Then and Now

We have been composting since we had our first apartment in Boulder.  I can picture the container in our neighbor's backyard, but I can't picture what we had in the house to collect the scraps.

We have had this container on our counter for many years.  I probably started putting fruit stickers here because I needed a place for them before I washed the fruit.  It was fine for a while, but it meant the container couldn't go in the dishwasher.  Time for a new one.

It looks so simple, but it was hard to find one that wasn't clear and wasn't $30.  For now I am buying fruit at farmers' market so I don't have fruit stickers, but I'll need to come up with a new place.

Very Local Fire

I couldn't figure out why a 9/11 memorial event would use so many sirens, so many low flying planes, and so many low flying helicopters.  Unlike my friend Charlotte, it didn't occur to me to look on Facebook to learn more.  I stepped outside to look and a dog walker pointed out that it was a fire and nothing to do with 9/11.

I learned from the local newspaper's website , the city site, and from a reverse 911 call that 17 of the 78 acres of the research area next to the botanic garden were burned, started by sparks from people doing repairs adjacent to the area.

To the west, all looks as it did before the fire started.  This little picture definitely does not capture the natural beauty and it certainly doesn't give a feel for the native plants and animals that live in this area.

Friends who work across the street posted pictures.

Taken from Harvey Mudd College

Early this morning firefighters were still dealing with hot spots, but when I rode by at lunch time I didn't see any emergency vehicles or any people at all.

To the east burnt trees looked out of place, but

what was so terrible was the eastern portion.  Nothing.

Here's hoping Claremont University Consortium and Harvey Mudd College do not use this fire as an opportunity to expand their campuses, as some fear.

From the Daily Bulletin

Sports

With this blog in mind I saved a scrap from the February 13, 2013 issue of the N.Y. Times, and now that the International Olympic Committee has reinstated wrestling (despite the fact that there is only freestyle wrestling for women and no Greco-Roman wrestling, although they may add it if there is interest), it seems the right time to pull out this bit about discontinued Olympic sports.

You may know that baseball (1992-2008) and softball (1996-2008) are no longer in the Olympics, but were you aware that cricket used to be an Olympic sport (only in 1900)?  Croquet was also in the Olympics in 1900.  Rugby competitions were held four times between 1900 and 1924, but lacrosse was played only twice (1904 and 1908).  Golf was played at the 1900 and 1904 games and will return in 2016.  I don't which of these sports were offered for women.

According to the N.Y. Times, tug-of-war was part of the Olympics from 1900 to 1920!

from the 1912 Stockholm games

You can read more about it here.

I'd be curious to read your predictions about future sports to be discontinued or added to the Olympics.

Whittling

Finally!  Chores done, safety rules read and discussed, and the knife was his!

This is the knife I bought in Denmark

Finally trying it out.

shavings

At the Viking Festival some people were selling items they had carved, but one fellow was selling projects he had started, leaving the easier bits for someone else.  Perfect!  The wood is soft and it seems like a good project to finish.  I'll let you know how it goes.

Holidays

First came Labor Day, which was celebrated at the 10th Street block party (nice to be included since we are on the corner of 11th Street).

True confessions - this isn't our block and this isn't our party, but I didn't remember to take a picture and it looked more or less like this.  Definitely less clothing.

Next up was Rosh Hashanah, and even though it was 85ºF in the house I made my first successful round challah (no problem getting the dough to rise).

I was excited to try a new braiding pattern, almost like origami or woven hearts.

When I was growing up schools were closed for holidays and there was no discussion about whether to attend.  R. has been going to school post-Bat Mitzvah, but A. still misses it.  The plan was to go to Hillel, but he was invited to spend the day at the beach with his grandparents, which is not so different from what I did as a kid.

This was taken yesterday on Balboa Island, but it looks it is time to get ready for Halloween (which you know is coming because the new item at Trader Joe's is Ace's Pumpkin Hard Cider).

Happy holidays!

Coincidence

Yesterday was my first official day as a nanny and this was what was on our Awesome! calendar.

It's been fun to use the sling again and listen to Music Together music.  It has also been entertaining when friends drive by, roll down the window, and ask if I have some news ("It's a girl!" I answer).

Baby's first convocation

The challenges include remembering how to eat and go to the bathroom while holding a baby every waking moment (answer:  put her down and know that she is safe and that it is important to meet my needs, too).  The other challenge is how to keep baby happy without nursing.  We do visit her mom twice a day for that purpose, so it is only at the end of the day when she would prefer Mom to the bottle that I go through all my tricks.

But, really, so far, so good.  It is sweet to play together and have someone to talk to!

Summer Reading

Last November I mentioned that I was going to read a book recommended by my dad.  Even though the paperback copy had 758 pages I took it to Denmark.  It took the whole vacation, but I finished it the night before I left.  I seldom read books about WWII and the Holocaust, but even though I cried I don't think I got nightmares.  I left the book behind for a friend, along with Plainsong and The Light Between Oceans, which I will check out of the library.  I also plan to read the Claremont: On the Same Page book, which is Take One Candle Light A Room, by Susan Straight.

Before our trip to Mammoth I read Farewell to Manzanar, which I'm not sure whether I had read before.  It was a quick read and led me to other books, including two that included photos of Manzanar taken by Ansel Adams.

R. had been encouraging me to read Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, but when I mentioned I was going to bring it on vacation she recommended another book instead.

The Speed of Dark takes place in the near future when there is a cure for autism, but those born before the cure still exist.  What would the world be like without them?  I am very glad I read it.

Even though I have books on my list I know I read less during the school year.  Look for an update as time goes on.