Friday 27 March 2009

Talk about living the dream...


My brother, Matt, and his girlfriend, Lindsey are off on a 5-month trip through all the countries that would cause your parents to gasp when you mentioned visiting them! They started off in Egypt, and intend to also head to Syria, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and others that I can't remember, before finishing off their trip in (relatively new) Cambridge. I am so jealous I can hardly stand it! I'm definitely putting the Siwa Oasis on my life list. In any case, you can follow their journey on their blog and I highly recommend it. Lindsey is both an excellent photographer and an excellent storyteller!

Wednesday 25 March 2009

Amusing Signs

This week George is away at a conference in snowy, snowy Germany. As I blog, George is giving a talk, which I am sure is blowing everyone away. The conference is being held in Ringberg Castle and the room he is staying in is in a tower! I'm not sure whether there are any dragons guarding the castle, but if there are, I'm sure St. George will take care of them. But I did wonder when I got an e-mail requesting me to cut off my hair and send it to him...

Anyway, Buddy and I have been left to our own devices. I am rather impatiently waiting to hear about a job for which I interviewed last week while procrastinating preparing for another job interview next week. Now that it really does feel like spring, Buddy and I are taking even more walks. We have now developed the mysterious power to make it start to rain as soon as we are too far from the house to duck back inside. Then as soon as we get back home, Buddy's ears dripping water and my jeans weighing 5 pounds, the sun miraculously reappears. We have tried this multiple times and seem to be very good at it. Unfortunately, George has the camera in Germany so I can't show you any photographic evidence of this feat. You'll just have to take my word for it.

BUT, I can show you the beginnings of my Funny Signs collection...Enjoy!


Thursday 19 March 2009

A Repurposed-Driven Life

I've recently been inspired by my friend Nicki's new motto: living a repurposed-driven life. Then My friend, Laura, told me a really easy way to repurpose...wait for it...green onions (bear with me here). When you buy green onions, aka scallions, at the store, they have all their little roots still attached. I usually just cut off the bottom of the bulb and compost it but if you put those little bulbs in a pot of soil you will be amazed what happens in just a few days:


The white part is where I cut the bulbs off and the green growth started the same day I planted them! When they get a little bigger, you can just snip off the tops and use them as you would use chives or scallions. I will be using mine in a new salad dressing I just invented.

Molly's 'Ranch' Dressing
1 cup of plain yogurt
1/4 cup green onions, finely diced
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon wedge squeezed in the dressing
- mix it all up and thin it with water to your preference. You can add any other spices, herbs, or seeds you like. It tastes great (if I do say so myself) and is much lower in fat, sugar, and all the bad stuff you find in commercial dressings. Enjoy!

Tuesday 17 March 2009

English Lesson Number One

Many of you have asked me whether I've begun to pick up an English accent. The answer is, sadly no, but I am finally getting the hang of certain common English phrases. It is essential to master the really common phrases or you will quickly get lost in a conversation. The problem is that some words have many meanings. That, and the fact that no sentences mean what the juxtaposition of words would have you believe.

Lesson One:
After months of study, I think I have come up with a good definition of the word 'proper', including some examples from actual conversations I've had:

Proper: adjective
1. good or excellent
"First, let's have a proper cup of tea", translation: There is nothing in this world that a good cup of tea can't fix, wouldn't you agree?
2. correct or respectable
"If only the housekeeper would give the loo a proper cleaning", translation: I'm not going to say anything to anyone who can change things, but between you and me, the housekeeper does not clean the bathroom very well, wouldn't you agree?
3. utter, total, or complete
"That bloke is a proper knob...if he comes 'round again, I'm gonna put him in the river", translation: That guy is a total jerk...if I ever see him again, I will drown him in the River Cam. (Knowing that guy, he probably does mean what he says!)

Hope you've learned something here today. Class dismissed.

Thursday 12 March 2009

Organic Farmer

Well, we're going on our half-year mark in Cambridge and I am still not gainfully employed. BUT I am finding ways to amuse myself. This week I started volunteering on an organic farm called Prospects Trust at Snakehall Farm. The farm operates by working with people who have learning disabilities to provide training and work opportunities in horticulture and organic market gardening. I started volunteering because I wanted to learn more about local organic farming practices, but instead I am learning more about British culture! For starters, the developmentally disabled people I've been working with are by far the friendliest Brits I've encountered!

For example, yesterday I worked with a young man named Joel, who has impaired speech and movement, and is one of the kindest people I've ever met. He wanted to make me feel welcome in the group so challenged me to a game of American pool - they usually play an incomprehensible game called Snooker. I warned him that I am terrible at pool and he promised not to make fun of me. What followed can only be described as a rout! Joel sank the 8 ball when I still had 4 or 5 balls on the table. He kept his word not to make fun of me and came over to demonstrate to me how one aims during a game of pool so that the balls go in the pockets. I must have looked very confused during this explanation because then Anna, a spectator with Down Syndrome, came over to intervene. She leaned in to quietly tell him, "Joel, you have to speak slowly. She's American."

Wow. I always suspected that I am more disabled in this country than most folks, and now I know I am! I'll keep you updated on my progress.

Sunday 8 March 2009