Photo Journal

February 17, 2012

2012-02-17T16:22:00.001-05:00

February 17, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Remember how I told you we were down a person in our department? I spent more time in the high school this afternoon, trying to make sense of how she had the server organized. To make a very long story short, I have had to image the machine on the right three times so far, hoping to find the magic one. Not exactly how I wanted to spend Friday afternoon, but hopefully it will help the teacher when she returns on Monday.

January 16, 2012

2012-02-16T21:00:00.001-05:00

January 16, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

We're down a person in our department right now. That means the rest of us are teaming up so those schools don't go without any support from technology. Consequently, I spent the afternoon in a high school. This poster was by the sinks in the bathroom. There's not much difference in a high school and elementary school after all.

February 15, 2012

2012-02-15T19:20:00.001-05:00

February 15, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

We're having a problem with Thug. In his old age, he has learned to beg. Anytime I'm anywhere near the kitchen, he runs to the refrigerator hoping I'll give him a carrot. When I'm cooking, he is under my feet either whining or making some kind if noise. You would think he'd learn it doesn't happen often. Oh well. (He is awfully cute though. Don't you think?)

January 14, 2012

2012-02-14T19:27:00.001-05:00

January 14, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

There aren't many days here in NC when you need to wear a toboggan. I haven't had a good one in a long time. That's why I splurged and bought a good one from www.krochetkids.org. Check it out, they're doing a good thing.

January 13, 2012

2012-02-13T19:30:00.001-05:00

January 13, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

It's Guest Photographer day! Donald looked out the window of his office this afternoon and saw two deer grazing in our backyard. That's one of the perks of working from home.

January 12. 2012

2012-02-12T19:27:00.001-05:00

January 12. 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Two days in a row the woodpecker showed up. This time, I tried to shoot out the upstairs bathroom window.

February 11, 2012

2012-02-11T17:23:00.002-05:00

February 11, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

The pileated woodpecker showed up again today. He's a quick one, and it's hard to get a good photo of him. I am determined, however, to eventually get a great one. You can learn more about these birds here.

February 10, 2012

2012-02-10T18:00:00.001-05:00

February 10, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Two days in a row I have seen a wreck on the way home. Luckily, the car was not upside down today.

February 9, 2012

2012-02-09T17:44:00.001-05:00

February 9, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Traffic is hardly ever backed up in the direction I am driving. I knew something must be wrong when I was at a standstill, and a helicopter was circling overheard. When I got closer to the intersection I could see the problem. I don't know how fast a car must be driving to get flipped over like that. I hope everyone is OK.

February 8, 2012

2012-02-08T19:03:00.001-05:00

February 8, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

The last time Dottie was in town we went shopping. She needed, and wanted, to shop for clothes that aren't mommy-ish. Of course, our trip included a trip to the shoe store. I wasn't looking for shoes for myself, but I found these on the clearance rack. Who can resist a pair of Kenneth Cole shoes on sale for $9.00?

February 7, 2012

2012-02-07T19:18:00.002-05:00

February 7, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Tonight was experimentation night. I saw a recipe for Petite Lasagna that you make in muffin tins with wonton noodles. I had to try it. Mine aren't near as pretty as the website where I saw them, but by golly they were tasty. We'll definitely make them again. Oh, and the bread is homemade too. I was feeling very Susie Homemaker-ish.

February 6, 2012

2012-02-06T19:07:00.001-05:00

February 6, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

When I came home from work today, I was surprised to see two camellia plants on our back deck. They are a gift from one of Donald's co-workers, one in memory of his mother and one in memory of his dad.

February 5, 2012

2012-02-05T19:54:00.001-05:00

February 5, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I would be remiss if I went through the weekend without mentioning Mrs. Bryan. We laid her to rest on Friday and today Donald and I went back to the cemetery. One of her great loves in her life was flowers. She had the unique ability to make anything bloom. We loved all the flowers she got, and were delighted when we realized the funeral home had arranged them in a cross on her grave. Somehow I think she would be pleased.

February 4, 2012

2012-02-04T18:04:00.001-05:00

February 4, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I was going to take a picture of my messy spice cabinet, which you can see a little of in the background. As I was getting ready to snap the photo, I realized Thug was posing. Do you think he's used to getting his picture made?

February 3, 2012

2012-02-03T20:53:00.001-05:00

February 3, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I couldn't resist taking a shot of the moon today. It was interesting watching it change throughout the afternoon. Earlier in the day, it looked almost transparent. This was taken around 5:00, and it was clearly reflecting the sunlight at this point.

February 2, 2012

2012-02-02T19:54:00.001-05:00

February 2, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Groundhog Day. According to the groundhog, we are supposed to have six more weeks of snow. Since the trees are budding out, I believe I can handle six more weeks like this.

February 1, 2012

2012-02-01T18:58:00.001-05:00

February 1, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I thought it only fitting to pull a photo from the archives today. We said goodbye to Mrs. Bryan last night. While we have much sorrow, there is also relief. She suffered so much over the last three years, that it's her turn to be at peace.

January 31, 2012

2012-01-31T18:10:00.001-05:00

January 31, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

We have another guitar lesson tonight. It's the first one in two weeks. For each of our lessons, we also invitenour instructor to stay with us for supper. He's getting all our favorite foods. Tonight we ate having fish tacos, with homemade pico de gallo.

January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T17:47:00.001-05:00

January 30, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

The media specialist at Louisburg Elementary School is super creative. Every year at book fair time, she decorates the library according to the theme of it. I'm not sure what the theme is this year but when I got to school today, this surfer dude is what greeted me when I walked in the library.

January 29, 2012

2012-01-29T17:04:00.001-05:00

January 29, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Patrick is growing up so fast! He can reach for people now, and likes to grab hold of noses and mouths. He thinks it's great fun to put foreheads together. We try to keep a camera within easy reach to capture these brief moments.

January 28, 2012

2012-01-28T19:06:00.001-05:00

January 28, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Jon, Dottie and Patrick came in today. Patrick LOVES his daddy! He lights up whenever Jon walks in the room.

January 27, 2012

2012-01-27T20:00:00.002-05:00

January 27, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Donald and I have been working to refinance our house since last October. After many setbacks (none of which were our fault), we finally closed last Friday and all money was disbursed yesterday. To celebrate, we had a nice dinner at Village Grill, which you can see on the right in this photo.

January 26, 2012

2012-01-26T19:13:00.001-05:00

January 26, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Nothing says comfort like a big ol' pot of chicken and dumplings.

January 25, 2012

2012-01-25T18:07:00.001-05:00

January 25, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I found this at work today. 512 MB of pure memory, with the accompanying directions for how to work a flash drive. Wonder how long it's been there?

January 24, 2012

2012-01-24T18:48:00.001-05:00

January 24, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I spent a significant amount of time installing new computers in a computer lab today. That usually means lots of manual labor, extreme amounts of dust, and crawling underneath cabinets. Every once in a while, you see something unusual, like this note written on the underside of the counter. I can only imagine what a bad day that person must have been having.

January 23, 2012

2012-01-23T17:52:00.001-05:00

January 23, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

It always amazes me to see seagulls so far inland.

January 22, 2012

2012-01-22T19:04:00.002-05:00

January 22, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Sometimes when you talk to your friends about in laws, they have lots to complain about. I can honestly say I have never had a reason to complain about my in laws. They welcomed me into their family with open arms, and have loved me like I was their own child. That makes it especially hard to watch Mrs. Bryan suffer right now. We knew she was declining, but today we had Hospice come in to do an evaluation. Their prediction is a week or less. When I got to the nursing home tonight, they had brought coffee, tea and doughnuts for the family. It is a nice gesture during a very sad time.

January 21, 2012

2012-01-21T13:40:00.001-05:00

January 21, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

When we went to see Mrs. Bryan today, three of her siblings were there visiting her! They have started Mrs. B on a new medicine, and she wasn't awake for much of the time.

I have been so fortunate to be a member of this family, and they have completely accepted as part of the family from day 1. Left to right we have Uncle Harold (86), Mrs. Bryan (almost 84), Uncle Lawrence (almost 83), and Aunt Pearl (89).

January 20, 2012

2012-01-20T18:28:00.001-05:00

January 20, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Today's photo comes courtesy of a screen shot. I suppose that's cheating, but I give myself permission to cheat periodically. I've been hearing a lot about this website "pinterest" for many months now. I finally decided I needed to check it out. You have to request an invitation, and mine came through yesterday. Today, I'm muddling through and trying to figure it out. I think it's a virtual bulletin board where you can put all your favorite things. There's a social component built in where you follow people and they follow you. From what I hear it is addicting, but I'm not completely sold yet. Give me a few days.

January 19, 2012

2012-01-19T19:14:00.001-05:00

January 19, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

The first thing I do when I get home from work each day is take off my shoes. Today, when I took off my shoes I noticed a very cold spot on my heel. I think it is time for new socks. If course, Thug thinks I'm taking HIS picture.

January 18, 2012

2012-01-18T18:11:00.001-05:00

January 18, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

It's been a while since I've tried a photography experiment. Today I wanted to see if I could get something interesting while Donald was pouring a beer. It didn't turn out that interesting, but I still like it.

January 17, 2012

2012-01-17T19:44:00.001-05:00

January 17, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

What you see here is a feeble attempt at making mozzarella sticks. I found a recipe where you bake them instead of frying and thought I'd give it a go. They tasted great, but as you can see, I have some work to do on the aesthetics.

January 16, 2012

2012-01-16T18:04:00.001-05:00

January 16, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Ah, Sweet Frog! I don't know if any of you have noticed, but there seems to be yogurt shops popping up all over the place lately. My first introduction to Sweet Frog was in Concord over the holidays. They have a wall of yogurt, you get your cup and fill it with whatever flavors you want. Then there is the toppings bar with just about anything you can imagine. I was excited to find one in Raleigh today! Talk about an awesome afternoon snack!

January 15, 2011

2012-01-15T18:03:00.001-05:00

January 15, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

We celebrated Dottie's 24th birthday today! Patrick was showing off his new skills in his bouncy swing!

January 14, 2011

2012-01-14T19:27:00.001-05:00

January 14, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Yep, today was my lucky day. I bought a $5.00 raffle ticket, and what do you know, they pulled my ticket to win this!

January 13, 2012

2012-01-13T18:20:00.001-05:00

January 13, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

How many people do you know that can say they own a "Slice of the Ice"?

January 12, 2012

2012-01-12T18:58:00.001-05:00

January 12, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Thug presented this photo to Donald for Christmas. It now has a place of prominence on our mantel.

January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T18:40:00.002-05:00

January 11, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Last night was another guitar lesson night. One of the things I have discovered about being an adult learner is that learning something new is very frustrating. I want to be able to play (and play well) right away. Instead, I fumble through chord changes. I can get the right rhythm, but rarely hit the right chords. But I digress. That has nothing to do with today's photo other than it is about guitars. Mr. Bryan gave Donald this book a few years ago, and we both had forgotten about it. Donald re-discovered it last night after I had gone to bed, and left it on the kitchen counter for me to see this morning. I'm not going to lie, I got a little teary eyed from the inscription.

January 10, 2012

2012-01-10T14:55:00.001-05:00

January 10, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Here's a glimpse of the amount of dust I deal with on a daily basis. This happens to be on an old switch that was pulled out of one of our schools.

January 9, 2012

2012-01-09T15:17:00.001-05:00

January 9, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I got some new clothes over the holidays, and wore one of my new shirts today. Usually I wash my new things, and I thought I had with this shirt. I had to pull the tags off this morning, but decided to wear it without washing. (It's very hard to make a decision at dark-thirty.) Imagine my surprise when, at lunch time, I felt something on my shirt. Yep. Went all morning proudly displaying the size tag on the front of my shirt. Sometimes I wonder how I made it through college, much less to adulthood.

January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T16:09:00.001-05:00

January 8, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

You have to use your imagination on this one. See that log on the ground? That marks the spot where a trail used to lead from our backyard into the woods. There's a small stream down there, with a little bridge over it. Once you cross the stream, it connects with another trail that leads to the lake. My dream is to clear out a very small area by the bridge and put some Adirondack chairs there. It just seems like that would be a very peaceful place to sit. Later on, on another day, I'll get some pictures of the stream.

January 7, 2011

2012-01-07T19:30:00.001-05:00

January 7, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

We had a rare opportunity to go through Greensboro on our way home from Concord today. It was perfect timing for Maryanne and Megan to meet us at Natty Greene's! Spending time with old friends is like a shotnof adrenaline.

January 6, 2012

2012-01-06T18:17:00.001-05:00

January 6, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I don't know if you have ever had pizza from Papa Murphy's or not, but it is very good. The concept is that they fix the pizza for you, but they don't bake it. You bring it home and bake it yourself. This is the perfect Friday night meal.

January 5, 2012

2012-01-05T19:22:00.001-05:00

January 5, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Each year, we like to put chocolate santas in the girls' and Jon's stockings. This year, we could not find them anywhere. I even checked online, and the message was to click to be notified when the item became available. Reluctantly, Donald and I told Dottie and Jon the problems to avoid any disappointment on Christmas morning. Imagine my surprise when I came downstairs to find my stocking full with a chocolate Santa peeking out of the top! Dottie found them at the commissary and snatched up enough for all of us. Crisis averted.

January 4, 2012

2012-01-04T18:33:00.001-05:00

January 4, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

We got a new kerosene heater this year. Liz ordered it for us from her new job at Northern Tools. We like this one because the heat is projected from the front, rather than in a circle like our other ones. It didn't take Thug long to figure out where he wanted to sit!

January 3, 2012

2012-01-03T18:10:00.001-05:00

January 3, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Recently Donald and I took a trip to Whole Foods and got some of their garlic rolls. I decided that I should try my hand at making them, and so was born another grand cooking experiment. I cheated and bought ready made pizza dough at Trader Joe's, rolled it out, cut it into strips and knotted them up. It worked so well the first time, we decided to repeat it tonight. It should go perfectly with spaghetti.

January 2, 2012

2012-01-02T14:17:00.001-05:00

January 2, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

There's nothing quite as special as hands that span generations. Patrick got to see his great grandmother today, and they both loved the visit. Patrick laughed and grinned at Great Grandmommy the whole time.

January 1, 2012

2012-01-01T17:51:00.002-05:00

January 1, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I can't think of a better way to start the new year than by spending time with family. Happy New Year everyone!

December 31, 2011

2011-12-31T17:10:00.003-05:00

December 31, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

To celebrate the last day of 2011, Donald and I decided to visit the new Nature Preserve Park, Awl's Haven, which is close to our house. This is one of the many beautiful sites we saw. Oh, and see that bench on the right hand side? When we walked up, there was a couple on the bench who were, shall we say, slightly preoccupied? I guess they had their own ideas about how to celebrate the end of the year.

December 30, 2011

2011-12-30T18:52:00.001-05:00

December 30, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Patrick got to spend a little time with his god parents tonight. This is Ariana and Matt, Dottie and Jon's best friends respectively. They love him as much as we do.

December 29, 2011

2011-12-29T19:32:00.001-05:00

December 29, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Donald and I met Nancy and Joe at Bahama Breeze for an early supper tonight. We always like to have our picture made in front of the tree. Can you tell we're sisters?

December 28, 2011

2011-12-28T17:18:00.001-05:00

December 28, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Time to de-deck the halls, or in our case, de-deck the deck. It humors me that Thug is trying to figure out what in the world I'm doing.

December 27, 2011

2011-12-27T17:58:00.001-05:00

December 27, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Here's my best buddy sporting the new collar Santa brought him. For the most part he likes it, but when he eats his tags hit the bowl and that scares him. I had to dump his food on the floor so he would eat!

December 26, 2011

2011-12-26T21:26:00.001-05:00

December 26, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Santa brought my mother a new laptop this year! Luckily, one of his elves could spend some time with her and give her a lesson. One of his other elves was on hand to take today's photo. (Thanks Nancy!)

December 25, 2011

2011-12-25T17:52:00.001-05:00

December 25, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I believe Dottie was pleased with the gift Jon gave her. What do you think?

December 24, 2011

2011-12-24T18:09:00.001-05:00

December 24, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Patrick has discovered a new talent: rolling over. He rolled over this afternoon, and promptly propped himself up on his elbows. As much as I'm looking forward to him growing up, I would like for him to slow down just a little bit.

December 23, 2011

2011-12-23T18:08:00.001-05:00

December 23, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve! For many years we had a party to attend on this night. Now, we are celebrating at home with Fritos and Holiday Dip (one of Mrs. Bryan's specialties).

December 22, 2011

2011-12-22T20:03:00.001-05:00

December 22, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I haven't talked too much about the guitar lessons lately, so I thought tonight I would show you what I'm working on. On the left are the chords for the song Bad Moon Rising. It's a simple song to play, only three chords. However, it's really, really hard. For me, the chord changes are quite difficult, and I can't do them fast enough to make the song recognizable. I've been working on this for the last two weeks. Hopefully I'll get it eventually. In the meantime, I'm still having fun.

December 21, 2011

2011-12-21T17:37:00.001-05:00

December 21, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Santa came a little early. He brought us a new TV!

December 20, 2011

2011-12-20T19:33:00.001-05:00

December 20, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

You can tell it's getting harder and harder to come up with ideas for photos. I spotted the Quizno's cup on my way back from lunch today. I can't think of a more miserable job.

December 19, 2011

2011-12-19T15:40:00.001-05:00

December 19, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Frosty the Snowman visited school today. He walked the hallways while "Stars and Stripes Forever" was played over the intercom. I'm not sure of that connection, but it was still funny and cute.

December 18, 2011

2011-12-18T17:34:00.001-05:00

December 18, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Donald and his mini me.

December 17, 2011

2011-12-17T17:41:00.001-05:00

December 17, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Patrick is a morning person! He wakes up happy, and coos and laughs. It was worth waking Donald up to take part in the fun.

December 16, 2011

2011-12-16T19:58:00.001-05:00

December 16, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

For the last two years, we have not had an indoor tree. Instead, we have had a tree outdoors on our deck. It's kind if nice if you ask me, and I really don't miss an indoor tree at all.

December 15, 2011

2011-12-15T15:40:00.001-05:00

December 15, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I don't have very many bad days, but today was one of the worst I've had in a long, long time. It was so bad that I locked myself in the server room so I could work without anyone interrupting me. (Very unlike me. Usually I want to be around people.) Around lunch time, I decided I needed a little treat so I went to Harris Teeter to get some sushi. The sushi chef started talking to me and asked what I liked. He made this plate just for me, with only my favorites. For you non-sushi eaters, this is a plate of tuna and salmon. You can't see it, but there's a ball of rice just below the fish.

And it was delicious.

December 14, 2011

2011-12-14T19:57:00.001-05:00

December 14, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

The first presents of the season are wrapped! And they're both for Patrick.

December 13, 2011

2011-12-13T16:35:00.001-05:00

December 13, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I spent the majority of my time today attempting to image a new computer. It usually takes about 20 minutes to push out an image, then there is time spent updating, then we pull a new image to store on the server. All in all, it takes a couple of hours at the most. If you look closely, you can see that my time remaining is 12:59:20. That would be HOURS! And by the time I thought to take the picture, it had been running for 1:44! Crazy, isn't it?

As it turns out, there's a problem with communication to the server and that's what is taking so long.

December 12, 2011

2011-12-12T19:14:00.001-05:00

December 12, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

This is not what I had intended to take a picture of tonight. But, he was trying to be so good and patient in the kitchen that he made me laugh. He's hoping I'll open the refrigerator and give him a carrot, his favorite treat.

December 11, 2011

2011-12-11T17:53:00.001-05:00

December 11, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Today was the annual cookie party at my friend Lesley's house. It's always so much fun to come home and go through the bag to see what different types of cookies we have. This year, in addition to the yummy cookies, we got cake and a bottle of homemade salsa! Donald was especially excited about that.

Meringue Cookies

2011-12-11T17:45:00.003-05:00

Several people have asked for the Meringue Cookie recipe, so here it is! They are super easy to make.

3 egg whites

1 Cup sugar

1 tsp white vinegar

dash salt

1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (I use pecans)

Preheat oven to 350.

Put egg whites in bowl, start mixer. Add sugar, vinegar and salt. Beat at high speed for 15 minutes, by the clock. Stir in nuts. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheets. Put cookies in oven, turn oven off. Bake for 45 minutes without opening oven door. Let stand 5 minutes before removing from pan. (I typically leave mine in for more than 45 minutes, it really doesn't hurt them. And sometimes I'll even leave them in there all night.)

December 10, 2011

2011-12-10T18:37:00.001-05:00

December 10, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Merry Christmas from a very good sport.

December 9, 2011

2011-12-09T19:39:00.001-05:00

December 9, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Oh, how Friday nights have changed over the years. These days, they're spent on the couch with the iPad.

December 8, 2011

2011-12-09T08:27:00.001-05:00

December 8, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I am an official NPR junkie now. I donated this year.

(Sorry for the delay in posting this. We had internet issues at home last night.)

December 7, 2011

2011-12-07T20:49:00.001-05:00

December 7, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Our guitar instructor was gracious enough to let me photograph him playing after our lesson. I hope I can get half as good as he is one day.

December 6, 2011

2011-12-06T16:44:00.002-05:00

December 6, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

There's something about this tree that intrigues me. You first saw it this summer here. You can kind of tell how big it is by the buildings. I'm sure it was here long before the school was. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture before they pruned it a bit.

December 5, 2011

2011-12-05T19:43:00.001-05:00

December 5, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

It's December. Why are there wish balls popping up all over the place? (These happened to be outside of Louisburg Elementary School.)

December 4, 2011

2011-12-04T18:30:00.001-05:00

December 4, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

It's kind of hard to see, but right in the center of this photo is a pileated woodpecker! I was afraid to take the time to swap the lens, and I was right. Shortly after taking this he flew away.

December 3, 2011

2011-12-03T17:08:00.001-05:00

December 3, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Donald and I went shopping today with my mother, sister and brother in law. We all laughed when we saw this old telephone booth and thought we should combine the old with the new.

December 2, 2011

2011-12-02T18:23:00.001-05:00

December 2, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Let me start this post by saying I really dislike driving home in the dark these days. However, I do enjoy that I get to see the sunset every day on my way home. One of the things I like the best about it is the trees against an orange sky. I actually took this one from within the car. It's not always convenient to stop and get out to get a good shot. Maybe someday soon I'll find a good place to pull over and can perfect these.

December 1, 2011

2011-12-01T15:06:00.002-05:00

December 1, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Happy December! In addition to turning the calendar, Donald got out my favorite Christmas mug for my coffee! Somehow, the morning was a little better after drinking coffee from this cup. Ah, the simple things in life. That's what it's all about, right?

Oh, and remember when I went to the eye doctor here? I got a call that my new lenses were in so I went to pick them up today. And.....they ordered the wrong ones. The ones they did order were much bigger than what I have now. I told them no thank you, I want lenses exactly like I have now. So I'm still waiting.

November 30, 2011

2011-11-30T20:33:00.001-05:00

November 30, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

We resumed our guitar lessons tonight. We decided to go with a new instructor, and the person we chose just happens to be our son in law's best friend, Matt. He came to our house, and gave us a personal one on one lesson. In return, we paid him, of course, but we also fed him supper. After just one lesson with him, we know we have chosen the right instructor. He's already teaching us chords to play a Creedance Clearwater Revival song!

November 29, 2011

2011-11-29T19:26:00.001-05:00

November 29, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I hope you don't mind, but I'm pulling a picture from last week instead of one that I took today. This was taken on Thanksgiving day right before Liz left to go back to Concord. I just loved this.

November 28, 2011

2011-11-28T19:12:00.001-05:00

November 28, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Isn't it funny how you get attached to some things? My parents gave me these bedroom shoes about 20 years ago and I still love them. Donald calls them my elf shoes.

November 27, 2011

2011-11-27T19:21:00.001-05:00

November 27, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

All good things must come to an end, so they say. We decided to end our vacation with lunch at our favorite spot. It was Patrick's first time at a restaurant on the water, and he celebrated by sleeping through lunch. He woke up just in time to get his picture made with his parents.

November 26, 2011

2011-11-26T18:53:00.001-05:00

November 26, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I want to soak up as many of these moments as I possibly can. I love to talk to Patrick, and he loves to listen. He has recently discovered he has hands, and keeps showing them to us. I'm going to miss this little guy when our vacation comes to an end tomorrow. (And special thanks to the guest photographer, my son in law Jon.)

Making Some Changes

2011-11-26T07:20:00.003-05:00

I am making some changes around here. I realized that when I link my photos from my flickr account, it is cutting off the right hand side. For some reason, it doesn't let me edit the photo once it's on the blog, so I'll be changing the template until I find the one I like the best and that doesn't cut off any of the picture.

November 25, 2011

2011-11-25T18:49:00.001-05:00

November 25, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

We took Patrick to Enchanted Airlie tonight, with the hopes he would see Santa. The line was really, really long and we didn't think standing still with a 2 month old in the cold was a good idea. So, we just walked around and looked at the lights. I liked how this one turned out.

November 24, 2011

2011-11-24T15:19:00.001-05:00

November 24, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

November 23, 2012

2011-11-23T20:41:00.001-05:00

November 23, 2012, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Patrick is getting ready for his first Thanksgiving!

November 22, 2011

2011-11-22T17:44:00.001-05:00

November 22, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Happy Birthday to my best little buddy! To celebrate, he got to go for a car ride with stops at a roadside produce stand, Home Depot, and the pet store! He even got to pick out two new toys! Here we're waiting in the car for Donald to come out of Home Depot. I guess I'm destined to always ride shotgun.

November 21, 2011

2011-11-21T15:50:00.001-05:00

November 21, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I did not come prepared for the unseasonably warm weather we are having. Yesterday afternoon, Donald and I took a quick trip to Kohl's where I found these flip flops on the clearance rack for $1.00. AND, I had a 20% off coupon. Not too bad if you ask me!

November 20, 2011

2011-11-20T18:32:00.001-05:00

November 20, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

It's almost Turkey Time! We decided that since we are celebrating this year in Wilmington, we needed to decorate. I think Mr. Turkey is quite festive.

On a side note, the other day I told Donald I wanted his next wood working project to be building me planters for our front porch. He laughed and said, "Wait 'til we get to Wilmington!" See that planter in the background on the right? His dad made that for his mother years ago. I guess great minds really do think alike.

November 10, 2011

2011-11-19T15:41:00.001-05:00

November 10, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

One of the things Donald is really good at is seeing the potential in things most of us would throw out. For instance, he recently brought back an old grill from his parents house in Wilmington that was no good. It was in the car headed for the landfill when he had an inspiration. We've been wanting a fire pit, and have been shopping around trying to decide what we like the best. He realized the old grill would be perfect, and here he's building a base to go around it. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

November 18, 2011

2011-11-18T15:48:00.001-05:00

November 18, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Donald was lucky enough to go see Patrick today. This is how he was greeted when he walked in the door. Do you think Patrick was happy to see his granddaddy?

November 17, 2011

2011-11-17T19:01:00.001-05:00

November 17, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but does this belong in a classroom? I know we all need boxes sometimes, and I know that these are good boxes, but aren't there other ones that would work for an elementary classroom?

November 16, 2011

2011-11-16T19:07:00.001-05:00

November 16, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

This is the price of poor eyesight, folks. You read that right, $549.60. And that does not include new frames. That is strictly the cost of new lenses. Of course, they make you feel like you get a good deal when it started at $931. And do you want to know the truth? It's worth it. I will always pay extra so I don't look like I'm wearing coke bottles.

November 15, 2011

2011-11-15T18:03:00.001-05:00

November 15, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I saw this on a bulletin board in a classroom I visited today. Needless to say, I had to point out that it might not be a good idea to have it on display. She had been so focused on the human statue that she never noticed the sign in the background.

November 14, 2011

2011-11-14T16:31:00.002-05:00

November 14, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I noticed these seed pods on a tree outside of school today. They fascinated me because of how they spiral. I have no idea what the tree is, and I hope I remember to look in the spring to see what the leaves look like. In the meantime, my friend Kim that works here called it a "worm tree". So for now, that's what it is. Thanks Kim! As a bonus, I took a wide range shot so you can see just how many pods are hanging. Pretty cool if you ask me.

November 13, 2011

2011-11-13T20:33:00.001-05:00

November 13, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

I haven't talked much about the guitar lessons lately. We had only signed up for four, and those ended last week. In the meantime, we are going to have one of Jon's friends give us lessons here at home. This is what it looks like when I practice, chords on the left, assignment on the right.

November 12, 2011

2011-11-12T15:53:00.001-05:00

November 12, 2011, a photo by bbryan on Flickr.

Patrick got to meet his great grandmother today! He loved laying there with her, and she loved having him there.