Thursday, August 25

animals and knitting. that's seriously what this is about.


August 17
Office floor
I made a baby hat and put it next to Z for scale.


August 18
Living room
This is a giant monkey that I finally finished knitting after starting and stopping for three years. (I'm pretty sure it's been that long.) And that's Sister in an apron holding him up. We had a baking morning: two loaves of zucchini chocolate chip bread, one key lime pie, and one strawberry rhubarb pie.


August 19
booth at the Mexican restaurant in Kilmarnock
Sharing a giant margarita. It's only okay after having my cousin Devon's.


August 20
The dock
Dexter wants to jump in the water so badly but he just can't bring himself to do it. Here is everyone else jumping in. Over and over and over again.


August 21
From Robert Earl
A huge storm was happening while we dined and by the time we were done, this is what it looked like.


August 22
Living room
Tiny pig legs with britches on! I can't wait!


August 23
Computer screen
Proof that I experienced my first earthquake. You better believe I thought the rumble was from giant compressed air tanks getting ready to explode in the back of the shop.


August 24
Pool
Andy and I spent the morning brushing up on our skills.


August 25
Shop counter
I met Clooney today, as in George Clooney. Because that is the closest she (the owner) will ever get to being in bed with the real one.

Wednesday, August 17

remembering the good stuff can save you


August 11
Hollywood Cemetery
I sure wouldn't mind that view for my final resting place.


August 12
Lewis Ginter
The roses really had their way with me. I got so many thorn pricks from summer pruning that day.


August 13
Short Pump mall
The full moon (it was behind me) was lighting up the sky in a most blue-y way.


August 14
The Fan
Walking around with Sister. She showed me her favorite street and I realized I had not yet picked one of my own yet in Richmond. In Brooklyn my first favorite street was Clinton Ave. between Willoughby and Dekalb.


August 15
Sunroom floor
Sometimes new socks are all you need to make you smile. That was certainly the case for me. They even went so far as to motivate me to wear a pair and go to the gym! Something I had not done in who knows how long.


August 16
Bedroom
Literally, I was lying in bed and realized there was no photo yet. That would be the view if I slept with my eyes open and always on my back. But I don't, so it's not.


This whole thing is a little bit funny because hardly ever does it shed real or complete insight into what I've been up to. For instance, these are the things you didn't see: me learning to use the wood splitter, a delicious date-night dinner where we ate tater tots with chopsticks, two more delicious dinners at restaurants with good company, seeing a movie, answering a question ("What does the future look like to you?") and singing a song in front of a dozen or so complete strangers, working at the culinary school with a parole officer,
and a much needed phone chat with my mom.

There were days during this week that seemed impossibly long and impossibly boring. So here I even surprise myself when I remember it all. The thing is, that boredom and that longness gave me tunnel vision for a minute. And tunnel vision is okay sometimes, but not when it blocks out all the good stuff.
And man am I lucky for all the good stuff.

Thursday, August 11

The end of summer begins with August




August 1
Whitten's back porch
Watching (and hearing) a storm roll in after a lovely dinner.


August 2
Dresser top
See my friend, Jeta, loves mini things. So this is a jar of mini origami stars I made for her.


August 3
Kitchen table
Our first box from Dominion Harvest! Peaches, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, watermelon...!


August 4
La Bamba
Jeta visits and we go have neon green margaritas.


August 5
Legends Brewery
This was only one piece of a fun-filled day: a giant batch of waffles for breakfast, laying on the rocks on the James, dominoes on the deck at Legends (with this guy), Flying Squirrels game, and Sweet 95 for ice cream. Woot!


August 6
Tucker's living room
Meeting Asher for the first time! I'm teaching him how to make faces because it's never too early.


August 7
Tucker's kitchen
We are serious bakers and if you saw the pastries we made, you'd believe it.


August 8
Staples Mill Amtrak station
Ending the fabulous weekend and dropping Del off at the train back in time.


August 9
Refrigerator
Job #4 has a lot of perks, like delicious dinner while I'm there and leftovers to bring home. That's Tuscan Kale Soup.


August 10
Bekah's apartment
Potluck at a new venue! With a pool! Theme: things made with water.


My favorite summer activities: outdoor dominoes, baseball games, water activities. It's going to be a good end. Heck, it already has been. See.

Tuesday, August 2

not potluck, that's for sure



July 20
Lewis Ginter
In the morning I finished that giant assignment, in the afternoon I went to the dive shop, and in the evening I went to see Emmylou Harris. If only all long days ended with something so pleasant.


July 21
I-95 N
This took me ages to figure out what it was because it's so ridiculously awful (and hardly excusable). Driving home from potluck, I spotted the fireworks, realized I had nothing to show for the day, snapped my little camera, and shrugged my shoulders with an "oh well".


July 22
Front yard
It's been blazing hot here as it has been most places. Wearing clothes sometimes seems like torture, but I brought this dress I got at a thrift store way back when from my closet in Little Rock, where it was serving me absolutely no good. I just like the shoulder ties. They make me feel like a kid.


July 23
Henrico County Dump
Cleaning up the backyard in preparation for the tree cutting. Holy cow there was so much rubble.


July 24
Kitchen counter
Cherries and nectarines all ready to go into their cobbler dish and be baked to deliciousness.


July 25
Dining room table
A night of dominoes and homemade grilled veggie grilled pizza.


July 26
Cinebistro
Seeing HP in style. That's a beer mug on the tray my dinner will soon be served to me on.


July 27
Staples Mill and Broad
Driving home from potluck, I realized I had nothing to show for the day, snapped my little camera, and shrugged my shoulders with an "oh well". Sound familiar? I don't know why I keep letting perfectly great opportunities with friends pass me by in the snapshot category. I'm going to consider myself too caught up in the moment of fun to realize.


July 28
Backyard
The day before the tree comes down. You can see it in the back by the wood pile with a faint neon orange X on it.


July 29
Backyard
There's a little man (well, he looks little) at the top of the de-branched tree. It looks way taller when it doesn't have all those limbs to bulk it up.



July 30
Otter Creek
Fresh tomatoes in the window at the river.


July 31
On the river
Elisabeth and I took a break from the work and went for a lovely kayak ride. Then she took this action shot of me.