Things I've Seen Thursday

Spring jumps straight to summer...

My immediate world is consumed with two things only.
School & the multitude of blossoms that have appeared.
The entire DC Basin is looking up, gazing at the trees in their "Peak Bloom" with colors of white, light purple, magenta, light pink, greens, and yellows.
I pause briefly under trees to breathe in the sweet freshness that their flowers create as they signal to the many big bumble bees "I am here, take what you will."
I am sorry, my dear friends and family in Alaska... but you will not want to hear this next bit...
It is 90F today. And it is glorious. Scary, because I know this is just the beginning of the extreme heat that the DC area experiences... but it is very nice to be somewhere warm in April.

Below is a big long album of Things I've Seen while out on my daily walks.

Enjoy the blooms...

This is a dream picture for me... VW van and the blooms!

GIANT bumble bees!!

Carpets made of petals...

Love & LIGHT!
JSchloHard

Cherry Blossoms and Homework Treats

Bloomin' Cherries!

The cherry trees have started to bloom! The beautiful cotton-candy-pink blossoms are a lovely sight after the somewhat grey last few months. Paired with the daffodils and crocus opening their petals the DC area is revealing its splendid color.

Delicious Homework Interlude

Swamped with school work, Saturday night I did the only logical thing.

I cooked a delicious meal. 

Asparagus with Egg

lemon infused olive oil

2 cloves grated garlic

dash of salt
shaved Dubliner cheese
bake on 400 for 30 minutes

I paired the asparagus with English Breakfast Tea (necessary late evening caffeine) and...

Crispy Chicken-
Two drumsticks with skin
Tab of butter inserted under skin
Salt- do not skimp on the salt! It makes a crispy skin!
Bake 400F for approximately 45 minutes.

Love & Light... and cherry blossoms :)
JSchloHard

Ten years ago

Ten years ago today I walked out of my job. I was 20 years old, had little baby dreadlocks, and was living in Fairbanks AK.

Before that day some friends and I started a group at the University- the Campus Coalition for Civil Liberties. We organized a march in downtown Fairbanks on March 15th that many people attended. We joined with other groups from town like No Nukes North and demonstrated at the federal courthouse. We gathered with other concerned Fairbanksans and protested the ramp up to the Iraq war on the corner of University and Geist road twice a week. We felt it was up to us to warn people of the very real threat of war in a country where we had no right to be in the first place. I was very outspoken about my beliefs back then.

I remember feeling crushed when the rockets were launched, when the . I immediately left work. Not the most responsible thing to do, but I felt compelled to leave... and I was not going to be welcomed back.
I did not know where to go, I felt alone and unsafe. I may have been very far from this violent action but I felt sick to my stomach and like the world had let me down. I was so disappointed.

At the time my favorite accoutrement at protests was a giant cardboard painting of a peace sign. That night I took the sign to an impromptu candlelight vigil at the Cushman Street bridge and when I left the vigil I went back to the corner of Geist and University rd and stood there...... holding my peace sign... heart broken.
An older man on crutches, haggard, with only one leg approached me. He looked at me, asked if I was ok, (I said I would be), and then..... and then he stood up as straight as he could and..... saluted me.
I started crying. He gave me a hug and continued on. 

Ten years have passed. TEN FREAKING YEARS!!!!

People suffered and continue to suffer from this anniversary.
I knew then that the country would never be the same... and I remember where I was that night.

Walk, Run, Red Face... 30!

By night I am a super hero. We all know this.

By day... 

By day I walk peoples precious pets so the furry ones can relieve themselves and be calmed with human interaction during the stressful hours their beloved owner/parent/partners are away.

Like the mailperson- "Rain or shine, snow or sleet, I walk your dog." Or something like that. Yeah, I pick up shit for a living. It's fine.

I feel really connected to the weather and progress of seasons in my job as I am outside all day. The weather has had some lame effects on my skin, but being outside and using my body for a significant portion of my day has been fantastic for my mind and body. I get to release my brain from school work as I tour the neighborhoods of Arlington with (usually) pretty cool dogs. I have gotten to really love a few of the dogs and I'd say I am pretty well versed on the N. Virginia style of architecture by now. 

Besides dreaming about Mr. Dear and my future travels, I have decided to make these walks with pups into a very serious daily workout routine. I mean, THIS GIRL turned 30 (!) two weeks ago. Time to get serious about the way I feel about my body and the health of my future self, dude. 

I got shit to do and things to live (well) for!

Suck it, Jillian Michaels!

Anyone who knows how much I like secretscupcake and how much I despise embarrassing myself by running (First rule of cupcake... don't talk about cupcake. Second rule of cupcake...) will be a little surprised by this next bit-

The last three days of my dog walks- I have run .5-.75 miles.

I have also been doing way more crunches and sit ups per day than I have since                                                                                 my back/spine exploded in my mid-twenties. May not seem like to anyone, but I am sure proud of myself. 

Suck it, aging process!

This MAY not seem like much to you awful people who think working out is second nature and that the human body was made to run. SCREW YOU!! I mean... I AM SO PROUD OF YOUR 3,012 mile RUN! GO EAT 12 SECRETCUPCAKES!

But really, the hardest part isn't the starting... it is the continuing. I will try to try to continue this workout endeavor. My friend Sam and her related love of notsosecret cupcake... and her hate of Jillian Michaels has helped inspire me to do whatever it is that I can do. (read her awesome blog)

Walk, Look. Pick up poop, Look elsewhere.

I see a lot of cool little things when I am out walking. Between the running, there is MUCH walking. Fascination of February on the Eastern Seaboard? Flowers blooming. Not like home. The following I like to think of as 'Simple Things I Seen...'

a million staples in an electric pole

little blue flowers the size of a pencil eraser

old figs that look nasty

peek-a-boo... this was early Feb... now they are almost blooming!

eye see you...

these are delightful... and they cover entire lawns

cherry blossoms, with tips of color!! SOON!

reminded my of mini forgetmenots

Gnomie chillin between two trees... almost forgotten

I think Alice could fall through there...

a tiny shed, about the size of a king size bed

SUNSHINE ON A STEM!

love this half-face planter

*Modest Mouse, JJ Cale, and Orchestra of The Ages, Noah and the Whale

XOXO
Jschlo-Hard

JH Together Again/ Feast!

JH Together
This weekend my husband and I are together. I cannot describe the feelings I have walking into the house we rented here together, where I do not live but where my things and my love are. My face hurts from smiling all because I get to see him and wrap my arms around him. I do not care where we are. We are together for now and I am in love. <3

Sharps
It was pure bliss to unearth my kitchen tools of the trade and slice smoothly through anything I wanted with my ultra sharp knives! YAY! #thingsyoumisswhileingradschool

Celebrate Every Day (but especially this weekend)
our 4 year anniversary (Feb 13th), his birthday (Jan27th), Valentines Day (Febwhatever), and my 30th birthday (Feb18th) and just because we can.

Silver Adornments
China, lined with platinum silver filligree- Wedding gift
Harding Family Silver- belonged to Nobie Harding, John's Grandmother- thanks Andy Harding!
Silver candle sticks- Aunt Elizabeth and Jim O'Malley- we light whenever we eat a special meal together.

The weekend will be filled with fun food adventures but here is the result of day one.

This entire meal was done in three hours or less. Including the frosting. Eating, no, but

prep and make time was wrapped up quick!!

Dinner-

Bacon Wrapped Cheese Dates w/ Blueberry Balsamic Glaze

Honey Butter Pork Loin

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Roasted Red Potatoes

Grilled Asparagus with Garlic

Chocolate Fudge Cake with Blueberries (grooms cake)

Young's Barrata Red (wedding wine)

Wedding China

Candle sticks and antique snuffer (John's bday present)

Harding Silver

 Appetizer- Bacon wrapped dates with cream cheese and parmesan

drizzled with blueberry balsamic reduction

Balsamic reduction

Brussel sprouts

 Roasted red potatoes

Asparagus (beautiful silver servers!)

Cake

Happy Smurfday :)

Best candle ever!

The inside is really gooey and full of blueberries

Better than Box Chocolate and Blueberry Cake-

Duncan hines devils food cake mix 

1/2 packet of cream cheese (NOT sour cream!)

4 eggs

2/3 c water

1/2 c oil

1/2 packet chocolate pudding

2 big boxes blueberries

Put it all in a food processor or mixer, it will be thicker than regular cake mix.

Bdake like the box says, until a knife pulls out clean. 

It came out so dense that I did not need to chop the top puffy cake bit off! 

Smother top of one with frosting, layer of blueberries, put other layer of cake on top, frost, blueberries.

It tastes like a big chewey brownie! 

The more blueberries the better!!