31/365: Pasta

Today after two batches of dough, spaghetti noodles sat perched on the
drying rack. In my opinion it is too cool of a sight not to take a
picture.

30/365: Someone Has The Itch

I am not sure what possessed my lovely E to pull out his bat seeing
that it was -11 this morning and we have snow on the ground. Although,
I know the season will be here before I (we) know it.

29/365: One Purse

There is a cute story behind this one. While in Chicago with DB before
Christmas two years ago, we were shopping at my mothership Williams-
Sonoma. I was purchasing her some new spatulas as a Christmas gift
(she got 3).

She asked me what I would like for a gift, I replied, "Your Burberry
purse." What was wrapped up a couple days later...? The Burberry
purse. :) Now before hopes get too high, it is a fake but a cute one
at that!

That is also the trip we drank the famous cornucopia. Which we have
recreated each fall since then.

28/365: My Desk Caddy

Here is what holds my pens and pencils on my desk. My mum bought this
for my birthday a few years back and it is still my favorite thing to
keep me organized.

27/365: Willow Tree

Here are my Willow Tree figurines. Each of them given to me at a
different point of my life and each have a personal story.

26/365: Meet Wayne

This is one of my stuffed animals. I got him in 1997, while working at
the National Guard Youth Camp and since that time he has traveled the
globe with me and others who are willing to take him along. He has had
a busy life that in 2004 while he was traveling in Sweden he lost his
nose.

And how do I keep him so white? Well sometimes he finds himself
accidently with the towels or sheets.

25/365: My E

Yes, here is the love of my life E, cooking up some venison tacos for
us. If you are curious he is an awesome cook, he just does not share
his talent that often and hence why he is my picture for today.

24/365: La Bella Vida

In Italian: The Beautiful Life. Here is my favorite treat (capaletti)
and a bottle of red wine. Oh and there is Italian music playing in the
background just to set the mood.

23/365: One Red Balloon

Today would mark the 29th birthday of one of my best friends, who
tragically was killed in a car accident in 2006.

Each year since that tragic day on her birthday I have released a red
balloon in her memory. The idea came from her funeral when red
balloons were released and those at the burial stood and watched them
be lifted into the horizon.

This year my husband and I watched the balloon drift off to the east
until it was out of sight.

Happy Birthday Kel, love you.

22/365: Frosty Sunrise

This morning as I was leaving for work, I saw our little maple tree
covered in frost. I stopped to take a picture as it was just too cool
to ignore.

21/365: My Desk

Here is a picture of my desk that has been passed between
generations. Also my two American Girl dolls, Samantha and Felicity.
However, contained in my desk are some of my most priceless treasures,
pictures, various medals, and memories from past travels. Yes and that
would also be my sewing machine, my mum gave it to me as it used to be
hers.

20/365: Today!

I work at district offices, so I do not get to enjoy the excitement of
kids in the classroom when something big is happening. Today however,
our cafeteria was decorated with student made placemats to celebrate
the day.

19/365: My Orange Mixer

I love the color orange. This is my mixer which has made various
different things. My favorite time was when I made homemade
marshmallows (yes, you can make them).

18/365: Just Not Hot Enough

Here is B (a good friend's son) adding hot sauce to the salsa at dinner tonight. E and him
enjoyed it. I stayed with the mild salsa.

17/365: Only in Minnesota

Would you find anyone driving their snowmobile to Perkins.

16/365: A book and a bear

Somwhere in all of my moves I lost my Paddington Bear from London. So
one day this bear came to live with us, he sits daily on our window
sill. Next to him is a book that has been there since E and I got
married, which was a gift from my mum. Every once and a while we look
through the book to just read the wisdom of 3rd graders.

I think though the reason both thing sit there... it is a reminder to
take things easy.

15/365: Never a good sign.

I saved you from seeing a picture of my car registering that it was
-26F. So instead as I was driving home I saw this bus being towed.
Hopefully when it brokedown there were no kids on board.

14/365: One Day

I am in the middle of a huge project due Thursday at 2:30, so one day
left. The requirement for tonight, wi-fi, something else, and to bring
the ship home. Now it is time for sleep.

13/365: Are you kidding me?

Here is the shot from my rearview mirror en route to work this
morning. Yes, that is a -21F. The windchill makes it feel at least
-35F. Brr!

12/365: A gift from Babushka

As my mum eluded to in her blog, today is the anniversary of
Babushka's death. This is a quilt that she gave me when I went to
college. I love this quilt so much, that when I got married it did not
gradute to the "our's" and still is known as "mine."

Tonight it is suppose to drop to -15. I am going to be wrapped
underneath it.

11/365: Who stole my laundry fairy?

Well, one day out of the weekend I find myself doing laundry. Today
the laundry started later than I had hoped so I have become a prisoner
to the 'estimated time left'. Well, time to probably switch the loads.
Unless someone has found a laundry fairy to do this job for me.

10/365: Bedtime

I have been working on project grant far too long. So I am heading to
bed much earlier than anticipated. Oh and we are meeting again
tomorrow starting at 10 AM.

9/365: My Desk

A view of my desk. Yes, there is a laptop buried under those papers. A
week from today, the view of my desk will look very different.

8/365: The Wall of Wine

Here it is our wall of wine. We won this at an auction. The more
comical part was that my husband does not drink and he was the one
doing the bidding to make sure we won. Thanks for a friend of mine who
split the wall with us, which saved us from having all 60 bottles.

For those who know us in real life, we still have more bottles than
these 12. Don't assume we have drank that many. ;)

7/365: Wednesday Skate

Update: I used my iPhone to upload my picture yesterday and I did not realize that it never uploaded until my sister pointed out that I had missed a day.

----

A view of the John Rose Oval, my unofficial home in the winter. Or so I think.

6/365: It is an obsession, I admit it!

My mum started it! She bought a red one for pasta sauce and then one
for angel food cakes. Then I picked up my first spatula and then my
second. Oh but then I love to cook.

Also check out my mum's blog, she just got her pictures posted! 

And my sister is doing this as well, so check out her blog.

5/365: And they expect me....

to find something? I liked the grocery store when I was 16. Today, in
married life, is a weekly ritual of trying to find something of
substance and that we will both eat. Well, off to make dinner, ham and
corn.

4/365: The Frozen Sunset

From my deck. It is currently -4 with a -15 windchill. The sky was an
amazing combination of blues, purples, and orange.

3/365: Six Weeks

Six weeks until Nationals, this is a test in my book of pure endurance
and sanity. It is only 25k (16 miles) and will take an hour to finish,
I am not crazy enough to try the 50k (at least not yet).

About my skates. They are interchangable so I can put my inline frames
and I can also have a fixed or clap blade. Last year my skates were a
mere five days old as I stepped to the start line of Nationals, so I
was not used to them yet. This year they are an extension of my feet.

2/365: The Other New Year's Resolution

Here is a pic of E and I's SNAP Fitness access cards. We get a great
deal through our health insurance ($9.95 + tax for both of us) so it
was hard to pass up. Now all we have to do is go at least 12 times a
month.

1/365: The End of the Party.

Here is a parting shot from our New Year's fondue party. Now I am off
to bed. Happy New Year!