Onion

I spent over half an hour trying to get my step-by-step tomato soup photos to load. It wouldn't work. Thus, a picture of an onion and the hope that it will work another day. 

Intercultural Night

 One of the highlights each year at SVSU is Intercultural Night, a talent show hosted by the International Student Club. This year's show featured acts from sixteen different nations, and was one of the best I've attended. Here's a peek at the show.

Winter field

Studying

Blue

It's noteworthy when the sky isn't gray.

Regular

Yellow

View from an airplane

Gulls

Strength

Monterey

I spent Thursday and Friday in Monterey, California, the language capital of the world, attending a conference for administrators of intensive English programs. My days were packed attending sessions such as "Over to the Dark Side: From Teaching to Administration" and "Bookmarks and Clusters: Two Different Ways of Setting Cut Scores."

 I did manage to slip away at lunchtime to Fishermen's Warf on Thursday to sit on the rocks and listen to the ocean waves and relax for a few minutes before mustering up artificial friendliness for the networking breaks.

Green

Blue

Naomi's creation

Bathroom update II

Before 

Brian's house

 Last month Brian secured the winning bid at an estate auction. Recently he signed the final paperwork and now is in possession of a large, two-story brick house, complete with a detached garage and pole barn, that is just a couple of miles down the road from our parents' farm. 

Coconut cake

Light

It's amazing. I can flip a switch and the sunroom is now flooded with light.

Water and rocks

Ditched

My mailbox ended up in a snow bank on the other side of the ditch Tuesday afternoon.

Snow day

Yesterday I celebrated the first snow day of the season by baking cinnamon rolls.

Irresistable

I bought a plant yesterday. It's hard to pass up anything green and living in January. 

Wiring

 Dad has been working on the wiring, so we can install new lights in the back room. 

Lines

More art

Great (Lake) memories

Lake Huron, Ontario, Canada

 Yesterday was a rough day. Thus, the need for some Great Lake therapy today.

Bathroom update

 The bathroom was the one room that my paintbrush hadn't touched--at least until last week. 

 Next I need to figure out how to remove the rust stains from the shower walls. 

Comfort

Stove

Brian surprised me with just what I wanted--a new heat stove! We sold the pellet stove this fall since it was no longer economical or practical. I've had my eye on a natural gas heat stove, but wasn't expecting one. Dad installed the stove last week, and it has met my expectations and made my toes very happy.

Church

We met for evening church in my parents' great room (which used to be the living room and school room).

Blanket of snow