Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Items Both Sundry and Diverse

Hi! It's been dreary and wintry around here so I bought some flowers!I'm also reading Jane Austen for the first time (my understanding thus far is that the art of flirtation and the drama of heartbreak is about the same now as it was 200 years ago). But ignore that picture. I meant to place it after the flowers, but Blogger isn't letting me move pictures. (What's up with that, Blogger? Just because we don't post anything for a few months, you're giving us the cold shoulder? Not cool.)

Back to flowers! The first one is a cylcomen, and the picture really doesn't do it justice. Those magenta flowers are so glowy and lovely, it's enough to make a gal forget the slush outside. And then I got these African violets:
Wait a speck! What's that mysterious substance on the leaves? Let's take a closer look.
Yes, that's hot sauce all right! Mmmm! My hope is that it will deter certain trickster felines from chewing on the leaves. I will report back on my success/failure.

In other news, my parents were here for a few days to enjoy the lovely grey weather we've been having in Columbus. And also to see the Chihuly exhibit at the Franklin Park Conservatory. And meet our cats. And buy us dinner. Aaaand also theoretically to spend some time with me and Scott, though you can see how far down on the list that was.

This is Mom! Looking pensive, as well as slightly yellow due to the brilliance of her raincoat.
And my dad!
As requested, we took them to see the Chihuly pieces at the conservatory.
Chihuly is this crazy-awesome glass artist famous for doing really large, brightly colored pieces of glass art - many of which are designed after something in nature. Hence, a greenhouse conservatory is a really great venue to see his pieces.
Here, I believe Scott and my mom were looking at this:
Which, if you can imagine, was even more spectacular in person. There were also these:




And a little J.Crew modeling on the side:
Plus, my dad hiding from the paparazzi:

Wily paparazzi! You caught him!

Also, this was pretty:
At home, Dad showed me how to shape baguette loaves.
And also how to let them rise inside garbage bags. You learn something new every day.
And I'll leave you with this shot of a panade we made for dinner last night. Leftover baguette + cheese + veggies + chicken broth baked until creamy and gooey = crazy delicious. Is your mouth watering yet? It should be.

2 comments:

  1. Yay for blogging! Thanks guys! (Emma.)

    What the F is a Panade? I guess you explained it, but seriously - where do you learn about this stuff? Cooking school? Cooking magazines? Cooking websites? Cooking newspapers? What are you like a Cooking Cook?

    I love the photos. I love how sexy Scott looks against rocks.

    How awesome is Chihuly stuff? Kate and I saw a similar exhibit at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and our brains fell out. I wish I had a camera then. Your photos are so awesome! Jealous.

    I am going to chew on your plants' leaves. Sorry.

    LOVE!

    adam

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  2. I'm not actually sure what to think of the Chihuly stuff- kind of unbelievable to see something so huge made of colorful glass- but also kind of garish and almost fake looking.

    I love seeing all the pictures!! Panade sounds amazing...yes my mouth is watering.

    The one thing about flirting and heartbreak in Jane Austen's day, and what makes her stories interesting (as opposed to simply being teenage style drama) is the immense difference in social structure for the middle classes back then making it impossible for a woman to simply strike out on her own and make a life for herself without reference to marriage or family. Unless she inherits a relative's fortune, the need to find a marriage partner is much more serious. I think in our feminist upbringing we have come to view romance and marriage as a kind of superfluous and shallow pursuit (if we take it too seriously). We're not supposed to need such alliances or to care too much about hooking up with a man.

    But marriage meant a lot more than romance back then. In fact, it had very little to do with romance. Which is (I think) what makes Jane Austen's books fascinating. She was one of the first romantics- but most people married for alliance, position, and security.

    OK, time for Angelina to shut up!!!!

    So happy you posted.

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