery and hers was not too shabby. I don't know who Lizz is, but she might be surprised to know that she has an exhibit going on at my house.

In the first picture, the figures are things I already had. Her pottery complements it so well, it looks like I bought it to go with them. The last piece is not hers.

A Day at the Science Center

Lucy and I spent the day at the Carnegie Science Center recently. It was fascinating to watch kids and imagine what kind of adults they will turn out to be. One little guy was working with velcro-tabbed PVC pipe to design a plumbing system on the carpet wall. The goal of the activity was to be able to put a ping pong ball in the top and have it travel all the way through the system to a cup. Intuitively, he seemed to know how to connect them so that it would work. There was no one explaining it to him. He was probably 3 years old. Lucy would add a piece, but it was pretty random. Not much rhyme or reason. He would calmly remove it and reposition it. Interesting to watch.

Then there was the Earthquake Cafe. A diner table with booth seats, a hanging lamp, and three choices of earthquakes to experience. Although there was a sign that clearly stated "If others are waiting, please limit your experience to one earthquake," there were four 10-12 year old kids who kept switching seats and essentially hogging the cafe. Lucy and I waited. The line behind us got longer. The little girls behind me said, "but the sign says . . ." so finally, I had to step up and say, "You've been able to experience this. There are a lot of kids who haven't. How about you going to the back of the line if you want to go again?" The ring-leader glared at me, but they all left. Yea for the adult.

In one corner, there were large spongy building blocks. One guy had built a tower about 4 ft. tall. When Lucy added a piece, it toppled over. He was pretty upset and came to stand right in front of her spouting nonsense. Lucy didn't say anything. She had a triangle piece, like the top of a house, in her hand and she very calmly put it on the top of his head and walked away. The boy shouted, "That's not funny!" It still makes me laugh to think about it.

Four floors. So much to see, so much to experience. When we left, she wanted to know if we could go again some time. "Of course, we can. Let's wait a while so when we come back it will seem new again." Her reply? "Maybe we can go tomorrow."

I took a nap when I got home.

Memorial Day Baseball

I didn't grow up being on a team. Not that I wasn't a "team player", it just didn't seem an option. Other than softball, I don't know what the options were for girls. I read, I drew, I fantasized. There weren't teams for that. I didn't play sports. It was okay; it wasn't weird.

Sam, 9 yrs. old, is getting into baseball. It's interesting to watch boys who aren't quite "buddies" give those tentative pats of encouragement before each bat. Sam is not a touchy-feely guy, but he gives his teammates several pats on the shoulder before they go out to bat. It's sweet to me. It's almost like a secret world that adults aren't privy to. I doubt that he could say why he does it. It is just what he does. And it's good.

I've learned more about baseball this weekend than I ever thought I wanted to know. One, I learned that I liked the young ump and did not like the big bellied ump. I learned, for the most part, you always play first base for the Out. I'm wrestling with learning something about tagging and outs that seem to fly in the face of justice. And I learned that on a hot summer day it's really quite relaxing to stand in the shade and cheer for 9 year olds to slide and catch a break when they can.

Hopscotch

Lucy's fascination with hopscotch is, pure and simple, the sweetest thing to witness. Last night I walked over early evening and there she was, on her corner, looking like summer incarnated. Barefeet, colorful summer dress, hopping, turning around, hopping back. Over and over. She bemoaned the fact that someone kept taking her stones when she left them on the corner. She spends quite a bit of time finding the perfect little rock. Last night we finally settled on a piece of petrified wood.

Hopscotch is one of those games that all kids, especially girls I guess, just seem to discover. I don't know how. I did a little research (read: google) and learned that hopscotch was used as a military training exercise eons ago. The first hopscotch was 100 feet long!

I suppose jacks will be next. I can't wait! One-sies, two-sies. I loved that game.

Morning Sounds

When I made the decision to move to Pittsburgh, the one thing I heard over and over was "But, the weather!" and the one thing that I'm enjoying most is . . . the weather. Here it is late May and I'm still able to sleep with the windows open. I love that. I love waking up to the bird sounds, the cool breeze, and that fresh smell and feel. This morning as I woke, the birds sounded like one of the chants at church where they go "tone-tone-tone-up." I felt as if I were in a chapel. Then came the trains. A slow, slow drone that was like an orchestra warming up in slow motion. I lay there listening to it all and finally decided to get up and join the day.

I have a feeling it is going to be a good one.

Nemacolin & Fallingwater

Wow. Somehow life got in the way of blogging. While I haven't been blogging, I've been busy doing other things. Tom came to Pittsburgh for a week and while he was here we went to Nemacolin, a woodland resort in the Laurel Highlands of the Allegheny Mountains. I love the way that description sounds. It's a beautiful area of over 2000 acres with wildlife habitats, golf, skiing, just about anything you might want to do outside. On the grounds was this beautiful little meditation chapel. The picture at the beginning was the walk to the chapel.


Just a short 20 minute drive from Nemacolin was Fallingwater, the famous private residence built by Frank Lloyd Wright, maybe even the MOST famous one. If you are not familiar with it, it's a structure that is cantilevered over a waterfall. This is one of those amazing places that was a "weekend home" for a prominent Pittsburgh family in the early 1940s. Here are two photos. One, the home from a distance, and one showing steps from the living room down to the water so the Mister could flyfish without leaving the house.



I think I'd have a hard time staying for only the weekend.

Day 2 chef-dom

Tonight I was going to warn you not to try brown basmati risotto, however after 90 minutes of stirring and wondering, I have to say Go For It!

Here's my prep. I sauteed garlic and green onions in olive oil, added brown basmati rice and stirred, stirred, stirred. This was supposed to infuse the grains with the vegetable flavors and prepare it for the next step - - which was adding white wine (suitable for drinking -- not cooking wine) and let it vaporize. After the rice was dry, I began adding hot chicken broth and stirring, stirring, stirring. After about one hour, I made the "not written decision" to put a lid on the rice and let it simmer on its own. Forget the stirring. I was tired of stirring. I was tired of drinking wine. It was a good decision.

During this "down" time I sauteed cubed zucchini, cubed yellow crooked neck squash and coarsely chopped kale. I added a chicken breast that had been covered with basil, oregano, herbs de Provence and freshly ground RED PEPPER. Let me say again. This was a good decision!

At the last minute, I added freshly grated Parmesan cheese, the vegetables and chicken. I inhaled and did a double-take. Absolutely excellent!

And, as before, I have lunch for tomorrow. Double good!

Chef-dom

I've been trying to cook healthy meals for myself the last few weeks. Honestly, sometimes I think I have missed my calling. Tonight, for instance, I am convinced I should have been a chef. Linguini in a red pepper alfredo sauce topped with wilted spinach and then finally topped with salmon coated in sesame seeds and ginger. I'm still reveling in the flavors and fighting the urge to go back and eat tomorrow's lunch.