What is it about this day?

Sorry this blog is delayed. But, thanks to my clever sister, Leslie, it is here.
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November 4th 2007

Today turned out to be an eventful day. Well, eventful in that there are quite a few events to be celebrated on this day, November 4th.

For instance, today is the NYC Marathon, a big event in which people from all over the world, who have trained for months and months, come to NYC and run in a 26.2mile race around all 5 boroughs. You should check out the history of Marathon racing. My best friend, Shelley participated in this year's marathon. She also fundraised $2,000 towards a cancer research foundation and ran for the team. I am so proud of her!

Today is my dear friend's, Julia, birthday! Julia married another friend of mine, Daniel, then moved to Atlanta for a job. I really miss them. They used to be so close to where we live. Just 5 blocks from our apartment! Julia is now 24 years old.

Another wonderful person in my life is also celebrating on this day. Andra Michelle Mahoney married Robert (insert middle name---I know he has one!) Mahoney, on November 4th 2005.

They are celebrating their second year together. They are living, working, and going to school in Virginia. They want to get pregnant this coming January. Andra and Robert can't wait to be parents! They'll be the best!!


Today I was called to be a Primary teacher to the 8 year olds.
Which should be something I can actually do, because the kids speak both english AND spanish.
Let's hope they'll humor me as I try to practice my spanish!

November 4th: A good day!

Saturday at the Market

Despite living in the city, New Yorkers are big advocates of going green. So, they've set up markets where local farmers can sell produce, fresh meat, and organic products to the desperate city folk! There are farmer's markets all over the 5 boroughs, but the largest one in Manhattan is in Union Square. My task was to find butternut squash and apples. I found everything I needed, including some delicious zuchinni bread.
(I can't resist baked goodies)

You can also participate by bringing your compost heap to the market. I guess you can make compost in NYC! Maybe people with small yards or rooftop gardens.

This is me trying to take some pretty pictures.
It was a perfect cloudy day!

Pink Lady, McInstosh, Macoun, Matsu, Golden Delicious, Cortland.....

A Fall Sunset

This looked like the perfect sunset for the beginning of fall. The sky was beautiful yellow/orange color. Like fall leaf.
This is the view from our living room window if you were to stick your head out and look left.

Your looking out on to Dyckman Street (or 200th-we live way up at the top of Manhattan).

Now imagine, reggaeton playing in the background, cars honking, and people from the street, laughing/talking loudly. And there's home!

You can see Fabco Shoes and Always hair salon supply store in the background.

Despite the noise I just described, it's actually really quiet in our apartment. Although, if I wake up in the middle of the night I can here my neighbor above us snoring! Kind of funny.

A beautiful orange horizon
And a lovely crooked picture
(rememeber I had to open a window to take a quick picture. It was cold!)

My Mother-in-Law

A California Native and Hippie

Mother of 3 boys and 1 girl

Sings and Dances in risque shows, such as "Follies Brassiere" a show about women going through The Change

And now it's come to this...

---THE BIKER CHICK!

Happy Halloween!

'Ward' off the Trick or Treaters!

Yesterday was our Ward Halloween Party. It was a fun, loud, cute, sugary good time!
Since, we don't live in the 'Burbs, trick or treating is a little more difficult. Kid's can't really go from apartment to apartment in their building and beg for candy. That's just dangerous.

Instead, families either have parties or get together with their friends with children and trick or treat at each other's home. I've heard, in some neighborhoods (probably the really nice one's), kid's will go to the nearby department stores/grocery stores to trick-o-treat. Although, that sounds kind of lame to me.

But the Mormon kids have a rockin good time, trick or treating at the church. Families volunteer to take a class room, dress it up with Halloween decor, and pass out candy to all the adorable, greedy trick or treaters. We also had a dinner of goblin fingers (carrots), blood and guts (spaghetti and red sauce), and witches eyeballs (purple grapes). There were also games to play and movies to watch! So much to do!

Now, onto the pictures!

I must tell you, I'm a terrible picture taker. TERRIBLE! So my pictures are poorly lit, blurry and awkwardly posed. I'm telling you so you won't get frustrated and that you know how hard I work to make a terrible picture!

As you already know, I dressed up as silent film star, Mildred Davis. So I studied, the art of Finger Waving, and this is what I came up with...

Here is a picture of the weak fingerwaves I came up with. It's not easy!

Below is a pic of the lace I used for the collar on my dress. This pic is mostly for my mom.

And of course a picture of the couple:

When I grow up...(pbbbbft...yeah right!)

I've decided what I'm going to be for Halloween! My costume is homage to the wonderful world of silent film stars! I'm going as Mildred Davis. She was Harold Lloyd's leading lady in all of his comedic silent films. And then, Nathan is going as Harold Lloyd! The two silent films stars later married and had 2 children. So we thought it cute to go as a pair!

Although, Davis and Lloyd's marriage and lives ended with workaholism, infidelity, alcoholism, depression and a coronary, we in no way uphold and esteem their actions by our dressing up as them.


But Hey! It should be fun! Here are some pictures from their Happy Times...

Oh my!

I wish THIS was as healthy as.....













THIS!!!!!!










I'm never buying candy corn, again (or at least until next year).

ME! ME! ME!

What time did you get up this morning?
Unwillingly at 8am. Nate and I were up until 2am for a clubbing gig he had.

Diamonds or pearls?
Diamonds

What was the last film you saw at the theater?
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

What are your favorite TV shows?
Unfortunately or fortunately? We are without Television, but, if we had one it would be Simpsons and Nova.

What did you have for breakfast?
Plain yogurt with honey, oats and raisins

What is your middle name?
Joy

What is your favorite cuisine?
Italian. Or Mexican. Hmmmm….Both!

What foods do you dislike?
Anise.

What are your favorite chips?

Baked Cheetos. Ooh! And Lime Tostitos.

What is your favorite CD at the moment?
Well, yesterday I was listening to Franz Ferdinad

What kind of car do you drive?
Drive? How ‘bout RIDE! And that would be the Metropolitan Transit Authority locomotive. AKA The Subway.

Favorite sandwich?
Usually turkey with lettuce, tomato, and provolone on a multi grain bread

What are characteristics you can't stand?
Insincerity or Fakeness (is that a word?), Intolerance

What are your favorite clothes?
One’s that make me look good!

For lounging around the house---an old Yellow Stone tshirt and striped pj bottoms

If you could go anywhere on vacation, where would it be?
Yosemite and Yellow Stone

Favorite brand of clothing?

Anything I can afford that looks good on me. Can you tell I’m a little vain?

Where would you want to retire?
Close to my family.

Favorite time of day?
Dusk

Where have you lived?
Arizona and NYC

Coke or Pepsi?
Root Beer

Pedicure or manicure?
Hmmm...Either or. As long as they don’t scrape off the

Callouses on my feet!

What did you want to be when you were little?
A meteorologist. I’m affected by the weather I guess

What is your best childhood memory?
The one’s where we’re all sitting around talking and laughing

Favorite flower?
Daisies

Favorite ice cream?
Mint chocolate chip.

Bedtime?
11 or 12am

What are you listening to right now?
The box fan in the living room.

What is your favorite color?
I like different colors for different things. Let’s see RED, ORANGE, AQUA BLUE, DEEP BLUE, PURPLE, BROWN, BLACK, etc……

Favorite magazine?
Lucky Fashion Magazine

"[Bad Costumes] will reconcile people to any atrocity”

I was riding the subway today, during the usual Saturday madness. The madness usually means fewer and slower trains on the weekend, which then overpopulates the trains with slower and dumber people.

So there I was smashed between a fat person and the fat person's shopping bags, unable to move and unable to grab the iPod in my backpack.
So, instead I entertained myself with the typical subway advertisements for "Laser Wart Removal", "Learn to Speak English booklets" and the "MTA's Safety Tips".

My eye's wandered around for something more interesting and I found an ad for a Halloween Costume Shop. It displayed all the fun costume's their store offers! Wait, no. Fun isn't the right word. Hmmm....I know! Inappropriate! They were awful! Not a single one came below the knee or above the cleavage zone. I was appalled. So in response to the terrible costume suggestions from the subway, I offer you one simple suggestion.
REX KWON DO! It covers all and it's simple to assemble! Bandana, shirt, American Flag pants....

"Take a look at what I'm wearing, people. You think anybody wants a roundhouse kick to the face while I'm wearing these bad boys? Forget about it. "

Once upon a midnight dreary....

I love holidays. I grew up celebrating practically every holiday within the year.
And Halloween is no exception.
The candy corn, the costumes
the begging for candy, and the disgusting looking cookies you can bake and give to friends-makes it all so much fun!

My sister-in-law was the first to try out this recipe. It was for my niece's birthday party-don't worry her birthday is close to Halloween.
I'm thinking I might try it out and share the cookies with my neighbors! What do you think? Too much.....?

Creepy Witches' Fingers

Yield: 5 dozen

1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Icing sugar (powdered sugar)
1 Egg
1 tsp Almond extract
1 tsp Vanilla
2 2/3 cups Flour
1 tsp Baking powder*
1 tsp Salt
3/4 cup Almonds, whole blanched
Red decorator gel

Happy Halloween!

Ode to my husband

ODE TO MY HUSBAND!

1. Who is your man? Nathan Thomas Botts

2. How long have you been together? One year and 24 days

3. How long did you date? Aaaahh. It’s sort of complicated, because I was gave him a bit of a hard time, for about 4 months and then dated OFFICIALLY for One year. But I’m worth it, right Nate? Right!?!

4. How old is your man? He is 29

5. Who eats more? I think we eat about the same.

6. Who said I love you first? He did – May ‘06

7. Who is taller? Nate 5’ 9’’

8. Who sings better? Nate. He has the voice and soulfulness of Chet Baker.

9. Who is smarter? Hmmm ..... I think we are smart at different things. Or at least I think so.

10. Who's temper is worse? Nate is a very impassioned human being.

11. Who does the laundry? We try to do it together, but if you tallied all the visits to the laundromat, I’d win.

12. Who does the dishes? Again, we try to split it up, but lately, I’ve been doing it more (only because I don’t ask. But if I asked…..)

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Me. But on vacation we switch it up.

14. Who pays the bills? Both, we still have our own bills we need to pay, mainly the Student Loans.

15. Who has bigger feet? Nathan. Can you imagine if I did???

16. Who has longer hair? I do. I want to keep it that way! For a while he had shoulder length hair.

17. Who is better at the computer? Nathan

18. Who mows the lawn? Lawn?

19. Who cooks dinner? Nate is an EXCELLENT cook/chef. I’m still learning

20. Who drives when you are together? The subway conductor.

21. Who pays when you go out? Nate. Occasionally I cover the tip.

22. Who is most stubborn? Oh MAN! No contest! Nathan!

23. Who is the first to admit when they are wrong? Nathan’s pretty quick. I sit and mull over it a little longer.

24. Whose parents do you see the most? Probably mine. Although I’ve spent a lot of time on my own with his family. I get along with them really well!

25. Who kissed who first? Nathan. He was so cute. And so brave! I really gave him a hard time…

26. Who asked out who? Nathan….He wins the PRIZE for bravery!

27. Who proposed? He did. sigh….good memories

28. Who is more sensitive? I’m definitely sensitive. But Nathan has some tender moments that makes me love him more and more.

29. Who has more friends? Me. I'm pretty social.

30. Who has more siblings? Me: 5 Nathan: 3

31. Who wears the pants in the family? He has one leg of the pants and I have the other!

Henry VIII and NYC Thugs

Last Sunday I heard there was a Medival Fair up in my neighborhood in Fort Tryon Park . Up in the park there's a museum dedicated to Medival art and architecture (the building looks like a small scale castle). This museum is called the Cloisters.


I figured that it would be a cute 3-4 block fair, to help promote the Cloisters Museum. Boy was I wrong. Everyone was there! Especially the freaky high schoolers who are REALLY REALLY into the whole Medival thing. It was so much fun! They had a tent where they taught you how to make a fresco, an actual blacksmith making swords, a big tournament area for jousting, sword fighting, musical performances...they had everything! Did I mention all the weirdos that came dressed up? Boy they were weird.
I, unfortunately, had to go by myself because Nate was out in Queens doing a gig. I also had to leave earlier than expected because I recieved an alarming call from Nate telling me he was mugged at gunpoint on his way to his gig! Thank goodness he's safe. They ran off with his wallet and phone (not his trumpets...whew), fortunately leaving him unharmed.

Such exciting life and times in NYC!

The leaves are(n't) falling

There's nothing like being into the second week of October and having 83 degree weather! At least it's getting to be more of a dry heat.
I also found this when I was looking for an image to post for my blog. All the Arizonans might think this is funny:

"

My node id all dufd up...

Does anyone know what to do for allergy season? I know there are few home remedies that help aleviate allergies, like....garlic necklace? An orange in the armpit? Drinking a glass of water while standing on my head? Ick!

Lay it on me, whatever you got!

Capri

Forgive me of my quick travelogues I'm giving. They don't quite describe ALL the feelings and thoughts I had on my adventure, but just the jist of what we did. We arrived in Capri by boat from Naples, took a small and very cramped orange bus to Anacapri, then hiked to our quaint little hotel. As soon as we got their we put our backpacks in the room, threw on our swim suits and headed down to the Blue Grotto for some swimming. It was incredible! We explored practically the entire island, we hiked to the ritzy yuppie areas to the quiet small homes of the locals. We hiked up and down stairs, tried to go swimming again in Faro (west of Anacapri) got their just at high tide.

Bern, Switzerland

Bern was a pretty cool place to hang out. Bern is German for "bears"--so guess what we saw?
BERN!!! In Bern, we went to a chocolate store (by my request), stopped in H&M (it's cheaper there...I nearly bought a cool denim dress), saw a very old church and hiked up to the bell tower to see an aerial view of Bern, then checked out a statue of the baby-eating Johnathan Swift.

Lucerne, Switzerland

I think Lucerne, Switzerland is the most immaculate and clean city I've ever seen.  There is not one ugly building in the joint!  No litter, no bums...there are swans floating in the lake!  Sheesh.

We spent about an hour there and in the mean time, took pictures of the old bridge and the hotel where Omi & Opa stayed on their honeymoon.  We then went into a Jesuit church decorated in pink and ate some delicious Swiss version of macaroni and cheese.

Bonjour, Gutentag, Ciao

I'm back from my trip to my first trip to Europe and have about 700 pics that I brought back with me. I arrived in Geneva, Switzerland, August 3rd with a backpack on my back and instructions in my hand telling me what trains/buses I should take and where I should transfer. It was a comfortable and scenic trip. 3 hours later I arrived in the ski town of Verbier. Verbier is beautiful. The mountains are steep and lush, and the town is expensive and small. In the summer the only thing to do is hear the Verbier Orchestra or hike. That's it! The orchestra is all there is to do. But apparently in the winter, during ski season, the streets are jam packed! And everything is at an incline. I swear my butt got twice as big from it!
The day after I arrived, Nate had his morning and afternoon free so we went on a little hike.
me doing a power hike! and then me on the face of the mountain. steep!
and a leap for joy

more to come.......

A Tail to Tell...

This blog is kind of for the family members who know the Woolf folklore. You see there is a story told of my sister Cecily, who discovered a "Lizard Tail" at the bottom of our refrigerator. As you can imagine the whole family gathered around the fridge to see this disgusting lizard tail. But on closer inspection we found that it wasn't a lizard tail but actually a petrified carrot-- a brown, scaly, shriveled, petrified carrot.
I share this with you so that you can appreciate what I have discovered at the bottom of my refrigerator, the picture doesn't quite capture it. You have to hold it in your hand, but until then...