Ashley's religion homework last night was to write about a time you felt divine providence in your life. That might not have been the exact wording, but that was the gist of it.
For purposes of the assignment, Divine Providence was defined as God turning something bad that happened into something good.
We came up with the example of a classmate who broke his arm. Since he couldn't swim, he then joined the drama club and is having a lot of fun with it.
Then we talked about the classmate whose grandfather died, so her grandmother moved across the country to live with her and now they spend more time together.
I tried to come up with personal examples. It is tough to think about bad times in our lives. I thought about the time I was in tears because I did not win the class president election in college. I really wanted to lead the class at reunions (I worked in the alumni office during college). I lost. A couple of years later the school changed its name in a way that was so divisive, even though by then I was on the alumni board, I have hardly ever returned.
More recently I was in tears over not getting a job I really wanted. Still searching for divine providence in those two situations. Certainly, my life ended up going in a different direction. I took a one-month library job that would not have been possible had I accepted either one of those positions. Now I'm planning to apply for librarian positions for next fall.
Back to Ashley. The best we could come up with was the time we had a mice infestation. The exterminator took care of the mice. We adopted two cats (Charlie and Ariel), who give us a lot of amusement.
When have you seen God make lemonade out of lemons?
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Thursday, February 6, 2014
Grounds for Sculpture-Winter
The Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ (according them, only "minutes" away from Princeton) is beautiful all year round. Often crowded with school groups and families, it was a rare treat to have the place to ourselves.Grounds for Sculpture is located on 42 acres, on the site of the former State Fairgrounds (former as in long before my time in Central Jersey). The feature 260 outdoor sculptures, including many by J. Seward Johnson, the founder of the sculpture garden and visionary behind it.
After many years of debate, this year we decided to become members. One of my goals was to visit the grounds at least four times -- once in each season. We joined in August, I returned in October during the peak of fall foliage, and returned in January and February to take pictures in the snow.
Wear boots if you plan on going in the winter as only some of the paths are plowed. There are also two indoor galleries and a cafe where you can go to warm up on a cold day.
Here are some of my snow pictures from Monday's storm, before the ice took over on Wednesday. Enjoy!
Life Lesson #2: What to do when it is not your turn
Last Halloween I was handed Life Lesson #1. With yesterday's ice storm I had a revelation that I decided to turn into this blog.
What to do when it is not your turn
We are taught to take turns early in life. When on the playground we have to let our friends go down the slide, too. Kids who don't learn how to take turns we quickly learn are no fun to play with, so we move onto playing with kids who do take turns.
In this case, though, I'm talking about those not-so-fun times in life. The times when you are the one who is facing something bad, be it a car accident, an illness, the death of someone close, or, in yesterday's case, storm damage.
Fortunately it is not always the same person's turn to suffer. Sometimes it might feel that way, but it is not. I promise you. When it is not your turn, you have a few options. You can sit back in your cozy warm house while others are without power, you can read a book and tune out the rest of the world, or you can help those whose turn it is.
Then I stumbled upon Tony and Carol, neighbors I have never before met trying to cut a tree so that it was no longer in the middle of the street. I went home. Grabbed my clippers and joined them. Together the three of us attacked that tree and a project Tony thought would take him years, took about an hour to get into shape. When Tony brought out a saw, I went across the street and trimmed the branches of another neighbor's tree so that they were no longer sticking in the middle of his driveway. They have been here less than 2 years and have already lost 2 1/3 trees.
While helping Tony and Carol we cheered when we saw the power return! It was about 5 PM and still light out. A part of me wanted to go home and check emails and Facebook, but I stayed until the branches were too big for me to cut with my pruner.
It felt good to help someone when it wasn't my turn to have storm damage. It was a lesson I learned after Superstorm Sandy when Jim (a neighbor I did not know before then) came over with his chainsaw and saved us from having to hire a tree company to take down our willow tree.
This winter we have had 9 storms, with a 10th in the forecast for the weekend. I've tried to clear the ramp and driveway for our next door neighbors, sometimes before I have finished our driveway.
You do what you can when it is not your turn. Even though my arms are sore, it still feels good. After living in the neighborhood for 14 years, I'm finally feeling like I'm getting to know my neighbors. Rather than focusing on what took me so long, I'm trying to focus on how else can I help my neighbors.
What to do when it is not your turn
We are taught to take turns early in life. When on the playground we have to let our friends go down the slide, too. Kids who don't learn how to take turns we quickly learn are no fun to play with, so we move onto playing with kids who do take turns.
In this case, though, I'm talking about those not-so-fun times in life. The times when you are the one who is facing something bad, be it a car accident, an illness, the death of someone close, or, in yesterday's case, storm damage.
Fortunately it is not always the same person's turn to suffer. Sometimes it might feel that way, but it is not. I promise you. When it is not your turn, you have a few options. You can sit back in your cozy warm house while others are without power, you can read a book and tune out the rest of the world, or you can help those whose turn it is.
After spending a couple of hours snuggled under my blanket next to a roaring fire (so glad the gas fireplace worked when we lost power!) reading a fun book, I decided to toss on a sweatshirt and take a walk to survey the storm damage. (Amazing how my definition of sweatshirt weather has changed -- in this case it was above freezing and not windy.)
The people in the Woodlane section (homes build about 10 years before ours) got their power back at 10 AM. By 3 PM we were still without power and would be for the foreseeable future. On the other hand, they had a lot more storm damage than we did. I helped a woman take branches off of her sidewalk so people (like me!) could walk on it.
I kept on walking.
I popped on over to another section of the neighborhood. These homes were built 10 years after ours. They, too, had power (so not fair!). A husband and wife in their sixties were trying to yank a half of an elm tree off of a cedar tree they wanted to save. I could tell from a distance they were getting nowhere! I helped them tug and saw and within a few minutes the trees were once again apart. I accepted their offer of warm water to wash the dirt off of my hands.
I kept on walking.
Then I stumbled upon Tony and Carol, neighbors I have never before met trying to cut a tree so that it was no longer in the middle of the street. I went home. Grabbed my clippers and joined them. Together the three of us attacked that tree and a project Tony thought would take him years, took about an hour to get into shape. When Tony brought out a saw, I went across the street and trimmed the branches of another neighbor's tree so that they were no longer sticking in the middle of his driveway. They have been here less than 2 years and have already lost 2 1/3 trees.
While helping Tony and Carol we cheered when we saw the power return! It was about 5 PM and still light out. A part of me wanted to go home and check emails and Facebook, but I stayed until the branches were too big for me to cut with my pruner.
It felt good to help someone when it wasn't my turn to have storm damage. It was a lesson I learned after Superstorm Sandy when Jim (a neighbor I did not know before then) came over with his chainsaw and saved us from having to hire a tree company to take down our willow tree.
This winter we have had 9 storms, with a 10th in the forecast for the weekend. I've tried to clear the ramp and driveway for our next door neighbors, sometimes before I have finished our driveway.
You do what you can when it is not your turn. Even though my arms are sore, it still feels good. After living in the neighborhood for 14 years, I'm finally feeling like I'm getting to know my neighbors. Rather than focusing on what took me so long, I'm trying to focus on how else can I help my neighbors.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
The Wovel
Announcing...the WOVEL!
Faster and safer than a shovel.
Cheaper, smaller and more eco-friendly than a snow blower.
The wovel attaches a wheel to a shovel, using basic machines (wheel, lever, etc.) to propel the snow to the side of the driveway. Okay, I didn't do so well with that section of science. I just know it works.
In less time than it takes our neighbors to get their snowblowers up and running, Don can wovel our entire driveway in 10 minutes flat, and have energy left over to help other neighbors with their driveways.
Don's chiropractor likes it because it is gentle on the back muscles.
Don bought his in January 2011, but it took us three years before it got some serious use, and led to conversations about it. It is worth it for the magic of keeping snow storms away for three years. ;)
To learn more about the wovel visit: http://www.wovel.com/
It is available at Amazon for $139.00, plus free shipping.
Pole Farm (Lawrenceville, NJ)
When we bought our home fourteen years ago, one of the big draws was having Village Park in our neighborhood. I had been rollerblading in that park for years. I loved it! Don said jokingly that we would never end up using the park once we moved to Lawrenceville. Happily he has been proven wrong.
The paths are paved and it truly wonderful for roller blading, walking, hanging on the playground, etc. What has made it even better is that it connects to the Pole Farm, a.k.a. Mercer County Northwest, a.k.a. Mercer Meadows. The name keeps changing, as does the park itself.
A friend forwarded me the following link from the 2011 presentation describing past, present and future plans for this location:
http://nj.gov/counties/mercer/commissions/pdfs/park_mmpresentation.pdf
An article about their plans appeared in 2013:
http://www.mercerspace.com/features/pole-farm-remembered-in-mercer-meadows-plans/
I visit this park fairly often. I do tend to stay away in January and February due to deer hunting. I tend to turn right at the tree line. Last week I turned left instead and saw:
I see the new two story structure is an observation tower. Considering last year they removed many of the trees and brush, there is no reason to climb up to see anything. Hopefully new growth will be happening soon. The parl feels awfully bare these days, even when it is not winter.
Future plans call for the Pole Farm Historical Exhibit (number two on the left).
Back in 1975 when AT&T no longer had a need for a pole farm they tried to sell the land to an apartment developer. Then there was talk of building a golf course on this property. Thankfully people protested and plans changed. The county stepped in and purchased the property. Best as I can tell, it was opened to the public in 1998, about the time we bought our home. It was very rustic -- good for hiking and birding, but not running. It went through a series of "improvements," some of which washed away during a good rain storm. In 2013, the path seemed to change every time I went for a run on it. It was quite frustrating to have a path marked out, only to not be able to find it a later. The bridges have changed the paths, too.
A nice addition has been a latrine. I know it is too much to ask for a water fountain, but 3 miles from home is a water fountain in front of the Hunt House. There are also two water fountains in Village Park. Of course, I pack my own.
Today we get to enjoy this land. I'm liking the current round of improvements and look forward to mapping out new distance routes.
The paths are paved and it truly wonderful for roller blading, walking, hanging on the playground, etc. What has made it even better is that it connects to the Pole Farm, a.k.a. Mercer County Northwest, a.k.a. Mercer Meadows. The name keeps changing, as does the park itself.
A friend forwarded me the following link from the 2011 presentation describing past, present and future plans for this location:
http://nj.gov/counties/mercer/commissions/pdfs/park_mmpresentation.pdf
An article about their plans appeared in 2013:
http://www.mercerspace.com/features/pole-farm-remembered-in-mercer-meadows-plans/
I visit this park fairly often. I do tend to stay away in January and February due to deer hunting. I tend to turn right at the tree line. Last week I turned left instead and saw:
The last time I visited this side of the park I ended up going over a bunch of new bridges like this one, complete with new signs.
I see the new two story structure is an observation tower. Considering last year they removed many of the trees and brush, there is no reason to climb up to see anything. Hopefully new growth will be happening soon. The parl feels awfully bare these days, even when it is not winter.
Future plans call for the Pole Farm Historical Exhibit (number two on the left).
A little history about this location. For nearly 50 years, most international calls went through the "poles" of this AT&T transmission site. This was back in the early days of trans-Atlantic phone calls.
Also new to me on this photowalk was seeing a sign next to one of the abandoned poles.
Back in 1975 when AT&T no longer had a need for a pole farm they tried to sell the land to an apartment developer. Then there was talk of building a golf course on this property. Thankfully people protested and plans changed. The county stepped in and purchased the property. Best as I can tell, it was opened to the public in 1998, about the time we bought our home. It was very rustic -- good for hiking and birding, but not running. It went through a series of "improvements," some of which washed away during a good rain storm. In 2013, the path seemed to change every time I went for a run on it. It was quite frustrating to have a path marked out, only to not be able to find it a later. The bridges have changed the paths, too.
A nice addition has been a latrine. I know it is too much to ask for a water fountain, but 3 miles from home is a water fountain in front of the Hunt House. There are also two water fountains in Village Park. Of course, I pack my own.
Today we get to enjoy this land. I'm liking the current round of improvements and look forward to mapping out new distance routes.
Baltimore: American Visionary Art Museum
Don, Ashley and I spent about an hour walking around all three floors. The word that came to mind to describe the collection was eclectic. Ti be honest, we just didn't get it.
As we were walking out the door, a docent was preparing to lead a tour. We were so glad we joined his group! The gentleman reminded me of Jerry Stiller. He started by asking the most basic question:
What is Visionary Art?
Um, yes, we should have figured that out by then. But, no, we hadn't. Sounds like no one else understood the concept, either, though he said middle schoolers often at least attempt to answer the question. Our middle schooler kept quiet.
Many of the artworks our docent shared with us were prisoners and people in insane asylums. Ahh... slowly, through his explanations the artwork came to life. I didn't always care for the work -- such as Frank Bruno's apocalyptic art. I also didn't understand how a 3,000 piece Pez collection fits in with the theme of visionary art, but I appreciated it more.
Um, yes, we should have figured that out by then. But, no, we hadn't. Sounds like no one else understood the concept, either, though he said middle schoolers often at least attempt to answer the question. Our middle schooler kept quiet.
Visionary artists are untrained artists who use the materials at hand to bring to life their vision of a piece of artwork.
The website describes it in a far more verbose way:
"Visionary art as defined for the purposes of the American Visionary Art Museum refers to art produced by self-taught individuals, usually without formal training, whose works arise from an innate personal vision that revels foremost in the creative act itself."
Many of the artworks our docent shared with us were prisoners and people in insane asylums. Ahh... slowly, through his explanations the artwork came to life. I didn't always care for the work -- such as Frank Bruno's apocalyptic art. I also didn't understand how a 3,000 piece Pez collection fits in with the theme of visionary art, but I appreciated it more.
I also appreciated that someone took the time to create a museum dedicated solely to self-taught artists.
Thank you, Facebook friends, for the suggestion.
Other suggestions for Baltimore included:
- Fort McHenry
- Babe Ruth House/Museum
- Touring the stadium
- Golden West Cafe
- Fells Point
- Railroad Museum
- http://www.baltimorefunguide.com/ and http://baltimore.org/events.
Birthday Celebration -- 120 years
120 years. That is a long time to live. Well, it helps if you split the celebrations between two people celebrating a milestone.
On December 26, my dad turned 70.
Nearly two weeks later, on January 8, Don turned 50.
One of my 2013 resolutions was to host an open house. That didn't happen. We ended 2013 with hosting an intimate Christmas Eve dinner for 8. That went well, so we invited 25 people over for a buffet-style sit-down dinner for the birthday boys.
It has been a long time since we have had that many people over during the cold months. To add to the challenge, we left our Christmas trees up so people could enjoy them. Or was it because I was too lazy to take them down yet? Either way, it made setting up tables a bit of a challenge!
In the end, we had seating for 8 in the kitchen, 8 more in the dining room (the first room to fill up) and 7 in the family room, and tray tables in case everyone actually came. In an effort to make this as eco-friendly as possible, we took out the extra place settings we have been storing in the basement since our wedding, and used every last glass and piece of silverware in the house. Any more would have had us eating in shifts.
As I was setting the tables moments before the guests arrived (I didn't want the cats sitting on the tablecloths), it dawned on me how much one has to purchase up front in order to be eco-friendly in the long run. We ended up buying paper napkins because I didn't have nearly enough cloth ones. Other than that, there was not a lot of waste.
I made a photo album for my dad for his birthday using his birthday pictures from the past 45 birthdays (since I was a baby). You can see it HERE.
We gave Don a bobblehead made in his own image. He placed the order. I don't know the name of the company. I can tell you, they were very fun to work with. The package arrived very quickly from China. They worked with Don to make it exactly like he wanted.
The party was a great success. It was great seeing everyone at our house. It sparked our interest in doing more entertaining in 2014. Maybe this will be the year I actually host an open house. Stranger things have happened.
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