Show us Where you Live-The Dining Room

I thought I'd join in with Kelly's Korner today for her weekly 'Show Us Your Life' posts. Today people are posting pics of their Dining Rooms and I love to see how others decorate one of my favorite rooms in a house.

I know a lot of people feel like the dining room is wasted space because its not used on a regular basis. If I'm serving a meal in my dining room it usually means my whole big extended family is gathered round for a holiday meal or celebration of some kind and I love that. Or it might mean friends are gathered for a dinner party which is something else I enjoy. It may not be used often but when it is its almost always something special and happy. Forgive the bright lights...this was taken pre dinner party one evening and I hadn't dimmed the chandelier yet.

Speaking of the chandelier...it has got to go. I'm pretty sure its the one the builder installed when the house was built about ten years ago. We've been in our house just over a year now and most rooms still need a little tweaking. We're getting there but its a work in progress!

If you read here you know I have a thing for dishes and pottery and having a meal in my dining room means I get to use some of the pieces I've collected while traveling.

The walls in our dining room are navy blue up top with white wainscot minus the paneling down below. The trim is also white. I love the color and have navy walls in my living room too. It sounds dark but its not...the white trim, windows and open foyer between the rooms keep it feeling light but cozy.

We've gone back and forth on the window treatment...we like it bare and we sit back off the road without anyone directly opposite our house plus there's a fairly large tree in front of the window so we don't need anything for privacy.

We've decided to put plantation shutters up anyway though because I love the way they finish off a room and also, hello...

This girl? She likes to stalk the groundhogs and chipmunks who hang out in the rock ledge on our front hillside. This means there are practically permanent nose prints on the glass which makes me a teensy bit crazy.

This is one of my favorite pieces...

Its hand made glass that we bought in Murano. Murano is a series of islands just a quick boat ride from the city of Venice and its famous for its glass making. You can watch them work and the stuff is positively gorgeous!

I also love birds and bird prints and we have two Audobon prints in Antique frames with silk mats that we've moved from house to house through the years. I like them best in a dining room.

The corner where my server sits needs something on the wall above it...just can't quite decide what...

I guess I should mention our cork collection...when we moved to the UK we began saving corks everywhere we went and we keep some of them in a pretty glass jar in a corner of the dining room.

Thanks for stopping by today..hop over to Kelly's Korner to see more dining rooms on tour.

Putting a bow on it...

Is it just me or has this been a looooong week? We've had rain all day every day except Wednesday. The leaves are really turning now and I'm remembering how much I loved the colors of fall last year. Does anyone else feel just a little bit sad when autumn arrives? I love this season maybe more than any other but it can also make me feel just a little bit melancholy.

Some of my trees are already so pretty but I have not taken any photos because did I mention it has been raining all day every day? Yeah. Good housecleaning weather (or so I've heard). How does my house get so dusty? There are no little ones running around making messes and we're gone almost more than we're here, and still that dust just continues to collect.

I have a few stray thoughts (ya think?) that I need to corral so I figured I'd end the week by wrapping up some loose ends...

First off, do you remember my birthday? Kidding! Sort of. I wrote two posts answering questions readers asked and there was one I promised to get back to once the dust settled. That would be the figurative dust, not the dust in my house which apparently will never settle. I may have had one too many cups of caffeinated tea this afternoon. Sorry.

A-ny-hoo, Carol asked me to post my favorite recipe and I said I would never be able to choose so would just share a favorite recipe. Fudge Pie. Yum! It's simple and delicious and I generally have the ingredients on hand so I can make one up if unexpected guests drop by. Or whenever I feel the need for fudge pie. The recipe found here is just like mine except I use 1/2 cup of flour instead of 1/4. Enjoy!

Secondly, crock pots. I love to pull out my crock pot this time of year but I have two issues with them. One is the clean up. My pot lifts out but it isn't easy to clean. Recently I was in someones home for Bunco and she had her dinner going in the crock pot. We were discussing this very problem when she showed us these-

Am I the last person to know about Crock Pot Bags? I love them and no this is not a paid endorsement. My supermarket carries them and you just pop the bag in the crock pot, put your meal in the bag, cook, eat and then toss the bag. Voila...no messy crock pot.

The second problem I have with crock pots is the taste. I love making soups and stews and chili in mine but those recipes generally call for lots of seasoning and spice. I find that many chicken and pork dishes lack an essential ingredient which is called flavor. Too bland. Or if they're not bland its because they are smothered in cream of something soup which I love but try to avoid. I found a good crock pot pork chop recipe online (seriously people, what did we do before google??) and I'm sharing it with you here. If you have one you love send it my way pretty please.

Lastly, during my birthday hullabaloo I was given a lovely bloggy award by Alex and I wanted to say thanks. Thanks Alex! That same week I was tagged by two different bloggers in a game that requires answering 8 questions for every tag. I'm cheating a little because I'm pretty sure you are, at this very moment, holding your breath and praying that I am not going to answer 16 questions at the end of an already long post. You may exhale...I'm answering the first four from Tina at a View from a Hill and the last four from Carrie at It's Not Easy Being Queen.

1. What is your favorite season and why?

Fall...the changing colors, the cooler temps, football and especially breaking out the boots. Cute boots I mean, not snow boots. They're for another season. Well we hope they're for another season-last year we had a snow storm on Oct. 8th. That's just wrong.

2. Do you have a bucket list and what is one thing that is on it?

Not an official written down bucket list but a mental one for sure....one thing?...write something that is published (and I don't mean by Blogger)

3. Do you go to Starbucks and what is your favorite drink there?

Occasionally. No haters please. We don't have one in our little town but we do have a Dunkin' Donuts and I prefer the taste of their coffee. I'm not a fan of the really filling flavored coffee drinks so if I go to Starbucks I usually order a tall skim latte or cappuccino and when I'm out of the box I get it iced. Whoo hoo.

4. What book are you currently reading (or have just finished)?

Little Bee by Chris Cleave. I really liked the book but will tell you its a bit 'dark'. We discussed it in my neighborhood book club on Tuesday night and it got mixed reviews. I think that was mostly because you need to be in the right frame of mind to read something that isn't all sunshine and light. I like those kinds of books too but I think its good to read things that make you squirm a little. The world is not always a nice place and for those of us living in America its easy to avoid thinking about the not so nice stuff that's out there.

5. Do you like to wear orange?

If I'm at a Tennessee football game I do. Actually I like orange as an accent color. I have two scarves with orange in them and they're my favorites.

6. What's your favorite thing to shop for?

Shoes and pottery. In Italy.

7. Do you watch Dancing with the Stars?

No

8. Do you think American Idol should just call it quits? Would you even miss it?

Yeah, I kinda think they should just call it quits. I have loved the show but I'm not too excited about the new season without Simon. Who will be the voice of reality for those folks coming on the show whose mamas have told them they can sing, and sing well, when clearly they cannot??? Aiyiyiyi.

Have a great weekend everyone!

So, a blonde walks into the random dozen...

It's time for the weekly random dozen which is always lots of fun. Don't worry...brunettes and red heads can play too. Just answer the questions on your own blog and click the donuts to link your answers with the masses.

1. Do you believe, somewhere deep inside, that blondes do indeed have more fun? That they are "dumber" than brunettes or redheads? Be honest.

As the mother of two natural born very intelligent blondes I definitely don't buy the part about being less intelligent. That fun part however, may be true...

My blondies are lots of fun...

2. Which animal would you most like to observe in its wild habitat?

Probably lions or another of the big game creatures. Hubs was in a game preserve in South Africa last week and he got to pet a baby lion. He said the fur was surprisingly coarse...

And since you asked...why yes, I am jealous.

3. This week the UN announced that Dr. Mazian Othman has been appointed the official "Alien Ambassador" should any extraterrestrials contact us. Have you, or has anyone you know, ever seen a UFO?

The story made headlines on Monday but is being denied today. I hope to goodness it is some sort of hoax. If it were found to be true my head might explode. Seriously UN, there are starving children around the world, people living in infinitesimal levels of poverty without so much as a well for water, there are wars and famine and the trafficking of minors for reprehensible stuff...please tell me our money isn't being spent on something too ridiculous to be believed.

Oh wait, I didn't answer the question...no.

4. Name your favorite Hitchcock film?

North by Northwest...it's the story of an innocent man mistaken for a spy. He's chased across the country as he tries to stay alive. Oh, and it stars Cary Grant...need I say more?

5. Would you rather spend time at the library, the mall, a craft store, or home?

tough one...depending on the day and my mood I could pick any of those.

6. Which Disney Princess is your favorite?

Belle. She loves books and thinks what's on the inside matters most.

7. What kind of art is your favorite?

This is also a tough one...I love lots of different kinds of art and enjoy spending time in museums and galleries. With art much depends on my mood and what's going on in my life at the moment. If I have to choose a favorite I would probably say the Impressionists. I love Degas' La classe de danse and also his sculpture Little Dancer of Fourteen Years. Monet's Water Lilies would be another favorite. We saw a display of them in the Met this year and they are stunning.

8. How do you feel about viral videos, that is, videos made up by amateurs that end up on Youtube receiving thousands of hits?

I haven't thought too much about it. I've seen some great things on Youtube and I admire the entrepreneurial spirit of people so whatever. I think one of our faves is still the Asian Backstreet Boys...it is one of the first things I remember seeing on Youtube and it still makes us laugh. They lip synch to Backstreet Boys songs and they are hilarious! It was posted four years ago and its a couple of college students who filmed it on a web cam in their dorm room. There's another random friend at his desk in the background and I think he's playing video games. Mom and Dad's tuition dollars at work! Anyway, these guys look like fun and they've had over 12 million hits. I suppose if you didn't live thru the Backstreet Boys craze with tween girls it might not be as funny to you as it is to us but we loved it when it first appeared.

9. Where do you buy your jeans?

Usually at The Gap.

10. Tell me about your first automobile accident.

I've only had one and it was ugly. I wrote about it here. You will find it under #5 in response to, 'Tell me about the scariest moment you've ever had?"

11. Have you ever been honest when you knew you would benefit more if you were dishonest?

Possibly but nothing is coming to mind on this one.

12. If you were appointed "Ambassador to Aliens" what would you show and tell first about life on earth? What would be the most difficult thing to explain?

Well for starters I'd probably invite them in for a cup of tea and some sort of wonderful chocolaty concoction. I think chocolate could go a long way towards the establishment of inter galactic peace. They can admire the changing seasons from my kitchen window and see what we earthling families are all about.

Most difficult thing to explain...hmmm, its a toss up between our country's political chaos and our unnatural affinity for reality television. I fear the two are not unrelated.

Weekend

Hubs landed at 9:30 Friday morning after a week in South Africa. He got to the house about 11 asking if we had sudafed, benedryl, NyQuil, Dayquil or ANYTHING because his allergies had gone into overdrive while he was away. It is springtime in the Southern hemisphere which didn't occur to us until he was actually there. I gave him a couple of sudafed, he took a shower, repacked his suitcase and, at 12:30 we hopped in the car and headed back to the airport for a trip south. Parent's Weekend was on tap at Daughter2's university and we had booked it before hubs South Africa trip was rescheduled for the umpteenth time for the same week. Ugh. For him anyway. If it had been me I'd have gotten into my nice comfy bed and said have a nice weekend and say hi to the girls for me. He travels better than I do though. He would not disagree.

The weather was gorgeous Friday and Saturday and we enjoyed being outdoors most of the weekend. Daughter1 was working Friday night so we took Daughter2 to dinner and then for some ice cream and a walk down Main Street. Their sorority has a really nice tailgate for parents on Saturday before the game so we had lunch under the trees before walking over to the rugby pitch to watch Daughter1's boyfriend play in a match. Rugby is a tough sport and I didn't have a son on the team but I cringed a few times like I did. I'm pretty sure God knew I needed to spend years sitting in an audience at ballet recitals as opposed to sitting on the sidelines of a rugby pitch. That's why He gave me daughters. Not the only reason but I bet He considered it.

Anyway, did I mention it was hot? Because, wow, it was hot. We were melting and we still had an afternoon of football to watch. It's so much fun to sit in the stands at a college football game. And of course winning makes it all a little bit sweeter.

After the game we went back downtown for a fantastic meal...having my whole little family together for dinner makes my heart happy. Sunday we awoke to gray rainy skies but thankfully the temperatures had dropped too. The girls took us to the church they attend and having my whole little family sitting side by side in a pew also makes my heart happy. Sometimes I think it might actually burst.

Now I need to ask a question and that is this- are we the only parents in the universe who make one or both of our children cry on Parents weekends? No. No we are not. I know this for a fact because daughter2 told me the day we arrived that one of her friends had already been in tears over something her parents had gone on and on and on about gently advised her to do or not do.

Parenting is hard work isn't it? When my kids were young and I looked out into the future I somehow saw myself feeling less and less parental. I know I have some readers here with young children and I just have to tell you that is not how it works. Parenting does not get easier. In fact it gets trickier. Much trickier. Because young adult children have opinions y'all. So do four year old toddlers but they can't drive or live away from a mother's watchful eye or have boyfriends now can they? They also are not choosing careers and lifelong mates and making a myriad of other big decisions, the weight of which you as a parent will feel.

I love my girls with all my heart. And one of the things I love most about them is that they feel things deeply and passionately. This is all well and good when we're talking about changing the world but it is sometimes hard to take when we're talking about day to day life. I'm sure I said this about my 20 year old when she was 2. I'm also pretty sure my mother said the same thing about me.

And I do remember being 20 years old. I know my own parents tried to share with me the benefit of their hard earned wisdom and especially the benefit of perspective. At 50 you can look back and see full well how the decisions you made as a young adult have impacted you for all the years that came after. I'm not saying my daughters don't listen to us. They are thoughtful and bright and mature and they do take to heart what we say. It isn't that kids this age think parents don't know anything. It's more like they think they know an equal amount. And while they do know more with every passing year there are some things that can only be learned by growing older and looking back. When you are 20 years old that's not necessarily something you want to hear.

So this Parent's Weekend was like most Parent's Weekends we've experienced. Lots of fun, lots of laughter, lots of happiness at being together, and at some point in the weekend somebody sheds a few tears. That's just how we roll. At this stage of the parenting game we see our job as one of loving our children, praying for them every day of their lives, and then helping them consider issues they may face and decisions they must make from all angles. They will continue sifting through what we say, taking some of it on board and tossing some away and in the end making their own decisions which is as it should be. Everybody's growing up. And I don't mean just the kids.

South Africa, William Penn and facebook...they're all here

My hubs left Sunday morning on a business trip to South Africa so I went to see my mom for a few days.

When I mention on my blog some of the places my hubs travels for work I always get a few comments asking why I don't go too.

Mostly it comes down to timing and my personal safety.

I'd love to see some of South Africa but he's working and I'd be alone much of the time so it didn't seem like the right thing for right now...hopefully one day.

He did send me this-

No, he is not a game warden.

He had the opportunity to spend a few hours in a game preserve before his meeting began.

It's almost like being there, isn't it?

And hey, who needs a day in a Safari Park in South Africa when you can hang out with your mom and her good friend at Longwood Gardens?

After all, Pennsylvania is very nice too.

When my siblings and I were kids our parents used to have to drag us there...

"Not Longwood Gardens!!!" we would whine say.

But these days we love it...over 1,000 acres of gardens, woods, and meadows and over 11,000 types of plants and trees.

Hubs has the better camera with him and the old camera I had with me would not allow my computer to read all the files so I cannot show you all the fabulousness.

You're relieved I know.

Tuesday was an absolutely picture perfect day so we had a wonderful time walking the grounds.

A friend of mine from the UK moved back to the states this past summer and she lives very near the town where the gardens are located.

It's too bad I didn't have her new phone number with me or I could have called her to join us. And it's especially too bad because when I emailed her later and said I'd been there she said she'd been there too.

The same day.

Drat.

Remember that word?

Does anyone still say drat?

I'm sure my kids will let me know.

Longwood was originally a farm operated by a Quaker family who had purchased the land from William Penn of Pennsylvania fame.

Time for a random side note -William Penn's grave just happens to be in a tiny Quaker church cemetery in a tiny English village just a stone's throw from our house in the UK.

My hubs was out walking our dog one day and stumbled on it.

His grave is not in terrific shape...

England.

Sigh.

History is packed into every nook and cranny there.

Anyway, where was I?

Oh yeah, back to Longwood...eventually Pierre du Pont, founder of the Dupont Chemical company, purchased the land in order to preserve the trees and he created most of what is Longwood Gardens today.

And what it is today is absolutely beautiful.

Really, it is so wonderfully designed and is full of magnificent gardens and flowers and fountains and big tall trees soaring to the sky...absolutely gorgeous.

There's something to see in every season so anytime is a good time to spend a day there.

As we approached the conservatory we noted a very high wall.

My mom and I both laughed at the sight of it and the memory of a trip our church youth group took to Longwood Gardens way back when.

One of the boys in our group hopped up on the wall and didn't realize there was a drop behind it.

Yes indeed there was a drop.

About 30 feet.

He broke his leg.

Mom's friend who was with us for the day was wondering how he had managed to fall because there is a black iron fence and railing running the entire length of the wall.

We told her we were pretty sure it was our youth group's visit that resulted in that fence and railing being there today.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, God bless youth workers!

Also this week... thru the miracle of facebook I was able to meet up with two old friends while I was visiting my mom.

One I'd known since kindergarten but haven't seen in 30 years so we had dinner and a nice long chat.

The other friend I know from the several summers we spent working together as camp counselors.

We agreed that as parents now looking back, we cannot believe people actually left their children in our care.

We also agreed that those summers marked and changed us and are some of the best memories of our lives.

And don't you think catching up in real life with friends you've reconnected with via facebook is every bit as exciting as an African safari?

I'm sure of it.

Okay, who besides me thinks I've had a lot going on here lately?

I feel like I'm popping in to blog a recap and then its on to the next thing.

I'm sure it will settle down soon.

Not this weekend though because, hello, more plans.

Fun plans.

I'll probably be back Monday to blog a recap.

It's what I do.

Falling into the Random Dozen

It's time for this week's Random Dozen...you can play along too by answering the questions on your own blog and then clicking the donuts to link with others who have joined in the fun.

1. Have you, or someone close to you, ever won an award for anything? (Linda just returned from her dad's ceremony wherein he was given a medal of Honor by the French government for service to France in WW2.)

Yes. My dad was awarded the Navy Commendation medal and also received the Republic of Vietnam's Navy Distinguished Service medal which is rarely awarded to a Marine. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnamese Service medal, the Joint Service Medal and the Vietnamese Campaign Medal.

2. Who is the nearest relative to you who has served in the US Military?

My dad was a career Marine officer. He served in WW2, Korea, and Vietnam.

3. Share something that stirs the patriotic spirit in you?

Gosh, all it takes is for me to hear the National Anthem and I feel patriotic. Seeing our flag fly, seeing our flag fly overseas, standing in a military cemetery here or on foreign soil, standing on the beach in Normandy, fireworks, watching footage of soldiers returning from war, standing at Ground Zero and seeing footage of the day, especially those firefighters running into the heart of the disaster, hearing Taps.

4. Where are you in the birth order in your family? Do you think your 'placement' made a difference in your personality?

I am number 3 of 4 and I'm sure it played a part in my personality. I'm pretty easy going and in general I'm a patient person. That might be due to the fact that third children spend a lot of time waiting. I know that I love having older and younger siblings.

5. Name one trait you hope you carry that was evidenced in your grandparents or parents?

Integrity

6. If female do you prefer wearing a skirt or pants? If male shirt and tie or polo?

I am happiest in my blue jeans. With heels.

7. Approximately how many times do you wake during the night? What do you do to go back to sleep?

Women in mid life and mothers with newborns have something in common....interrupted sleep. Ugh. I have no problem falling asleep. It is only in the last couple of years that I've started waking in the night, usually just once, but sometimes its hard to go back to sleep. I don't usually get out of bed. I think, pray, write blog posts in my head, bemoan getting older...I rarely turn on the light.

8. Share a favorite movie quote.

This was a hard question. There are many I'm sure but I picked three that we like to throw into the conversation in our family...

"I have skills. You know, like nunchuck skills, bowhunting skills, computer hacking skills..." Napoleon Dynamite

'You're gonna need a bigger boat." Jaws

"That'll leave a mark" Tommy Boy

9. What is your favorite fall candle scent?

Right now I have Yankee Candle Farmers Market which is a combination of fall flavors...I always have something with a cinnamon-y scent burning. That's my favorite.

10. What is one fall activity you're looking forward to?

Parent's Weekend at daughter2's university coming up soon, hiking with our pup as the leaves change, a destination wedding we'll attend in late October and, of course, watching football. That's more than one I know but I love the fall.

11. Tell us about a pleasant surprise that has happened to you recently.

I know some of you are cringing thinking I'm going to launch once more into my birthday happenings but I'm not. Let's just say I've written two posts this week that were all about my birthday weekend in NYC which was a surprise most excellently planned by my hubs. If you missed the recap you can read about it here.

12. What was it like when you first met your in-laws to be?

Hubs and I met in college. My in laws have always treated me like another daughter and I have always felt like part of their family. We had only been dating off and on for a very short time when I met his parents. We met at his house and after I left his dad looked at his mom and said, "That's the girl he's going to marry." And he was right.

Why Navy recruiters will never come looking for me

This is it. Promise. Saturday morning after a wonderful breakfast (you can relax- I did not photograph my meal) at an outdoor cafe we headed over to Chelsea Market. The market is housed in an old Nabisco Factory in the city's meatpacking district and is full of cute shops, mostly food related. Have you noticed a theme here of late?

After leaving the market we went up a nearby flight of stairs into High Line Park. This is a cute little park built on some old elevated rail lines that used to run thru this part of the city. An unexpected plot of green amidst a sea of warehouses, butchers, and brick.

Not much to look at from the street...

but really pretty from above.

We talked about what to do next and I asked hubs if he wanted to go see the Intrepid. It bills itself as an air, sea, and space museum and that's pretty much his love language. See? Not every minute of my birthday weekend had to be about me.

Your ticket allows you entry to the Intrepid (an aircraft carrier for those of you whose love language is say, shoes or handbags) a Concorde jet and a submarine from the Vietnam era. Which brings me to my post title...why the Navy won't come a-knocking-

• Have you seen those bunk beds? They're stacked four deep with about 6 inches of headroom. If I were in the Navy I'd have a permanent knot on the top of my head. I thought I might have to ask for a paper bag to breathe into just thinking about sleeping on that very bottom bunk. Shudder.

• There are an awful lot of hatches to hoist yourself thru on board a submarine. This is not easily accomplished in cute wedges.

• Also not easily managed in cute wedges? Maneuvering oneself between decks via a steep ladder sitting perpendicular to the floor. deck. whatever.

• I obviously am not 'on board' with the lingo.

• And I'm pretty sure asking questions like, "Has anyone actually ever freaked out on here and bolted while under way" is frowned upon.

• We haven't even begun to discuss all that motion.

All I have to say after standing on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier and clambering thru a submarine is God bless the men and women who serve. And while I did actually enjoy seeing the Intrepid, when it comes to New York this is more my speed...

Times Square on Saturday morning.

I know you are wondering if this was the end of our day in the city. Almost. We needed one more meal. Of course we did. Our car was parked at the Marriott (or possibly in Connecticut because really, who knows where they actually park your car) and we walked down a street known as Little Brazil in order to get there. Guess what sort of food we had for lunch? Brazillian. Fab.u.lous. I might have had one more dessert but in my defense it wasn't chocolate cake, it was coconut pudding. I have a hard time passing up coconut anything.

Thus concludes my birthday weekend recap.

You are so welcome.