Our Answers To The Quiz

Thank you to those who participated in my mini quiz yesterday! If you still want to get in on the action, just scroll down and leave your answers in the comments.  :) 

It's not fair for me to ask the questions and not answer them myself, is it? No way! Below you'll find my answers in pink and Eric's in blue. Enjoy!

1. What's the perfect temperature?
   Mid-70s, 73 - 77. I can handle hotter, as long as it's not humid OR there's some place very close by to swim. I just hate to sweat. 
   
   80s and blazing sun because it's awesome.
   
   
2. How many siblings do you have?
   I'm the oldest of 3. Emily is 5 years younger, and Max is 11 years younger. 
   
   2 younger brothers.
   
   
3. Are you a morning person?
   Oh yes! Always have been. If I sleep past 7:30 I feel like I'm missing the day (weekends included). If the sun's out, I want to be part of it. 
   
   Not really.
   
   
4. Do you have a hobby or favorite pastime? What is it?
   Folding origami cranes? Haha. I like so many things: walks with Eric, reading, photography, watching movies, SKIING, stopping to smell the flowers, spending time with family & friends, graphic design.
   
   My pastime is making fun of my girlfriend.
   Real pastime: reading "boring" non-fiction books.
    
5. What's your favorite cereal?
   Chex (rice or corn). I also like Cheerios and Corn Flakes! And Honey Bunches of Oats, which looks like it's my wildest choice. I like the plain cerals because I don't like my milk to get a sweet flavor. And like to add banana slices. 
   
   Cinnamon Toast Crunch
   
   
6. Do you enjoy a meal or snack that's a little (or a lot) weird?
   Okay here it is: a peanut butter and jelly sanwhich with a kosher dill pickel on the side accompanied by a tall, cold glass of chocolate milk (made in the blender so it's frothy). 
   
   Plain iceberg lettuce.
   
   
7. Tell me about your best friend(s).
   I have a few. They listen without judging, give me support when I need it, and they each have very different ways of making me laugh. They make me feel comfortable and loved.
   
   I have several best friends. One, I live with. A few from high school, and a handful from college. 
   
   
8. About how many books do you read each month?
   I guess it depends. If I pick up a few young adult fiction books one month, my numbers definitely jump because I sometimes read those in one or two days. But I'm going to guess that I average 2 or 3 books per month.
   
   One. (Ed. Note: because they're long and boring)
   
   
9. What's you're favorite blog?
   I have several, but the ones I love the most belong to my family and friends. 
   
   Everything Little Miss
   
   
10. Do you have a motto or favorite quote?
    "Nothing is worth more than this day." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
    
    I have several.
    
    "We're on a mission from God" -Blues Brothers
    "Not so!" -Best In Show
    
    I'll leave it at two otherwise I could go on forever.

Now I'll answer your questions: 

Are you as excited to see me as I am to see you this weekend?? :)  -Sara
Yes! In fact, I almost left the same question on your blog yesterday. Can't wait!

What's your favorite moment of the day?  -Jamie
I love the moments when I suddenly get a great idea for a design. I also love any moment that involves laughter.

Are you going to answer these questions?  -Cara
Indeed. See above! :)

If you could pick one moment in time to go back to and relive, what would it be?  -GreenJello
It would probably be 11 days after I graduated from college (and my health insurance coverage ended). I was roller skating around Eric's pool and fell and broke my arm. If I could relive that moment I would throw myself into the pool to avoid the broken bone. If I were to relive a moment exactly as it happened, I think I'd say my first kiss because it was so surprising and sweet. 

Thanks for playing!

My New Favorite Accessory

The Schwarz bought me this necklace for Valentine's Day (I think), but he gave it to me when I was feeling down on Saturday. It's from Dogeared's new beginnings collection, and it's perfect for this period of my life. The card that comes with the necklace explains that it's 

"a  daily reminder to embrace new experiences and opportunities... just like the lotus, rising from muddy beginnings into something beautiful and celebrated."

I find myself looking at it a few times a day, as I think about how wonderful change can be. 

"Life Is What You Make Of It"

I took these photos on December 28, 2008, when I brought flowers to Tom's memorial in North Adams. I'm posting them today, because February 7 is the anniversary of his death. I cannot believe it's been seven years since we last spoke. I can still hear his voice when I think about him. 

He continues to inspire me on a daily basis. He was the type of person who said "life is what you make of it," and then went out and did things. Sometimes I see a ray of sunlight and I imagine he's watching over me. Other times, it's the way a leaf blows, just so, in the wind. 

Today I am sad; every year this is my most difficult day. But even on this day, this seven year anniversary, I smile when I think of Tom.  

"The day will be decided in action, not words." -Tom Sheehan

Meet Moxy

This is Moxy, she's an uglydoll. She uses her big antennas "to pick up signals from all over." Pretty handy, don't you think? Uglydolls are available at Tangiers. 

I don't need antennas to get the hint that it's definitely still winter. It's been snowing steadily all day, and the plow just spent a good 20 minutes in the parking lot behind our apartment. Keep warm! 

"I Believe In Nature"

This I Believe is a great program on NPR. Regular people submit essays about their beliefs, and each week one person is chosen to read theirs on the air. Today I listened to the podcast of the January 18th show, which featured an essay called Thirty Things I Believe. The writer/reader was seven-year-old Tarak McLain, and his beliefs were insightful and touching. "I believe in nature," was number 14 on his list, and was the inspiration for today's photo. 

I urge you to listen to this essay (or at least read it), because, like so many kids, Tarak gives us something to think about by stating things so simply and clearly.

Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library

This little box set is one of my prized posessions. As you can tell, each of these books has been read many times. Maurice Sendak's illustrations are wonderful, and the tales are captivating. 

In 1975, Carol King put these stories to music on the Really Rosie album. As a kid, I fell in love with the musical and written versions. Yeah, I pretty much know the words by heart.

My favorite is Pierre. "Read his story, my friend, for you'll find / At the end that a suitable / Moral lies there."

The Inauguration Of Barack Obama

Inauguration Day Schedule

Inauguration Day: January 20, 2009

Here I am watching Obama's speech

Today we have a new President, Barack Obama. He was sworn in at 12:05 PM (5 minutes late), just eight minutes after Joe Biden became our new VP. I watched CBS news coverage all morning, and I had the CNN live feed on my laptop from 10:30 - 1:00.

Barack Obama is our 44th President. In case you're living under a rock, today is special because we've just inaugurated our very first African American as the leader of the United States. Obama's campaign was one of hope. He managed to engage a younger generation in politics, and wasn't afraid to use new technologies to do so. His slogan was (still is?) "Yes We Can." He was right.

Today, President Obama's speech urged the American people to be personally responsible. He was also very clear that, while he's hopeful for the future, our country is facing many obstacles and there will be no overnight miracles:

"Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many.

They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met. On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics." Full speech at ABC News >>

Hey everybody, it's a new day!

Trying Something New

Well this is a first. I bought anchovies! Can you believe it? I wanted to try this new recipe I found in a Martha Stewart magazine, and it called for one can of these ugly little fish. It's still in the oven, so I'm hoping it's as delicious as it looked in the magazine. There were only two brands to choose from, so I grabbed these because they're flat (as opposed to rolled). 

It's funny because The Schwarz and I were just talking about anchovies yesterday. I was telling him that I'd never tried them, but that I wanted to buy some because the cans are so interesting. He's had them, because his cousin used to eat them right out of the can when she was little (I don't know if she's still a fan, I'll have to ask her). 

More importantly, happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. His birthday was the 15th, but he is honored on the third Monday in January. He would have been 80 this year. I hope you took some time today to reflect on the positive impact he had on our country. You can read a short biography of MLK on the Nobel Prize website.

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can't ride you unless your back is bent." 

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Change

Because of the election, there has been an awful lot of talk about change. I thought this photo would make an appropriate post-election entry. 

I saw this Seeds of Change ad a few weeks ago on the train. The quote, by Winston Churchill, is insightful and inspiring, but to use it to describe rice? Well, that's just hilarious (and a little lofty). I get what they are trying to say, of course. But really, this was their best idea? 

Sillier still: After all the talk about change, the ad doesn't look much different than your standard rice ad, does it? Maybe if their design reflected their quote I wouldn't have found the whole thing so absurd.