We're Planning a Trip....

 We have been debating between several places that we would both like to go for quite some time and for a little while we have been leaning heavily toward one destination in particular. Finally we have made a choice and started researching and planning since we will have a lot of ground to cover in not a lot of time because we are going to WASHINGTON, D.C.!

 Our Nation's Capitol was a good choice as we both enjoy history. Jim has never been to Washington, D.C. and I have only been there when I was very young (see also: don't remember a thing) and for a 6th Grade school trip, from which I remember only bits and pieces.

 One thing I remember distinctly was being told by a Security Guard that if our school had contacted the state representative in advance that we could have toured the White House (at least part of it anyway). This is one thing we will be looking into. (We did however meet Bob Nay and John Glenn during our visit and they signed our lovely yellow hats that we had to wear the entire trip).

 I have already obtained a tour guide book and a wonderful and easily readable map. It has pictures of the buildings instead of little squares to make it a bit easier to identify what you are looking for, much like the OSU campus map with which I was wildly successful (and that is good for a navigationally impaired girl).

 I also got some materials for assembling and organizing all the information and our itenerary. Because I would hate to show up unprepared and miss out on seeing as much as possible because we ran around like crazy, didn't know what we wanted to see, or having no information. It is my goal to  learn as much as possible about the buildings and their history so as we walk past I can tell Jim exactly what is so important about that particular building.

Have you been to D.C.? What do you recommend for food/hotels/sights/activities? Do you know historical tid bits that would be fun to know when seeing all the amazing buildings and monuments?

Plant Update

They have really taken off and the flowers have appeared on the green beans, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Tomato

 Green Pepper

 Cucumber

 Anaheim Pepper

 Basil

 Green Beans

 Do you see what I see?

 Here let me help you... now you see it? The first tomato!

 And a green bean. There are tons of these.

Heart Walk 2011-2012

   Some of you may remember last year when I blogged about the Team Horry Heart Walk. And I have told you about the legacy of heart problems that run in my family.
   This October I will be walking in the Waccamaw Area Heart Walk and raising money for the American Heart Association. I have started my own team "Break the Tradition" and would love to invite you to walk with me and join in raising money for research, advocacy, and education.
    My Grandma died before I was born of a massive heart attack while in the hospital recovering from a minor heart attack at age 45. In 1980 there weren't as many options for treating and managing heart attacks as there are today.  Thankfully about 20 years later when my dad has his heart attack they were able to perform bypass surgery, and again four years after that catheterization in which they gave him stints. It is my hope that improvements will continue to be made as one of my more distinct memories was that the doctor had said that because the heart attacks were genetically linked that my dad would need to undergo similar treatment in the future (hopefully very distant future). All I can remember is thinking I hope there is a better way by then.
    My dad also always also tells of his trip to the hospital. He was driven there by a co-worker from a jobsite and the nurses kind of brushed him off as being a healthy looking 38 year old who must be suffering from heat exhaustion. But my dad knew his symptoms and because of his knowledge of his family history insisted that they check him out. They relented and hooked him up to monitors and iv's. During one of the EKG's my dad actually started having a heart attack and because of their quick action and immediate access to medical intervention my dad's heart had minimal damage. A Cinderella story for a heart attack survivor.
   So in memory of my Grandma Ruby and in Honor of my Grandpa, Dad, and Aunt who have also survived heart conditions I will be walking on October 29th 2011 in hopes that my generation will "Break the Tradition" in our family. Click HERE to go to the team web page, donate, join our team, or start your own.

My New Office: Before

This past week I got my own office! It isn't much but it is all mine! There is something to be said about having your very own space. I used to have a metal desk with four drawers and a hutch in the corner of a big room that I shared with the other four EI's also had little metal desks. It was great for togetherness and talking but not so great for getting a lot done and having my things well organized (I have accumulated a few of my own toys and books). 

Here is a picture of the office as I found it.

 After my things were piled in.

I have gotten things a little more together since this but want to wait until I have it all perfect pretty. I am so proud and excited about my new space.

Make Way We Have Ducklings!

Yesterday morning I noticed our male duck standing outside looking at our door. I went to get bread and returned to see the baby ducklings

How flipping cute! They came back yesterday afternoon and this morning and get more and more brave about running around gobbling up the bread pieces.

Plant Update

We have what looks like a real garden now.

The Anaheim peppers have really taken off... 12 sprouts as of this morning.

The lone green pepper plant.

Tomatoes... they have little yellow flowers on them now.... I think that means well have real food soon.

Green bean plants.

Cucumbers... these also have little yellow flowers.

Basil... oh and FYI herbs are not as easy to grow as all the little "starter kits" make it out to be.... One would think that if they sell that many little "Grow Your Own" herb kits that they would be easy to grow.

The chives grew but just didn't last.

And then there's my tulips that Jim got me awhile back. Growing up my mom always planted the tulips and hyacinth she was given for various holidays (our church always sold them for Mothers day and Easter). I always loved when Spring would roll around and they would pop up outside our front door reminding me that warmer weather and Summer was just around the corner.  I keep watering them in the hopes that I can plant them outside our home someday start my own random flower collection.

 

How are your gardens doing? What have you planted?

I Love Our Little Pond

I love the little pond outside our apartment. I love sitting on the porch and watching the sunrise over the tall and sparse Carolina pines. I love watching the sunset behind the two perfectly placed palm trees in our back yard. I also love the wildlife it welcomes so nearby.

A crane strolling along on a sunny afternoon.

 Their grace in spite of their long thin limbs amazes me.

 Ducks gliding through the water in early morning mist.

 It is so calming and tranquil to watch them swim along making it look effortless.

The pond also brings us beautiful music at night as it harbors frogs of every shape and size who make familiar and calming sounds to cap off a beautiful sunset each night.

I am thinking our next investment needs to be some more comfortable seating for my little porch and maybe some lighting?

You Know You're a Grown Up When....

You are super excited about buying new appliances!

This weekend we got a new washer and dryer we have had our eye on for awhile. After a lot of careful research (online and asking around) we decided that Bosh was a good and trustworthy brand. They were however slightly more expensive than what we had in mind. So since our current washer and dryer were hanging in there we decided to wait a little longer, save a little more, and watch for sales. Over the Easter weekend I visited the beautiful pair again and to my excitement they were on sale, but they were still a bit above our ideal price range. Then early last week our dryer quit working..... so the choice was made for us. We went to Sears and again to my surprise they were even more on sale (and in our ideal price range)!

 Scarlet is having the hardest time adjusting to the new washer and dryer. She used to like to follow me into the laundry room and watch me load the washer from her perch on top of the water heater. Now she got onto the hot water heater but was confused about the sounds the new washer made and was afraid to use it to get back down.

"What is that sound?!"

 

She needed some help getting down as she refused to use the washer as a step... she now watches it from the edge of the kitchen, then at the refrigerator, and she did finally make her way back into the laundry room with some coaxing from me, where she watched the clothes spin round and round.

So far I love the washer and dryer a bit more than Scarlet. It is easy to use, has plenty of settings, is very quiet.... it does beep whenever it is finished. And if you don't respond, a few minutes later it beeps again... and again until you open the door or turn the knob to off. But in a way that is good... not as likely to have one of those "I forgot to switch the laundry over" moments.