Gone to Carolina

Hello.

2008-12-18T17:19:00.001-08:00

We've been gone for a little while. Since our last post much has taken place. And now that I'm sick and don't feel like moving far from the couch, it's a good time to play catch up. For starters, we have a new beagle puppy, Ramona Quimby Utter. See below. This is face she made when I told her she wasn't getting any Christmas Cookies. Ben celebrated his 29th birthday last Sunday after a whirlwind weekend in Minnesota saying goodbye to his beloved Grandma Rosell. He also finished up his first full semester as adjunct professor at 2 local community colleges. It's exhausting work but his students seem to dig him. What else has happened since our last post?? Barack Obama won. I have a new running partner. And LOTS of people have had babies! I hope to keep up the blog here and there.

Advent Celebration at the Winters. All the delights of the season including carols and flaming figgy pudding straight out of "A Christmas Carol."

2008-08-02T12:02:00.000-07:00

TeamBUBU has temporarily relocated to Bomet,Kenya. We hope to post updates here and there!

OBX

2008-06-17T20:18:00.001-07:00

We were graced this weekend with a visit from Ben's dad. We decided to bypass the usual spots for out of town guests and jump into the car for a trip to the Outer Banks. We ended up on Haetteras Island, home to the tree with the only clue from the lost colony of Roanoke as well as to one of several lighthouses. We chose a real motor inn (mostly because they accomodated dogs).
Sophie had a marvelous time at the beach-though I have no pictures, sadly. She went leash free and galloped all over, chasing hermit crabs. She also jumped into the ocean a couple of times. I was so happy to see her happy. It makes me wonder how much greater it would be to see one's children having a wonderful time.
Ben took this shot from a quick stop over in Durham, at Duke. It wins in my book as most aesthetically pleasing college campus. Ever.

Benjamin Utter, MA

2008-05-26T19:01:00.001-07:00

Ben's enlivening experience came to a celebratory end last week. Pictured above are brothers Joe and Andy and below are Ben's wonderful classmates--all off to various exotic :) locales including Chapel Hill and Princeton, NJ. We'll be here in Winston, except, hopefully, for the month of August when we will be in Bomet, Kenya, Lord and finances willing.

Travel and Work

2008-05-26T18:57:00.000-07:00

We are aiming at a month spent doing the Lord's work here.
We are a bit overwhelmed at the paperwork at the moment.

Lights and Tunnels

2008-04-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

This is the stack of books that Ben returned to the WFU library today after successfully defending his Master's Thesis on Thursday. I won't tell you how many of them are past due. The title of his thesis, as I know you are all dying to know so that you can stow it away and someday later buy his book, is " 'A dark rose of sunset between tree and tree': Landscape Imagery in the Arthuriad of Charles Williams".
This is his office which looks empty without all the books. Thankfully, he has hundreds of others in bookshelves all around. So now the only thing that separates Ben from graduation is a few hundred lines from Beowulf to translate from Old English. That shouldn't take much, right?

Around the House

2008-04-13T09:03:00.001-07:00

This has been a rather wonderful weekend so far. Sophie started off right with two separate runs on Friday, and spent the rest of the weekend on her favorite perch which has now been marred by a new house that is being built across the street.
I took pictures of things growing around the house. I was so excited about the red tulips that were going to spring up-until I realized that we had bright pink azaelas on either side of the sidewalk. So much for the red contrasting with the black and white house. But the colors are nonetheless bright and brilliant and sing of spring.

I was particularly excited to see the hyacinths growing. They aren't giving off much perfume, which is what I love most about them. Perhaps because this is their first growing season.

This is the beginning of our garden. It includes broccoli, squash, tomatoes, various greens including red leaf lettuce and arugula. I planted a few herbs including tarragon. Some of them are seeds and some were established. I planted marigolds which apparently deter rodents. I'm not sure if 3 will do the trick but I was too cheap to buy more. There are a couple of roots in the way. I decided not to dig them up but rather to leave them in place. They are markers for the planted seeds. They way they project upward reminds me of the rock in the field in Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimph. I hope everyone's weekend is blissful.

Easter and Hero Husband

2008-03-24T19:07:00.001-07:00

With no family in town, Ben and I were forced :) to spend an Easter meal with other friends without family. So we, the budding Episcopalians, had a splendid meal with our Lutheran and Catholic friends. We seem to mesh pretty well despite our denominational histories. I was sad to have to return to work on Monday after a luxiourious 3 day weekend (3.5 if you count post-call) and didn't have time to shop for the week's groceries before getting home late Monday evening. Ben to the rescue! Home smelled like tropical heaven with his simmering mango chicken. I felt lucky indeed.
Then, after slaving in the kitchen all afternoon, he had to put on his plumbing hat as his dear wife forgets that the garbage disposal is not a magical place where leftovers disappear - especially when those leftovers are artichokes.
I felt very well taken care of this gloomy post-Easter Monday.

Earliest Spring Kitchen Notes

2008-03-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

The ingredients of this stew are not particularly spring-ly but it is nearing the end of cold weather and time to squeeze in one more hearty dish before all the delights of spring vegetables make their way into the farmer's market and our plates. (By the way I dreadfully miss the LR farmer's market; we have no river nearby ours and not a single fiddle player). This dish comes straight out of an Italian cookbook called The Silver Spoon. Both the cookbook and the dish were introduced to us by way of one of Ben's fellow grad students. Her endless bottles of Pellegrino have helped us drink less diet cokes; sparkling water is our "transition drink," sadly. The cookbook was recently translated into English and the directions are sometimes rather vague, but the stew is forgiving and worth the guesswork.
Vodka alla Agnollo (lamb with vodka)

Ingredients:
meat stock (I used beef)
1 3/4 lb leg of lamb cut into pieces
12 prunes pitted
2 tbs strained tomatoes
1 onion chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1 celery heart sliced
bay leaf
paprika
1/4 cup vodka
1 cup arborio rice
Directions:
boil stock. add mutton (lamb) and simmer for 40 minutes. Place prunes in a bowl, add warm water to cover and soak for 30 minutes, then drain. Melt 1 tbs butter in a pot; stir in strained tomatoes, onion, garlic, celery, and a bay leaf. Cook 5 minutes. Pour in vodka, add salt paprika, cook for a few minutes more. Stir constantly. Add hot stock, a little at a time, stir constantly, then add lamb, rice, and prunes. Stir constantly for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Yum! (my addition). Goes well with yeast rolls.

Whodunnit?

2008-03-16T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ben and I attended our first-ever murder mystery party over the weekend. We were "Cassandra and Cash Steal" and our objective was to avoid revealing "Cash's" true identity at the grand opening of a new "speakeasy club" called "The Four Deuces" without getting whacked. The scene was set in the mid-20s and was complete with flapper dresses and white suspenders. I am REALLY sad that my camera on the fritz but it will have to do until the budget allows otherwise...

Time Away

2008-03-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

It was time to get away, to leave behind our little house and our quiet streets with its familiar comings and goings, and most namely, anything to do with Wake Forest. I finished what seemed like endless weeks of every other day call in which I was unable to leave town and Ben has been locked away surrounded by books, breathing in their much-gathered dust. We sought refuge at the sea. I have always had a penchant for cold beaches; perhaps this stemmed from my first experience as a 7 year old exploring a Long Island beach. But most likely it began the summer after my graduation from college where I spent several lone hours contemplating the largeness of life perched on a Welsh cliff huddled in a sweatshirt I bought at a local thrift store, not realizing beforehand that summer in Wales generally means merely a change in the name of a month more than impending sunburns. In any case, I was not impeded by the cool temperatures surrounding the Atlantic; it did not interrupt the quiet peace of my solace.
Ben has been fortunate to endear himself to the lively friendship of his colleagues, and since one of them happens to be renting a house that directly faces aforementioned ocean, this worked well for our place of refuge.
To assume that my need for refuge was associated with work is on the right path; it has been particularly draining of late. I think this is likely a natural rhythm of things that can be related to a myriad of careers. Despite an irregular schedule I felt as though I was meshing with my role and gaining ground as a respected physician but over the past few weeks my patience had, like the last grains of sand in an hourglass, drained to very little.
So we drove to Ocean Isle, near the S.C. border, dumped our belongings into a cottage whose windows afforded a view to the Atlantic and allowed its waves to wash our stresses away. Oh, and we visited a lighthouse. (see top)

Beagle Ballet

2008-03-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

Sophie has been taking ballet lessons. These are some of her refined moves. Probably best to void out the sound to ignore my giggling. My apologies for the poor quality-our camera needs a little fixing up.

Key Points

2008-02-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

I was tagged by Kristen to list 7 random facts concerning myself: (this may get tedious :)

1. I pretend like I'm cool and all when it comes to music and knowing the most up and coming but in reality most of my now - favorite artists (with the exception of Billie Holiday and Waterdeep) came by way of Ben by way of Matt, and most of them have been around for much longer than I know.
2. As of this spring, Ben and I will be members of the Episcopal Church by way of confirmation. We both grew up in more traditionally evangelical church homes but separately came to desire what we have found in the liturgy and through the Eucharist. And my favorite part is that I get to kiss my husband each Sunday during the exchanging of the peace, which we first did together at our wedding. This is our church in Winston.
3. I initially wanted to adopt a beagle because I wanted a running buddy. I wasn't disappointed on that note but what I didn't think about is that 1. beagles are 95% nose and 2. the nose never follows a straight line, so running with her is always an adventure.
4. I own a "Michael Scott's Dunder Mifflin Scranton Meredith Palmer Memorial Celebrity Rabies Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race for the Cure" t-shirt, thoughtfully given to me by one of the members of our small group after I was bit on the foot by a cat. Sometimes I wear it under a fleece while on call for good luck.
5. I hate being on call except OB call when the deliveries are in the afternoon. :) (which, by the way, never happens.)
6. I cannot tell the difference between cheap wine and nice wine. And I don't really have an interest in acquiring the taste but I do love cooking so very much as well as gardening (neither of which I am very good at but want to acquire some knowledge.) Like Kristen, I am anxious to see what spring brings of the bulbs I planted last fall!
7. I have a very strange and unsuspectingly loud laugh.

On that note, I am going to go rescue my husband from his office and thesis-writing and go to bed.

Happy Music

2008-02-09T10:22:00.001-08:00

This is one of our favorite bands of the moment:

2008-01-28T10:12:00.001-08:00

This came in the mail from Ben last week:

Now if I only didn't have to work.

Winter Kitchen Notes: Northern Italian Minestrone with Polenta

2008-01-22T12:41:00.000-08:00

olive oil
1 clove of garlic
2 ounces of prosciutto, finely chopped
sliced carrot
sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 medium sized tomato
3 cups of beef broth
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 cup of polenta
4 ounces of swiss chard
1 can (15 oz) of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
grated parmesan cheese

heat oil in 2-3 quart pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until fragrant. Add prosciutto, carrot, celery, and onion; cook with occasional stir until the vegetables brown (7-10 minutes).
add tomato, broth, thyme, and polenta to pan. Bring to a boil, stirring, then reduce heat and simmer until polenta is soft (15 or so minutes)
trim and discard discolored ends of chard stems. Rinse and drain, stack leaves and cut in half length-wise, then cut crosswise into strips
about 5 minutes before soup is done, stir in chard and beans. Throw on parmesan just prior to serving.
Goes well with foccacia or other crusty bread.
Goes very well with January.

First Baby Shower

2007-11-26T13:15:00.001-08:00

Not FOR me but BY me :) I threw a baby shower for friend Julie who is expecting over Christmas! I made my first ever "diaper cake" and had a good time baking. I made cranberry almond scones, raspberry crumble coffee cake, ham sandwiches with cream cheese and capers and had cheese and fruit. Julie is one of Ben's classmate's wife. Our guests were Ben's classmates so the conversation wavered between babies and Anglo Saxon. Ha. Baby Johnson acquired some good loot, including a demon deacon outfit.

Still behind..but catching up

2007-11-26T13:05:00.001-08:00

I feel that being behind is beginning to be my life. I'm always behind on charts, housework, yardwork; I can' t even comprehend that I am supposed to be Christmas shopping!! In any case, about a month ago Ben and I had a little escape from our business in Winston to the Smokies. I could have never left. I do love mountain towns. We shared a condo overlooking a river in the mountains with another couple (who actually just invited us along). There was a fireplace in every room and jacuzzi tubs and Sophie was able to trot along the river leash-free which is a rarity for her. If you are ever out this way and want a recommendation for a romantic getaway in the mountains-this place is perfect.

A little behind the times

2007-11-10T06:04:00.001-08:00

Last month I turned the corner on 28. I decided to do something I'd never done before on my birthday which is take the day off! It was sooo wonderful except that I did have to carry my pager for my nurse to get ahold of me; we usually have to find someone to carry our pager/answer pt queries if we are on vacation and I didn't want to have someone do this just for a day. Anyway, I spent the day relaxing and preparing our house to host our small group in the evening. I found a recipe for a pumpkin cake online and was greatly inspired to take it on. The idea is to take two bundt cakes and stack together in the shape of a pumpkin, cover with orange icing and, voila, instant pumpkin. Well, my bundt pans were less than cooperative so I ended up with a slightly lumpy-Charlie Brown like pumpkin, but the taste was not bad. I mixed pumpkin and cream cheese for the icing.
Just before small group, Ben took me to the Zevely House restaurant, which I have been drooling over since we moved here and drive by every Sunday on the way to St. Paul's. It's an old house, renovated a little with a backyard garden/patio. We dined on scallops and brie and nice red wine. Ben seemed to be in a hurry, which I thought was a little odd but didn't spend too much time wondering.
On the way home I panicked a little as we were getting close to small group time and I didn't want them to have to wait in their cars and when we turned onto Madison I saw a few cars and this worry was confirmed. We drove in the garage and walked quickly up the stairs, and opened the door into the kitchen where I heard "surpise."! Ben had invited all of our friends from my work and his program along with our small group to surprise me! It was so fun I forgot to take pictures! There were pumpkins for carving and hot carmel apples and pumpkin beer and champagne! It was a splendid time, all organized by Ben.

Buy local

2007-11-04T13:42:00.001-08:00

I have been passionate about supporting local businesses for a long time and one of the reasons we moved to this particular part of town was its paucity of chain restaurants and stores. I was shopping for a friend's birthday when I happened upon a place called Gotham Park in downtown Winston. It is a beautiful store, far of out of my range and then some; imported-from-europe soaps and dishes and furniture. The most charming part of the visit was spent talking with the owner. I bought a gift that was small, in comparison with all that the store contained, and he spent about 20 minutes carefully wrapping the gift in brown tissue paper that he pulled from an antique dresser, placing it into a crisp white box and tying with a rich dark chocolate ribbon, chatting with us all the while. The contrast between this other much more well-known places of shopping was so stark and this purchase seemed so meaningful. The only problem with many locally owned shops is the steep price range, which is fair for the owner but often limits my ability to partake of their goods. I have come to realize that quality is far superior to quantity, and if my walls are more bare and my closet skinnier because of it, so be it.

Feast of St Francis

2007-10-07T14:28:00.001-07:00

We celebrated the feast of St Francis today by taking Sophie to a special service at St Pauls for blessing of the animals. We sang "All Things Bright and Beautiful" and "Fairest Lord Jesus" and read passages from Galations and Matthew. There were all kinds of animals present--from birds to ferrets but mostly dogs of all shapes and sizes. Upon the minister's welcome a lab barked in response at just the right time :) Sophie received her blessing and later her dog treat. She also got a tour of the church flower and herb garden, and we posed with St Francis himself. St Francis of Assisi was known to preach with great tenacity, and at points when no persons would listen, he preached to the animals.

2007-09-08T11:09:00.000-07:00

There were pumpkins of all shapes and sizes at the farmer's market today. Ah, finally, autumn is making its way here.

Mrs. Atcherson

2007-08-16T15:48:00.001-07:00

Becca's wedding came and it was a success! The bride was beautiful and the groom dashing. Here are a few scattered pictures from the event (and they are scattered because I have neither time nor patience to sort them in a more appropriate manner):

The newly betrothed Kim and Steve, The three of us juxtaposed; we seem to be trading off the white dress--Kim's up next!
Su B and Sarah at Bec's lingerie shower-lovely to see them. And above, shot of the lady of the day that I like a whole lot.

Charles Towne

2007-07-30T14:31:00.000-07:00

After wrapping up my time in the NICU I needed to get outta town for a little while and Ben felt the urge as well so we packed up and drove 4 1/2 hours south-to Charleston. I had never been and had been wanting to visit for a while. It didn't disappoint; we came upon great bookstores and lovely architecture as well as beautiful gardens. We wanted to stay in a place close to downtown without having to pay for it and Ben suggested we stay in a hostel, as he had never stayed in an American hostel and has fond memories of sleeping through Europe this way. So we found the "Not-so Hostel" a few blocks from downtown for a mere $50 a night. Well. Apparently $50 doesn't pay for things like hot water and good smells. It was less than ideal but we weren't there very much so we made up for it. Ben took me to a French restaurant where they served the food in Le Creuset dish-ware and it had a good wine and a cozy romantic atmosphere without being pretentious. There were bicycles parked all over town which made me happy. The pictures are: Ben perusing "Blue Bicycle Books,"

Willowy tree in a churchyard

unique and preserved architecture

Ben at Kiawah beach-

and below, our room at Not So Hostel

Gas Leak?

2007-07-12T08:32:00.001-07:00

Prostrate in July
Tawny tummies sunnyside
No purr stirs the air

One year down...

2007-07-04T06:58:00.001-07:00

Ah, it's great to be done with intern year! Our class celebrated with a weekend at a nearby lake. We rented a house and a boat and it was great to kick back and relax all together. I really like our class-we've had a good year supporting one another and clinking glasses together in celebration of finishing one rotation or another.
We also welcomed a new addition to the class. One of the original "10" had to return home to California as her husband (also a medical-type person) could not find a job after finishing fellowship. So we lost her but gained a resident from UVa to take her place and her calls :)
Ben was able to join around his teaching schedule and came in just in time to fire up the grill. I have a relatively nice transition to 2nd year, starting out in peds clinics, while some of my colleagues had to transition from the relaxing lake to various intensive care units.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-06-26T12:51:00.001-07:00

Mom and Lindsay at Mellow Mushroom. Good pizza, good times, good family.

Going to the Chapel

2007-06-26T12:19:00.001-07:00

Rebecca is getting married to a wonderful man who allows her to register for many things in pink. I think he's going to make her very happy. This is how I celebrated with her over the weekend.
Then, I re-took in some of Little Rock's finest sights and doings with the two most darling friends in the world...pottery painting at Firefly...
Dinner at Ciao Baci-where Ben proposed...
And breakfast at Community Bakery where we were joined by Steve, Melissa, and Becca W. all the way from Colorado. I still didn't get to see the finished river bridge or make it back to Christ Church or see Silas, Micah, or Eleanor so it was far from complete but we'll be back in August to see Miss Zellmer become Mrs. Atcherson!!

Angst

2007-06-09T19:55:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else deeply disturbed at the sheer volume of press and headline news that one rich blonde girl in jail can make?

Rudy

2007-06-09T07:50:00.001-07:00

Meet Rudy. The newest addition to our clan. He was unexpected, that's for sure. Never say to your beloved, "I need change," because you never know what will run up to you on the street. Especially when, by "change," you really meant something like rearranging furniture. It took Sophie a little while to warm up to her new brother but I think she's taken a liking to him and would defend him if need be. Well, actually maybe not as she spent the first day or so being terrified of him. He's probably more likely to defend her. Anyway, Rudy kept me company today at our yard sale as Ben had to work and our neighbors who were supposed to join in had to cancel due to a medical emergency of sorts.

Just In Time

2007-05-20T20:00:00.001-07:00

While Ben headed off to Michigan for a Medieval Literature conference, I took off in the opposite direction for a little sun and beach in my sister's new town. Four days later, I with the smallest of tans was taken by Ben, whose skin did not see sun but simply took in more book dust, to the local lake where we had a picnic on a rowboat. It sure was nice. Last weekend we went hiking at Hanging Rock (the "hanging rock" is pictured) and then did the last of the week's runs in preparation for the Virginia Beach marathon in September. Now, there are two slight problems with doing a full marathon: A. I'm doing an intensive care month in September and don't even know if I'll be able to get away and B. My body simply wasn't made for this, no matter how much I try to change its mind. I woke up this morning ready to tackle our yard with gusto and was stopped short with the most gruesome back pain I've had in a while. This, along with my iliotibial band -knee problems, and a new achilles tendon problem makes me think the marathon just may not happen. But we'll keep on, I suppose, until my body can't take any more. Ben's joints and such seem to be intact for now. Below: this is Sophie with our neighbor's pup, Eden. If you scroll back a few blog posts you'll see a similar Christmas picture. My oh my has this dog grown. Sophie's just working on her lateral extension.

Obviously, summer has arrived . . .

2007-05-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

. . . leaving me free to catch up on all the important things elided during the busy Spring semester. Things like taking the Supervillain Personality Quiz. Brandy hasn't yet taken the quiz (something about having to go to work? ), but you'll find my results below, as well as an artist's depiction of me that, though rather inaccurate, still captures something of my fashion sense. I realize that most of my friends are good and tired of tests at this point, but you may find this one less taxing than most. I encourage you to take this self-exploratory journey, and consider sharing with the group what you've learned.

Your results:
You are Dark Phoenix

Dark Phoenix		45%
Venom		45%
Riddler		44%
The Joker		42%
Apocalypse		38%
Magneto		36%
Juggernaut		36%
Poison Ivy		36%
Dr. Doom		35%
Lex Luthor		32%
Mystique		32%
Catwoman		30%
Green Goblin		28%
Mr. Freeze		26%
Kingpin		26%
Two-Face		24%

A prime example of emotional extremes: Passion and fury incarnate.

Click here to take the Supervillain Personality Quiz

Cap'n Ben

2007-03-13T11:21:00.000-07:00

Those crazy lit grad students are at it again. Just as Ben's "Hounds of Ulster" intramural basketball team winded down an illustrious season it was time for the "Catchers in the Rye" softball team to gear up and my darling husband is the captain. You can see him there in the chef's hat and apron cooking for the hard-working team. Veteran readers will recognize this get-up as his premier purchases during yard sale season. Softball means spring and hopefully more running for me and cycling for Ben. I'm post call from OB right now and wide awake after having had to attend our residency conference. I think instead of sleeping away this gorgeous day we'll go to Hanging Rock (cuidado: shameless plug to the Lumpkins)-yet another adventurous place for hiking.

2007-03-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2007-02-25T12:34:00.000-08:00

Today is my grandmother, Beulah Mattie Conger's 98th birthday! I love her dearly and she can sure make a mean breakfast.

2007-02-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

This week we were the lucky recipients of a (free??) new couch-it's there on the left. To celebrate the fact that we now have seating for more than 3 guests at a time, we invited folks over for rhubarb pie and coffee and wine. You can see that our new couch can comfortably seat at least 4. Not to worry, the old love seat is still with us and still uncomfortably seats 2.
I say free?? because our neighbors gave it to us and didn't ask for any money. I'm not sure what to do short of taking them to dinner.
I made the pies in my new apron from Kim and served coffee in mugs from Becca. I miss you girls!

And we are also the recipients of a "wee garden gnome" tee-hee. Maybe I've seen "Amelie" too many times but it makes me happy. So, until we have a garden for real he will have a home with our token house plant. In case you're wondering, this plant is a replacement for the previous one that I killed. I'm trying really hard not to kill this one.

Peace be with you all-BLU

Happy Year of the Pig

2007-02-17T12:39:00.000-08:00

Today began as a cloudy, blustery day and I began by deliciously sleeping in until 9. It's Saturday and we have heat again; a modern marvel that is not truly appreciated until you move up the dial on the thermostat and nothing happens; at one point last weekend I was wearing both sets of house slippers simultaneously. Once our tank was filled with the precious warming oil again nothing happened with the thermostat. After reaching several handyman websites in a row that stated "for oil heat, it's best to just call someone," Ben did and 1 hour and 15o dollars later our tank responded to the thermostat.
In other news, we finally found a new coffee spot that nearly takes the place of Community Bakery in LR, care of some lovely friends. There are no shortage of such places in this town but I'm picky. This place makes their own hummus and takes the time to put fresh flowers on the tables and has a view of downtown. (we too were initially surprised that W-S has a skyline).
The place is in a part of town referred to as Old Salem - the building at the top caught my eye today; both its shape and appearance of having a beard with the wintry leave-less vines.
I'm more than glad that my intern year is coming to an end; I have 6 weeks of OB, then my long dark tunnel is pretty much over, at least hour-wise.
We're off to a Chinese New Year party--it's the year of the pig and we're gonna work on our dumpling-creating skills and probably hear some of that lovely harsh clanging Chinese opera. -BLU

Dear ol' Golden Rule Days

2007-01-19T11:41:00.000-08:00

Today marks day three of classes for me. Our Victorian Novels class was treated this morning with a glimpse into the Rare Books and Manuscripts Room of the WFU library. Having just finished Name of the Rose, Umberto Eco's tale of murder and heresy hysteria centering 'round a 14th century monastic library, as my final guilty pleasure read of winter break, I was of course alert to what dark secrets might be lurking in the shadows of the stacks. But all I found were some early shilling editions of David Copperfield. Oh well. Brandy has been subject to more than enough drama for the both of us, working as she has been in the cancer wards this rotation. For her, the night shift, when for one reason or another, people seem more likely to die. Now at 2 pm she's sleeping--or was, until a moment ago, when her wretched pager sounded yet again. To Brandy's credit, she manages to sound almost magnanimous when groggily directing them to please call the DAY shift--but I'm almost to the point of marching on down to the nurses station and personally delivering a copy of her schedule (around bon-bons or a brick, if necessary).

Epiphany

2007-01-07T12:56:00.000-08:00

Eden and Sophie are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Magi. (or wondering why the once beautiful Christmas tree is now waiting on the curb for pick up) either way, it's strong in the tradition of the Epiphany season.

May I commend to your attention . . .

2006-12-13T03:01:00.000-08:00

Well, we had Thanksgiving. And it was good. Brandy cooked a masterful dinner, her family came to call, and Ben feverishly wrote papers between helpings of Turkey.

We consumed; we overconsumed; we reapt the consequences.

With the last of the Turkey bones fed to the pooch, it was time to ready our home for its first Utterian Christmas. Very cozy indeed.

We're in full American Holiday mode--visions of sugarplums and fancy bike accessories are a'dance in me head.

Last week, after a medical conference in Ashville (and a stay at a very nice Bed & Breakfast that Brandy wants to buy) . . .

. . . we headed down a'Little Rock way for early Christmas festivities with clans Ussery, Fankhauser, Utter, and Lumpkin. We tasted of the hospitality of each house, and had a grand time, which we sincerely hope was shared by all.

Babies Silas and Eleanor received baby type stuff, and Joel received his annual drubbing at MarioKart 64. See ya, Sukka'!
(Joel is bound to protest that, in fact, HE administered the drubbing. You, gentle reader, are under no compulsion whatsoever to believe him).

Our excellent friends Melody and Matt Lumpkin, mommy* and chaplain extraordinarire, respectively, not only did us the great kindness of putting up with putting us up for a recent overnight in Little Rock, but are also contributing to this site, which features daily meditations on the Advent.

Tell 'em Ben sent you, or just quietly start your day by sipping slowly on what they have to say.

*of Eleanor, seen here regarding her Chinese flag blanky with an affection that suggests she has never actually wrapped herself in that government's parenting warmth.

Caption Contest

2006-11-30T12:30:00.000-08:00

I suppose I'm opening myself up to a certain risk of ridicule, but who am I to be stopped by such a thing? Winner gets a kiss and a piggy-back ride from us All-Americans.

Some Good Thanksgiving Poems

2006-11-23T11:13:00.000-08:00

Whether you are thankful today because things are good, or because, as Garrison Keillor put it, things could be worse, here are a few good poems to help voice the sentiment.

i thank You God for most this amazing
by e e cummings

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and of love and wings: and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any–lifted from the no
of all nothing–human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Pied Beauty
Gerard Manley Hopkins

GLORY be to God for dappled things—
For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;
For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;
Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;
Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough; 5
And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;
Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)
With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;
He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: 10
Praise him.

The Wild Rose
Sometimes hidden from me
in daily custom and in trust,
so that I live by you unaware
as by the beating of my heart.

Suddenly you flare in my sight,
a wild rose blooming at the edge
of thicket, grace and light
where yesterday was only shade,

and once again I am blessed, choosing
again what I chose before.

-by Wendell Berry, for his wife

Farewell to the White Rabbit

2006-11-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

Isn't it odd how we baffled bereaved immediately begin casting about in memory to establish each our own connection with the dead, as if to justify our grief? As if the loss of one such as Dr. Greer was not its own justification.

I never had a class with Tom, but I still have notes to a delightful Pew lecture on Whitman he presented one afternoon at the home of the Doctors Sonheim. I saw tears in his eyes as he presided over the lovely wedding of my friends Tiffany and Randy, and again at Tiffany's funeral just one year later.

He was my confidante as I planned first one and then another trip to China. Even before he knew me well at all, he remembered from some brief early chat my enthusiasm for all things Chinese, and thoughtfully tapped me to assist in meeting and chauffeuring visiting faculty members from Beijing University. He even invited me along to a send-off breakfast with them at Old Walt's, where, in his eagerness to express his appreciation for the parting gift of some floral tea, he accidentally schlooped a chrysanthemum petal up his nostril.

It does not come naturally to a young student to realize the demands on a professor's time and attention, nor did Tom ever attempt to make the point himself on those couple of occasions when I managed to find him in, and we sat in his dark cool office, hung with what seemed several lifetimes of Sino-souvenirs and gifts, and traded stories of travel in our favorite land across the sea. He seemed to take an almost boyish delight in pleasures and adventures not his own; doubtless one of the very qualities that made him a great reader and teacher of literature. It was Tom who encouraged me not to worry so much about plumping my resume immediately after college, to go to beautiful Yantai for a year and work at the university there on the coast of the Yellow Sea.

I thanked him then for the advice, and I have yet to regret having followed it. But I regret deeply the hole in our little OBU family, and the loss too of one who was an enthusiastic emissary to countless international students and professors, both at home and abroad. A professor at Yantai University who had been the beneficiary of Tom's hospitality during a visit to Arkansas put it very nicely. "Please tell Dr. Greer 'Nin hao' from me. Tell him he is always welcome in China, and in my home. He is a very lovely man."

Indeed.

I Accept

2006-11-08T14:10:00.000-08:00

So I have this hospital chaplain friend. He's got a blog and he's thrown down the gauntlett that was thrown down by a nurse friend of his.
She describes it as a 'challenge.'
I question that description.

Nonetheless, in the interests of keeping the blogosphere well cluttered (and because I like to do everything my friend suggests I do) . . .
The rules, as I received them, are as follows:

1) Grab the nearest book. 2) Open the book to page 123.
3) Find the fifth sentence. 4) Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog, along with these instructions. 5) Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest!"

What luck (for my typing fingers anyway) that I've finished with Absalom, Absalom for the semester! Not that we are in any way better served by the following passage from Heidegger's collected essays, Poetry, Language, Thought:

"Nor does he mean a rule. He is thinking of what 'touches us.' Who are we? We are those who will, who set up the world as object by way of intentional self-assertion."

Well, that was fun. A real 'hootenanny,' as I intend to put it when I am of the various ages at which my grandparents never, to my knowledge, do.
You should say 'hootenanny' too, and by all means relieve your toes of the guantlett which I now set upon them.

Lovely Weekend

2006-10-31T15:53:00.000-08:00

Despite my terrifying expression we did have a lovely time when Ben's mom popped in for a few days. I had the weekend off so we celebrated by heading west to the mountains and Biltmore. The leaves were really showing off and continue to. We were also able to visit the famous furniture market in High Point, care of the decorator and ended up purchasing an adirondack chair for a steal. We're coming to Little Rock the first week of December! I hope some of ya'll are around!

The Princess Sings Queen

2006-10-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

This morning I was up before the sun to recommence work on a paper for my Irish lit. class, but not before Dr. BLU had already rushed forth to deal smiling healing on Winston Salem's underinsured. I hope she has a good day; it's her last of being the age she was when I married her.
Yup. Birthday tomorrow (Oct. 24th). I'd tell you how old she is, but although she isn't shy about the matter of her age, neither is she shy about informing me about when I've overstepped my informative bounds, so instead I'll take use this little study break to begin showing you in pictures (3 million pixels being worth a thousand words) some portion of our very nice weekend which we shared with Brandy's dear sweet mum-in-law, who flew up from Little Rock last Wed.

Brandy belts out her absolutely ripping rendition of Queen's "Somebody to Love Me," while Mom looks on in wonder and envy.

All for now. More to come!

Old Couch, New Occupants

2006-10-16T17:23:00.000-07:00

So since last I've posted, I've finished my tour of duty in the ED, at least for now and have re-joined the hospitalist world, much more my style. In the middle of it all, Ben and I threw an engagement party for our friends across the street, Jess and Josh. They're a wonderful couple and have wonderfully hilarious antics. We brought hay bales to the backyard with pumpkins and mums and twinkle lights and Louie Armstrong and all was wonderful. We toasted the bride-and-groom-to-be and made them play silly pre-newlywed games. The above are pictures of the couple, the spread, and new faces on our old couch. How strange it is to think of all the different people from different beliefs and backgrounds and conversations that have taken place on that couch.

Ooohoo oohoo Waaoughooahaaaw yeh I'm Still Alive!

2006-10-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

I challenge anyone out there to do a better job transcribing that Pearl Jam chorus!
Or whatever you want to do, just so long as you comment to show your faith in our ability to--not unlike Pearl Jam--come back after a bit of an absence.

Would that I had an excuse ready at hand like the Fanks--but alas, the ol' Presario's kept right on computin'. Of course, I DID have my laptop stolen, along with some other sundries, but it's since been replaced (despite the use of passive voice, the computer did NOT replace itself, and most certainly did not replace itself for free!). Would you like to hear more on life here in da hood that is the quiet, white-faced, picket-fenced and apparently drug-addled community that is Winston Salem? Or life in grad school? Or life with The Doctor, who will be rising and stumbling forth to work healing and general niceness on an ill-deserving public in about . . . three hours. Four in the a.m.

Reader's choice--what would you like to know?

2006-09-03T11:54:00.000-07:00

Sophie really digs road trips. She lets her ears loose in the wind and probably even catches a few bugs. On this particular trip we were winding through the Smokies to meet up with with some family and friends at famed Gatlinburg. Unfortunately, none of us read what Bill Bryson had to say about the town before visiting which was the first mistake. I think I have a new threshold marker: if a place requires a Ripley's believe it or not in any fashion, be it aquarium or man-who-appears-to-only-consist-of-a-torso jutting out of a building, I can feel okay about skipping out on the experience. He was one of the main photo ops, sadly enough. We kept getting peaks of the Smokies in between the go-karts and putt-putt, enough to remind us that we were, in fact, in the mountains. A wonderful time was had, despite the town, and on the way back to I-40 we stopped at Cosby's BBQ pit which was not much more than a shack with a "picnic" area which was more like a shed with booths inside that don't get too much cleaning off. It was a wonderful grease-dripping meal and the smokies were immediately to our right, providing the most wonderful of views. Along the way home we noticed, among other local flavors, a Taxidermy/Sewing store.

2006-08-29T18:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone know how to fix dying plants? When I bought this one I asked for one I couldn't kill but obviously I should have asked for one neither BEN nor I could kill. Not to say that he did it or anything but I know my neglect had nothing to do with it. It was gorgeous in its day. The other problem with this picture is the sheer lack of ideas for what-the-heck to do with the sunroom. I welcome ideas.

Golden Weekend

2006-08-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

Medical-type folks are always throwing around their own set of catch phrases. In Arkansas, at Children's Hospital, phrases included "strong work" and referring to children as "kiddos." It's no different here except there's a whole new set of them. Phrases such as "circling the drain," (close to death) "crazy train," (loony pt, drug seeker, etc), "teed up" (ready to be discharged) and my personal favorites, "golden" and "black" weekend. Everyone who's everyone medically utters (hehe) these phrases, I've seen my own fellow interns start using them as if they've been for years. I'm not sure why, but something about it drives me nuts. In any case, I'm on my golden weekend (both days off) and it's been swell enough. I had intended to sleep the entire time but neither Sophie nor Ben with his early morning bike rides would allow me to do that. But in any case, 8 am is much better than hours that really shouldn't be used for waking any day. The transition from my first rotation of clinics to inpatient can be best described by what I listen to on the way home from work. Last month ranged from Modest Mouse (pink album no. 2 and 3--it's a short drive) and Imogen Heap. This month it's the local Christian station which is really pretty good. Lighthearted, silly, to encouraging words. I am enjoying my patients and their rooms encourage me to visit because they have really amazing views. The hospital is on the edge of a residential area and its views include church steeples and lots of trees and lovely old houses and some even face downtown. One morning my COPD pt was sleeping away while I watched the sun rise from her room.
Transitioning now, to Ben. He met his colleagues this weekend and we joined them for a viewing of snakes on a plane. It truly delivers, folks. We decided to venture away from our usual choice of church pews at St Pauls and visit another church for a change and so went to the Wake Forest campus church. Several new freshmen were there, having just moved in, and managed to make me feel old and reflect on my first days when I met Kristin and Kim and Ashley and Ashley immediately began having dates. What a wonderful and terrifying year it was. Back to the service-this is a Baptist church but between the liturgy and singing all 4 verses to the hymns and the classical music it felt similar to St Pauls. WF is a large sprawling campus dotted with dark brick buildings with big white columns and metal roofs and spiral staircases and I'm so happy that Ben is back in academia. And speaking of, he'd probably want dinner soon. Boys eat a lot.

The rich gravy of time

2006-08-11T04:31:00.000-07:00

I should be out for a bike ride now through the morning mist, or a jog with the ever-vibrating Sophie. Something to work off the two donuts and three cups of coffee with which I started my day after Brandy left the house at 5:45. Instead, Sophie is curled up on the bed, quietly devouring . . . something (when ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise), and I am listening to the Reverend Al Sharpton doing a fair impression of giving a coherent interview on NPR.

After a few cups of coffee, it's tough to digest much of anything, especially text, and I have a lot of pages left on my plate before shule commences on the 23rd. A remaining few chapters in two volumes of Eagleton; "Merry Wives," "Henry IV part II," and four volumes worth of Norton introductions, to say nothing of my Mandarin workbook.

Why isn't this done already, you may ask? With just what sort of crust have I been sopping up the rich gravy of time which seemed to brim higher on my plate than that of any other? What sort of tale do the telltale crumbs trailing me tell?

Well, for one thing, Sophie and I did some exploring up around Pilot Mt., half an hour out of Winston Salem. We failed to find a fabled blueberry patch, but we encountered some misty, storybook views, and several groups of Army recruits learning to rappel from beautiful layer-cake cliff shelves. Conversation ceased as my trusty beagle and I rounded the trail and came into view. Stout young lads, they were, hard of muscle and eye. To a man, they regarded us as if we were a) Intruding, and b) Gay as a whistle. I considered remarking that I had enjoyed paying my share of their salaries last year, and looked forward to continuing doing so in future, but decided instead to just continue on 'round the bend, as it were, getting me and my baby blue Speed Racer t-shirt out of range--er, sight-- as quickly as possible.

Also, I’ve been trying my hand at home coffee roasting. The story of how I came into possession of 13 lbs of unroasted green coffee beans is a long and odd one, which I’ll relate another time. Suffice to say that I’ve been stinking up the kitchen roasting fresh, dark coffee one cookie sheet and wok at a time. If my public demands it, perhaps I’ll show you in a future post how to wok this way.

Not content just to enjoy my windfall of magic wake-up beans, I decided to take a break from my old habit of buying on eBay, and give selling a try. Anyone interested in 3 lbs of assorted ready-to-roast Arabica coffee beans has about 24 hours left. No reserve! Bid often, bid high!

Hallelujah! The Dog's OK! On to the next gripe.

2006-08-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

We've covered a lot of miles together since Valentine's Day of 2005: we've trained for and completed a half-marathon, made a lot of trips to the gym, driven umpteen miles interstate, listened to _A Passage to India_ in its entirety while stocking the shelves at Barnes & Noble before the store opened, jammed to Belle & Sebastian when things got too slow in the AR Senate gallery, learned Mandarin with Chinese Pod at 3 a.m. while tucking billing notices under every door on each of the Peabody Hotel's fifteen floors. And in all that time, I've never once dropped (except once), washed, or in any other way mistreated the blessed thing.

Yes, my iPod Mini. The best Valentine's Day gift I've ever received. Thank you, Dr. BLU.

Yet, yesterday I was almost to the point of eviscerating the little tyke. Pulling its giblets out for inspection and then, if I felt like it, stuffing them back in like a stubborn hernia.

(I'm talking about the iPod here, not Brandy. I'll not speculate about what SHE daydreams about doing with MY innards when there's nothing good on TV.)

For how does it repay me for all these months of tenderness and attention? In addition to its ever-more-lethargic battery, the blasted "Menu" button has quit on me. Those of you without iPods cannot know--you CANNOT KNOW--what an INFURIATING Achille's heel this is.

And what do we do with Achille's heels? C'mon--if you haven't read Homer, you've at least seen "Troy." Why, we loose mighty arrows into them, is what we do.

I'll put the question to you: Do I put this patient under the knife myself, entrust it to Matt via FedEx, or make a donation to Apple (HA!) so they can tell me to go buy a Nano (because after two WHOLE years they no longer support the Mini, despite its being the most popular Mp3 player in history)?

Hmmm. I suppose option #4 would be suck it up and deal with it, but you needn't remind me. I feel petty enough fretting about this stuff with NPR reminding me in the background of the latest death toll in Lebanon and other final vacation destinations. C.S. Lewis's "Learning in Wartime" is helpful here. Let us all heed his wise words about it being in the spirit of man to comb his hair before battle, make jokes on the scaffold steps, and, perhaps, grouse about faulty consumer electronics while our fellow human beings are busily showing no signs of slowing the incineration one of the other. I've written my congresspersons; have you? I'd drop Koffi Annon or John Bolton a note, but I'd hate to think they might take a moment to actually glance at it, thereby adding more molases to the already CRIMINALLY slow wheels of international diplomatic intervention.

Matt, new entry for your caption contest picture of several months back:
"Helloooo? Anyone awake in there? Anyone? Yeah, Satan has a controlling share interest, but CNN was a gift from me--haven't ANY of you been watching it?"

There. I feel better for that disclaimer, as I'm sure you do.
Talk to me people.

P.S. (Sophie submits her appreciation for your kind words, though I had to tell her that all the UPS drivers were on strike. Didn't have the heart to tell her that no one sent bacon.)

One Sick Puppy

2006-08-06T08:03:00.000-07:00

And He said to them, "Which one of you shall have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?"
(Luke 14:5)

Emily Dickenson, famously shy of papparazzi even before they existed, wrote,
"Some keep the Sabbath going to church--
I keep it staying at home."

Today we kept it at the Forsyth County Emergency Vet. Hospital. Sophie began exhibiting signs of an injured left foreleg yesterday, and was showing no improvement this morning. Feeling concerned, not wanting to leave her home alone, and feeling that, although pets are welcome in some Episopal churches on the Feast of the Nativity, this was not the day to test an enlargement of the Church's already strained egalitarianism, we left off readying for services, and prepared instead to head Vet-ward.

It occurred to us afterward that $130 could have bought a brand new dog, one that wasn't broken. Nonetheless, I think we're pleased that we chose instead to purchase a measure of professional reassurance and an anti-inflammatory shot. If the wee invalid doesn't keep still and quit limping around in the next few days, an X-ray and doubtless other horrors besides, will be her reward.

We invite you to light a votive candle on her behalf, or, more conveniently, post a "get well (and pipe down!)" message for her here at our virtual "Whining Wall."

I saw the best minds of my generation . . .

2006-08-02T08:39:00.000-07:00

For those of you considering calling the ASPCA, or maybe our parents, please rest assured that these shots of our prodigious pup were in no way posed. This is simply the scene that met me when I walked in the room with my coffee this morning.

Obviously, yesterday's intellectual exhertions left her tuckered out. I'll have to be more careful what books I leave sitting out. I'm proud of her for wrestling with post-structuralist assertions of the fractured self, and Eagletonian Marxist criticism, but these things take their toll on a young mind.

Hmm. Sophie certainly does seem to be doing a lot of laying around in these pictures. I wonder where she picked that up? Is Dr. Brandy studying, or is she sleeping?

Off we go, over the wise lone Saviour!

2006-08-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

The following NY Times article caught my eye this morning. I especially like its recounting on page two of a 4th of July church service featuring a projector image of U.S. F-15s soaring over a silhouette of Golgotha. Far be it from me to cast stones (at least not the first one; I'm usually ready with a few in my pocket to follow the opening salvo), but it makes me grateful for the plodding, unexcitable steadiness of Episcopalidom.

2006-08-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

So this is the result of my coffee ground - soil experiment. Apparently you can change the color of hydrangeas by adjusting the pH of the soil. Darker colors (like the unfavorable purple that we previously had) come from a basic soil so I added coffee grounds from 1 french press coffee to the soil and look what came up-a hybrid of greens, purple, and blue. Psychedelic hydrangeas. Yes I really am working. In other news, the good people at Harris Teeter (local grocery store) were handing out samples of wine and lemon cake last week. So, um, back to the clinic.

. . . and life is like a song

2006-07-29T17:59:00.000-07:00

"How," Brandy demanded, her face looking like a memento mori, "is it possible for someone like yourself, who spends hours every day editing Chris's novel, to have as yet nary a teambubu blog post on your resume?" She wrung her hands. She wrung my hands. "How, I say," she continued, arms akimbo, "can I tell our friends that you, who are functionally unemployed, a slothmuch, a mowlittle, a beerskin, a be-cheetoed palmprint on the sleeping face of St. Brewguts, cannot help me even with this blog?"

"How," she asked again, legs akimbo this time but for only a spectacularly painful moment which convinced her to resume her earlier posture, "can you bring yourself to face sweet Melody, who for us didst fashion yon blog? Oh, thou who art for public house sluggards a totem of cheer, to think that they are more industrious at least than thy sulking frame! Oh for breath to utter what is like you!"
And if she did at this point borrow a bit overmuch from Henry IV, still I was moved to correct rather my own errors than hers (for to venture the latter would see me much moved!).

And so I hope you don't mind that I wrote down in words--with a few pictures--how wonderful life is, now we're in Winston Salem. I had intended to show pictures of my bike, or my fun post-helmet hair, or the cool chain wheel grease stains on my calf (which would make a bodacious tattoo!), but I don't have any yet. So, I thought Brandy's shoes needed airing. That is, pictures of her fun new shoes. And half of me at today's 2nd Annual 48-Hour Film Festival in nearby Greensboro, in which dozens of indy film crews compete to film the best ten-minute picture on location in Greensboro, total production time not to exceed 48 hours. Thank you NPR for the tickets I won from you. Not a bad time. The other half of me came too, and together we all had a delicious time.
And finally a picture of Sophie, in case you've forgotten her. We don't have a baby, but we have one cute Beagle, ladies and germs.

Yours First and Last,
Ben

Ah, Winston-Salem...

2006-07-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay so this isn't our new little town but I've had some long clinics lately and have been longing for this place again...so soon we left it. Is or has anyone seen Lady in the Water? Our entertainment fund is growing slim so we might have to catch it at the $2 theater.

2006-07-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Since last we met...
Ben bought a bike and I haven't seen him since.
We discovered three new running trails--two of which would be ideal for strolling babies along.
I diagnosed an abdominal aortic aneurysm and an upper respiratory infection or two.
Sophie got over her fear of the lawnmower (it's the old-fashioned-no-motor type)
Ben joined a Bible study with a philosophy professor, a physics professor, and a theologian.
I finally watched both Raising Arizona and The Big Lebowski. I have now finished the Coen brothers canon (though I slept through most of Miller's Crossing but woke up for the important violent parts). What an accomplishment, indeed.
Next up: images of Winston-Salem (otherwise known as a ploy to attract certain Lumpkins to live here)

2006-07-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

This is for Rebecca. Now you know that you have a job if you get tired of audiology.

Saturday morning

2006-07-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

-back from garage-sailing. Ben found all kinds of great loot that we will someday be putting in our very own yard sale. He is displaying here some of his great finds: a chef's hat, apron, and Learn German cds. In other sales he found a camping saw (tiny wire wrapped around bigger wire meant to be held in place by a stick). Trash to treasure indeed.

whitewater fourth

2006-07-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

Did everyone have a lovely fourth? Ben and I celebrated our continued independence by hitting the Pigeon River whitecaps. I had never been whitewater rafting and he has only gone as a wee one. It started out a beautiful, hot, muggy day and once we were bused to our start-off point and ensconced on the rafts (with a Korean family and Johnny, our guide) it started raining. The scenery was lush and green and quiet. We were accompanied other rafters and kayakers (some of whom used hand paddles-new to me) and let the river carry us. I think canoeing requires much more work. Here are some before/after pictures. Later that night we met up with our neighbors and headed to a huge open park for fireworks. Ben and I got home just in time to join them, so he quickly grabbed a bag of cheetos and beer-we we all arrived, our neighbors brought out their loot--brie with ciabatta, smoked salmon/cream cheese, champagne, guacamole, and artichoke pasta salad. Oops.

2006-07-03T17:26:00.000-07:00

After a lazy Sunday listening in to Prarie Home Companion and discovery of fresh rhubarb at the grocery store it was evident that the weekend needed to end on a rhubarb pie note. I had scarcely heard of rhubarb before I knew Ben. He, however, grew up on it. His aunt was sweet in sharing her recipe as a wedding gift (no, not her ONLY wedding gift), and so we put it to use. Rhubarb, by itself, is a very strange fruit?vegetable? to put into a pie, at least to me. It's in the celery family and its leaves are poisonous. That just asks for trouble. When you slice it, it seems to have the texture of water chestnuts but when combined with flour, sugar, and a few strawberries it's actually very yummy.

2 Months

2006-07-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

Ben and I celebrated our 2 month anniversary with a picnic at a park. It was yummy. And it sprinkled on us, naturally. We celebrated my new PALS certification by going to see Superman.

2006-06-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

And as the Convention of Episcopalians ends...

"The 75th General Convention June 21 approved a resolution that calls on bishops and Standing Committees to 'exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.'"

hair

2006-06-23T19:28:00.000-07:00

This is my hair and my look of indifference in my favorite skirt sitting in Ben's office with his books and JT music and maps of Europe

Daytrip

2006-06-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

Since we haven't gotten lost in Winston-Salem for about three days in a row, it was time to venture to a new place for a day, check out new scenery, make some u-turns. Since venturing with Kim in tow toward the ocean without a specific destination turned out great, we thought we'd take it to the mountains. On the way we found Blowing Rock on the map. This is the former hometown of Jan Karon and inspirational setting for her Mitford series. Like most important events in our lives, this one couldn't happen with out a huge thunderstorm--just as we reached town. So I'm fairly certain that the town was incredibly charming-from what we could see through the rain. We dashed in "Father Tim's Church" and then into an outdoors store. Jan Karon never wrote about outfitter stores but we couldn't resist. There are only 3 chain stores/restaurants in the whole town and that speaks volumes.
We then headed out on the Blue Ridge Parkway and stopped along the way to hike to a waterfall. I would let the pictures speak but of course they do no justice. But we'll show them anyway~

2006-06-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

But in the end, after the fumes of paint and polyurethane drifted away, it was all worth it. In other news, I (Brandy) am now sporting rather short hair. I have mixed feelings about it. More on that later.

2006-06-20T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sophie was skeptical that the endless noise would end and the trips to the dog park would begin.

2006-06-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

2006-06-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

Much work has gone into making the house on Madison the best it can be.

An Unfortunate Feeding Accident and Sophie

2006-06-20T08:14:00.000-07:00