Farmers Market Saturday

Friday Dinner

We wanted something indulgent but healthy; this was what we decided on.

Check-up at the Vet

This little guy got a clean bill of health Friday. He also got three vaccines- two shots and one through the nose. The vet called him "stoic."

Austin Kitty Limits

A perfect Saturday- cat nearby, pizza, and a movie. No crowds, just homey comfort.

A Beautiful Friday

This is my current view from my desk (kitchen table). It has been gray all day and it hasn't rained *yet* but my fingers are crossed. Just to see a cloudy sky is a delight in itself. It makes me feel more productive, makes the little candles around me shine more brightly, and makes tea-sipping more pleasurable. It's the little things...

Updated: An hour and a half later, no rain and the sun is back!

Weekend Update

We had a quiet weekend at home for the most part. On Friday evening, Austin gamed and I read for enjoyment (read: not dissertation) and we kept it very low key. Saturday I treated myself to the first pumpkin spice latte of the season, one of my favorite simple pleasures. We met up with friends on Saturday at a dive pub we like and it was before the Longhorns game so it was a sea of orange. Then we headed home to watch the game and have pizza.

On Sunday, Austin did the test phase of our new spice drawer. That's right, isn't it exciting?! The lazy susans in our cabinets are just not working and we are spice addicts so it was time for a change. Inspired by a former professor, we decided to use our kitchen linen drawers for the spice jars. Austin bought some sort of trim and hot glued them in the drawer so that all the jars can have a track to lay in. We use mostly Penzey's spices so that was the default size setting. The set up is perfect so next weekend we'll invest in the rest of the materials and finalize the project.

It was a perfect weekend with a good balance of down time and socializing. Now we're off to tackle another work week.

A Quieter Week

These gorgeous chartreuse and deep purple gladiolas are in the living room and I just love them. I picked them up for less than $4 and they have been a wonderful, simple pleasure this week. I know I post lots of flowers* on this blog; I just like to accompany a post with a photo even if it is not anything particularly in line with the content of the text.

After the Labor Day fires, things have been a lot quieter around here. We still hear sirens several times a day but the fire near us was one of the smallest in the area so we don't worry too much. It seems that some jumpy folks call in any smoke they see, even if it has likely blown in from a distant fire. It turns out that not only was this the hottest, driest summer on record for Texas but also in any state of the union. Fortunately we're now enjoying overnight lows in the 50s which is like heaven to me.

It's been an average work week here. I've had several interviews with participants so I'm officially in the data collection process of my dissertation. This involves lots of follow up writing and then scheduling more interviews. I'm enjoying it and working closely with my chair to make sure I'm doing things correctly given that I've never written a dissertation before. Not teaching has been a real relief and I've also been able to do some side work on publications and conferencing to continue to add to my CV in anticipation of job applications.

Last night we watched and thoroughly enjoyed the Packer game. Stinky, however, is no fan of the occasional cheer, groan, or other uncivilized noise-making.

We have a quiet weekend planned with one outing to a favorite dive pub to see some friends. We may also try to do some yard work in the cooler hours of the morning. Essentially, we're looking forward to seeing where the weekend takes us and hoping things continue to stay quiet.

*I grew up picking wildflowers and my mom always called me her "flower child."

All Clear

The fire didn't get close enough for us to need to evacuate and is out as far as we can tell. Stinky was happily released from the house last night and we slept with the windows shut on the first cool night of the season (low of about 58 degrees) to keep the smoky smell at bay. A small price to pay. Our thoughts are with all those who are struggling with the larger, meaner fires.

Labor Day Fire

There is a fire three miles north of us. We can smell it (outdoor cooking and fires are banned so it's not holiday festivities) and ash is floating in the air. From a hill near us, we could see the smoke of three different fires in the area. Our chances of being evacuated are low but we're keeping the cat in the house just in case.