the second, longer leg

Here's a map so far, which I will keep updating as internet connection allows.

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the first leg of our trip...

Here's a complete accounting of the northeastern portion of our trip:

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I have many pictures to post and stories to tell, but haven't had enough time with a good internet connection--maybe this evening.

Father's Day Hike

I took a guided hike this morning at the Sycamore Canyon County Open Space Preserve. Somehow, when I offer Nina a hike as the thing we'll do for the morning, she doesn't pick that option, so it was nice to go. A photographer for the local paper was there at the beginning of the hike; it's actually the second time in a week I had my picture taken to possibly be in a newspaper. On Wednesday, I went to the Princeton contra dance and there was a photographer there too. I don't think it was because a handful of graduating high school seniors are regular dancers, but that's what I would write about.

Here's hoping the budget problems don't cause all of the state and county parks to be closed!

mommy in training

I made a strawberry pie last night--super simple, I took some organic smoothie mix I had bought a long time ago (strawberry, kiwi, and banana), heated and pureed it, then added a little cornstarch. Then I sliced a bunch of strawberries into a cooked pie crust and covered them with the puree. Super simple, no sugar added. I then whipped some cream and added vanilla and granulated maple syrup, and ate a slice of pie with whipped cream. It was heavenly. So much so that I had some for breakfast and put the remaining whipped cream into my coffee.

When I packed lunch for Nina today for school, I decided that a slice of pie would be fine since it had no added sugar. When I picked her up I asked her if she had liked the pie. Imagine my surprise when she told me she hadn't eaten it. And when I asked her why, she told me that they had ice cream at school and if she had eaten the pie it would have been too much sugar.

Can someone explain this to me?

organization...oh the joy

Though my home is not always well organized and tidy, I am happiest when it is. I really love when everything has a place and is in it. Really good organizational tools are invaluable, so when I saw this at a local discount store I ogled and lingered over it but didn't buy it. Then I found myself obsessing about it and made a special trip to get it, hoping all the time it was still there.

It was...

It's a charging station for our phones, mp3 player, bluetooth, and camera. And a cork board. And slot for incoming mail. And finally, something I had been looking for--a whiteboard for keeping track of food in the fridge. I made three columns, one for produce, one for leftovers, and one for a grocery list. When anything is put in the fridge, it's written on the board, when it's used, it's erased. And when I've entered the grocery list into my Palm, it gets erased as well.

It's the little things, truly.