Lightning Bug Lane

New Co-workers

2008-11-09T19:39:00.009-05:00

A couple weeks ago my co-worker, Cheryl, and I decided that what our office really needed was a pair of gerbils. What could possibly inspire creativity better than small fuzzy rodents? :) After getting the necessary approval from our boss, we set ourselves up with Gulliver and Memo.

Gulliver & Memo

Everyone should have office gerbils!

Jewels of Autumn

2008-11-04T23:15:00.003-05:00

The fall colors are spectacular this week! Here are a couple photos from our back yard.

Enjoy it while it lasts! :)

A Little Globe Trotting

2008-09-06T13:12:00.019-04:00

Here's the deal: I wrote the following post near the beginning of September but didn't have time to add pictures right away...and now here it is almost November. *sigh* It seems a little irrelevant at this point, but oh well. :)

~

So it's been a busy summer, to say the least, and I haven't quite come to grips with the fact that it's almost fall now. Since I've been pretty lax about posting, here's a recap of what I've been up to.

As I mentioned before, the summer started with a 2-week work trip to Prague, Czech Republic, in May. The weather was colder than expected and the shower blocks were a hike from our cabins with very little hot water, but we had a good retreat anyway. We had more than 200 people attend. While most of them sat in seminars all day, my days were filled with office work, planning communication talks, and photographing the events for a special issue of my magazine (you can download it from this website.) The highlight for me was spending two days touring Prague and the Karlstejn Castle.

I've finally uploaded photos of my Czech adventure here.

Then I met up with Eric in Italy for two weeks, which I mentioned in my previous blog. (Full blog account available here and my photos here.)

After that I got to spend a few weeks at home, before heading off to my next adventure: taking a mission trip to Peru to work with Peru Projects, a member of OCI. This was another work trip, but completely different. We flew into Lima, then up to Pucallpa, where we spent 10 days building a church in the little village of Nueva Era. In the evenings we held revival meetings at the building site. Also, part of our group held medical clinics in various villages and out on a medical mission launch. I also go to fly out to the mission launch for a day, which was my first time in a seaplane--it was pretty cool!

Being in charge of a group of 18 people had its stressful moments, but in general we had a great team and lots of fun. We were building with super-hard wood, so lots of bent nails and mashed fingers, but now I'm pretty confident with a hammer! :)

Pucallpa is in the jungle with only the airport and one road connecting it to the outside world--a 24-hour bus trip to Lima, which is why we flew. :) Being in the jungle, it was very hot and humid. There was no air conditioning in any of the buildings, so we were very grateful for electric fans in our rooms at night. But working hard out in the sun all day, we were all drenched in sweat and had to consciously stay hydrated with water and Gatorade (which we had brought with us). For the second time this summer I found myself in a place with no hot water in the showers, but this time it really wasn't so bad.

We managed to get the church done on time and had a dedication service in it our last Sabbath there. Then on Sunday we flew back to Lima. There our group split up, with some of them flying back to the States.

The rest of us flew down to Cusco the next morning. We took a tour of the city, enjoyed the colorful shopping opportunities, and ate at some interesting little restaurants. It was a lot colder in Cusco and several of us had altitude headaches. Pucallpa is at 500 ft, while Cusco is at 10,800 ft, up in the Andes Mountains.

The next day we caught a train to Machu Picchu, which was amazing! As with most world-wonders, pictures don't do it justice. After taking a guided tour, we went to see if we could climb Wynnapicchu, the rounded peak sticking up behind the ruins in all the famous pictures. They only allow 400 people to climb it each day, and as we signed in, the last member of our group was #399! It was a steep climb and the thin-ish air didn't help, but we all made it up and it was worth the effort.

We took the train back to Cusco that evening, then early the next morning we found ourselves once again on a plane heading to Lima. We found a very good vegetarian restaurant right around the corner from our hotel for lunch, and then a group of us went exploring. We went down to the coast and touched the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean in the Southern Hemisphere. :) Then we visited the largest fountain park in the world (according Guinness Book) which was pretty cool after dark. To end the evening we went to a park overlooking the ocean and enjoyed the lights sparkling on the water.

And that was Peru. The next morning we flew home. This was my first time to South America and I loved it! Here's the link to my Peru pictures.

However, that wasn't the end of my travels for the summer! I got home on a Thursday night, took Friday off, and went into work on Monday to load up a rental truck. Then bright-and-early Tuesday our office team drove down to Tampa, Florida--a 9-hour drive--for the annual ASI convention. Manning a booth for a week is not my favorite activity, but at least my co-worker and I were able to slip away one afternoon to visit the beach 45-minutes away.

That brings us up to the middle of August. Since then I've been home, trying to catch up at work and around the house, and trying to wrap my mind around the fact that we're already into September.

There and Back Again

2008-06-06T21:57:00.005-04:00

The month of May went by in a blur. The first two weeks I was at an old soviet youth camp in Czech Republic for work. At some point I'll post some photos, but for now we'll gloss over that to get to the good stuff.

From Czech Republic, I flew to Rome, where I met Eric. We then spent two wonderful weeks exploring Italy together. For our 3rd anniversary, we stayed in a cute little walled city named Lucca.

Between the two of us, we took thousands of photos, so I have finally culled mine down to about 330. You can see them by clicking here to visit my Picasa gallery.

Eric was great about blogging each day on our JanEric blog. Now he's going through and adding pictures, starting with the beginning of the trip (May 11). He's got some awesome photos, so be sure to check them out!

Fuzzies for All!

2008-02-26T21:21:00.007-05:00

One source I go to almost every day for "warm fuzzies" is cuteoverload.com. Here's my favorite post from today:

Go Obama!

Sunshine in Winter

2008-02-22T20:44:00.005-05:00

It's been awhile. Winter doesn't bring much beauty to this part of the country. However, the other day as I arrived at work, the sun coming up through the mist was incredible.

Introducing Sir Arthur

2007-11-04T19:36:00.000-05:00

Back in September we adopted a second little stray kitty as a companion for Tofu. Since then, Sir Arthur has become an established part of our family, but I have yet to officially introduce him on my blog. So behold: Sir Arthur!

Arthur & Tofu are pretty good friends now

And his "Daddy" and "Uncle Todd" (and his "Mommy," of course!) seem to think he's a pretty good addition to the family. :)

Tomato Massacre

2007-09-10T17:32:00.000-04:00

So much for our tomatoes this year! Evidently these guys agree with us that our cherry tomatoes are pretty tasty.

We had enjoyed lots already, with promise of plenty more (probably until the first frost), but when we returned from vacation, the garden was devastated. Between the worms and the drought, it just didn't stand a chance. :(

Legos!

2007-08-18T22:34:00.000-04:00

Something in the sound, feel, sight, or maybe even the smell...you're just never too old to enjoy a good afternoon with a miscellaneous box of Legos. Certain pieces have always captured my imagination--the windows with shutters that open and shut, the fake trees and flowers, the transparent blue, red, and green blocks, the strange little yellow people with painted-on clothes... I look at the box of pieces and quaint tableaux pop together in my mind.

On the other hand, what the guys see in the little plastic building blocks is the potential to create functioning, technical models. Where I see a story, they see the tools of invention. More power to them! In the end, we all had a great time. :)

Tofu got in on the fun

Todd and Eric worked on designing a propulsion system for a styrofoam "boat." They used a Lego robotics set that Eric uncovered in our storage room.

And it worked!

Comparisons

2007-07-29T11:56:00.000-04:00

After living in our house a year and a half, it seems like a good time for a few comparison shots. :)

Front

Driveway

Back

Fun, Sweat, and Italian Ice

2007-07-29T10:38:00.000-04:00

Last weekend our big project was removing half of our circular gravel driveway. We've wanted to do it since we first bought the house, so it's a great feeling of accomplishment to finally have it done. Both Todd and Eric enjoyed our rented Bobcat...

The whole process was a lot of hard work, though, especially spreading the top soil by hand.

Having worked up a sweat, we enjoyed a refreshing treat: Italian Ice. Tofu insisted that sleeping was hard work, too, and that she deserved a treat.

And this morning I'm proud to announce that our baby grass is sprouting!

"I want to eat it"

2007-07-19T19:55:00.000-04:00

We enjoy following the adventures of "No Impact Man" and this week he had a cute post about lightning bugs and his daughter, Isabella. Click here for that post.

Or click here for a fun list of things to do with a 2-year-old when TV isn't an option. :)

Rain and Dazzle

2007-07-11T21:18:00.000-04:00

Today was gloriously drizzly all day long! I've always loved a good drippy day (especially if it includes staying at home with a good book and my faithful lap-kitty). But today, even though I spent the whole time behind my desk, it was extra special. There's nothing like a drought to make you appreciate frizzy hair and damp feet. ;)

This evening it cleared up and dazzled our tiger lilies.

Comfy Kitty

2007-07-08T21:51:00.000-04:00

It didn't take long for Tofu to discover the new fuzzy white chair we got at Ikea a week ago. Combined with her favorite fuzzy green blanket, this is her new "happy place." :)

Celebrating the Day of Independence

2007-07-06T22:27:00.001-04:00

What better way to celebrate independence than to leave the world--and its cares--behind us for a couple hours? Who needs fireworks and flags... :)

Eric got "shotgun"

My alma mater

This was my view as I got blasted by 100 mph wind and Todd took aerial photos.

Here's the new church in our little town--a rival to the "church on the hill." For those of you who care about such things, please notice what a nice steeple it has. :)

Office Transformation

2007-07-02T21:51:00.001-04:00

The big news in my work life is that in two weeks, my assistant starts. Hooray!!! I really can't express how excited I am about this, since for the last two years my workload has been pretty heavy.

In preparation, my boss gave me permission to shop for new office furniture that will be more two-person friendly. Accordingly, last week I spent a day at Ikea. Here's the comparison:

Before....

After

The end result is much lighter and more organized, plus there's a definite divide between the two work spaces (before it was a solid line of warped brown folding tables along that wall).

Now if the tooth fairy or the Easter bunny would come and steal my deadlines away, everything would just be peachy....

Hawaiian Vacation

2007-06-30T23:15:00.000-04:00

Even Lady Liberty needs a break now and then. What better time than for the 4th of July holiday? :)

This was a fun little Photoshop project. Here's the original:

It's...the...week...end....

2007-06-29T22:34:00.000-04:00

The weekend is here and not a moment too soon. I wish you all a restful and renewing Sabbath!

Jellyfish Wednesday

2007-06-26T23:20:00.001-04:00

My batteries are getting pretty drained at work--pressing deadlines and so little time! Wouldn't it be nice to be a jelly fish instead?

(I took this pic on our trip to the aquarium a few months ago)

Dry is Relative

2007-06-15T22:09:00.000-04:00

Apparently Tennessee is in the midst of a severe drought, the worst in 117 years (recorded history). Our grass is crispy, and our garden has been quite thirsty. Worse yet, the bunnies are running low on wild fresh, green, leafy things and have turned to the domesticated variety.

However, after visiting Southern California for a week, Tennessee doesn't look quite so dry. :) On the other hand, the California vegetation reminded me strongly of my childhood.

Exhibit A: Jacarandas

I haven't seen these blooming in years!

My tropical blood is also strongly attracted to palm trees...

...and beaches.

Venice Beach in LA was like a foreign country!

Then there was the fruit. Flavorful and abundant! Almost every yard had citrus, pomegranate, avocado, and other trees heavy with fruit.

While exploring the farmers' market, I had to buy some real California apricots. After all, I've heard all my life that they're the only ones worth anything. And Yum! :)

House Bound

2007-06-02T11:38:00.000-04:00

The last couple days haven't been so much fun. In fact,
I've been like this:

And alternately, like this:

But this morning I'm tentatively nibbling on a banana, and things are going well so far....

These are a Few of My Favorite Things...

2007-05-25T22:25:00.001-04:00

Despite a very dry Spring, our yard continues to produce an amazing variety of color, taste, and texture. While I didn't get a photo of it, we enjoyed our very first yellow raspberry this week--broke it in half so we could both get a taste. :)

Red hot pokers

Baby grapes!

Our very first blueberries

Flowers, flowers everywhere

It's that kind of Sunday

2007-05-20T14:26:00.000-04:00

Life is good!

Spring Fever

2007-05-11T22:43:00.000-04:00

I hear crickets out in the yard. First time this year. I've got spring fever bad... three new flowering plants on my deck testify to this. Every day something new is budding or flowering and I revel in being part of it! Something about our yard in spring and summer recalls a simpler, slower, more innocent time. I think everyone needs a place like that.

So, welcome to my Lightning Bug Lane! :)