2012 in Pictures

I've posted a year in pictures in the past where I made rules for myself about how many I could have per month.  I didn't really do that this time.  Every month has at least one picture, more have others.

It's important to me to acknowledge that most of my 2012 consisted of writing papers or reading books for school while sitting in my beige IKEA chair.  Usually I do this while wearing jeans that are slightly too big for me and a solid colored long-sleeve t-shirt.  It's not fun like these pictures look.  But sometimes I do fun things.  Here is the lopsided fun version:

Happy New Year everyone.  I hope (and expect) 2013 to be even better!

The National Building Museum: A Brief History

So my friend Patricia pointed out in a comment how absolutely beautiful the National Building Museum is.

 

I know, right?  Totally gorgeous.  

The building was originally built in the 1880's to host Inaugural Balls and to serve as the offices of U.S. Pension Bureau.  Multi-tasking!   In the years following the Civil War, the U.S. Government paid Union Soldiers increasing amounts for their past services.  This building is where hundreds of Pension Bureau employees worked.  

I teach a program where 6th graders with no knowledge about the history of the building develop the visual vocabulary necessary to figure this out.  There are plenty of good architectural and ornamental  clues that help.  Also plaques.  This is a great example:  

There is a terracotta frieze of Civil War soldiers running along the entire building.  I wonder why?  Do you think this building had something to do with Civil War soldiers?  It's a really neat program, because the kids really learn to look at old buildings in a different way.

I'm also really fascinated with the architect who designed the building, Montgomery C. Meigs.

    

He was trained at West Point as an Engineer and served for many years as the U.S. Quartermaster General.  Meigs was responsible for Arlington National Cemetery, which he intentionally built ON ROBERT E. LEE's FRONT LAWN.  One of my favorite history facts right there.  Meigs and Lee had served together prior to the Civil War, and Meigs was personally offended at Lee's choices.  That's some good revenge there.  

Aside from the story of Arlington National Cemetery, Meigs was very good at his job.  He designed the Pension Bureau with ventilation holes in the lower floors and opening celestory windows, so air would float into the great hall, be heated, and then rise out of the building through the windows.  Originally, the air in the Great Hall circulated fully within 3 minutes.  That's amazing for the late 19th century!  Partially because of this feat, Pension Bureau employees took on average 5 less sick days each during the first year they moved into the building.  Amazing!  

Museum Teacher

It's been a long time.  I've been busy with school, and I know everyone understands what that's like.  I finished both finals for the semester yesterday. (yay!)  I still have projects and the comprehensive exam and work, but now I'm down to only one more semester in my academic career.  That fact is both exciting and a little terrifying.  I'm ready to be done, but I'm scared about how competitive this field is and how bad the economy is.  I know we're all in the same boat.  Sigh.

Anyway, one thing I really have enjoyed this semester is my job which happily continues through the school year.  I work at the National Building Museum as a museum teacher.

The National Building Museum looks like this:

How lucky am I that I get to work in a building that looks like this?  Very lucky. That's the answer.

I teach school groups, special events like home-school day, and birthday parties on the weekend.  Let's get this straight:  this job is really hard.  It's scary to get up in front of a group of kids, teachers, and parents you've never met and keep their attention and teach them something.  I'm not always very good at it.  I forget classroom management techniques.  I get nervous.  But I love it because it's hard.  And because it's fun.  And because it helps a new generation feel that museums aren't intimidating.  

I hope once I graduate I get to keep teaching in a cool historic place.  

Public History: Summer Internship

At some point, maybe, I'll go back and write posts about all the things I did during the last two semesters.  As for right now, I'm doing something really exciting this summer and I'd like to tell you about it.  I have an education internship at this lovely place:

This is Tudor Place, the home of one of George Washington's step-granddaughters, Martha Parke Custis Peter.  The house was completed in 1816.  It is a striking example of Federal Period Neoclassical architecture.  This is the view from the Potomac side of the house.  The Peter family lived on the property from about 1805, when the property was purchased, until 1983.

The house is (mostly) not interpreted to one specific period.  Rather, it is decorated with objects and artwork that date throughout the 200 year range of occupancy.  That's how the Peter family decorated, so that's how the curators leave it.  This choice was made in part because the last owner, Armistead Peter III wrote a book in which he sat in each room of the house and described all that was in it and why as well as what happened in the rooms.  It's a great historical tool, a window into the six generations that lived here.   

I'm working for the education department running and developing programs for scout groups, school tours, private events, and summer camps.  It's been very fun so far.

I've learned to lead three main programs so far.  I became comfortable with "Storytime in the Garden" first.  In this program we lead children through the garden and teach them about the parts of plants and how they grow.  We even do plant yoga!

The next program, probably my favorite, is called "History Detectives."  In this program, kids are given flashcards featuring objects in the house that illustrate how household technology has changed over time.  The flashcards include the keys on a gasolier (gas-powered chandelier), 18th century call bells, a 1914 waffle iron, and a Franklin stove.  The children are encouraged to be detectives and spot those objects as we tour the house.  Once they find an object, we speculate about what it was used for and how it's different from what we use now. It’s a great program because you can really see kids figuring things out! 

I am also beginning to give adult house tours.  Those are fun as well, and I always learn something new from the questions guests ask.

Finally, for your enjoyment, here's a 1919 Pierce-Arrow roadster:

Beautiful World: Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone!  No matter what today means to you, I hope it has been pleasant.  I hope it was filled with caring people and exhilaration for the future.

I thought today about how excited  I am for the summer.  It's the first summer in five years when I haven't had to move somewhere.  I'm not writing final papers and throwing things in boxes simultaneously.  That feels great.  I'm also getting to spend it, all of it, with my fantastic boyfriend.  Last but not least, I'll be doing an awesome internship for a local historic house.  Legitimate experience in the field of my choice feels good.  I can't wait!

P.S.  Does anyone know what this tree is called?  I love it.  One day, I want to plant one in my yard.  Or seven.

Malcolm's Fourth Annual Birthday Sandwich

      Malcolm had a birthday last Saturday, and that means sandwich time!  Every year around his birthday I invent him a surprise sandwich.  Last year, I made Malcolm a salmon sandwich with caramelized red onions and a delicious ten-ingredient mayonnaise.    

   
      This year, I found a use for my new cast-iron skillet, and made a steak sandwich.  I could have cooked the steak a little less, it wasn't as medium-rare as I was shooting for, but it came out tasty anyway.

Malcolm's 4th Annual Birthday Sandwich

      The sandwich was composed of roasted garlic mayonaisse, sliced steak, arugula, roasted red peppers, red onions, cucumbers, and goat cheese.  At the bottom of the post I have step-by-step assembly instructions if you're interested.  

 

     True to form, the rest of the "picnic" consisted of grapefruit Izzes (which required an entire second trip to Whole Foods), delicious cocktails, Whole Foods spicy olives, chips, and deviled eggs. Somehow this has become the tradition.

Here's the birthday boy and the spread!

Beautiful new egg platter from Crate and Barrel!  I gave it to myself as a Christmas present

     M liked his sandwich very much.  I'm glad, because he had a rough day teaching; he needed a pick-me-up.  

Here's the test.  Does he like it?  He says: "Mmmmhmmm".  Success!

      Whew!  Another birthday handled successfully.  I've done an Italian chicken sandwich, an open-faced stuffed portobella mushroom sandwich, a salmon sandwich, and now a Greek inspired steak sandwich.  What do you think should come next year?   

~Assembly Instructions Follow~  

Step 1: Spread Mayonnaise on the bottom and goat cheese on the top.
Step 2: Add arugula.

Step 3: Add steak

Step 4: Add cucumbers

Step 5: Red onions and marinated red peppers
Step 6: Enjoy!

Happy Spring!

It's the first day of spring!  It's time to stop and smell the roses.  Or hyacinths, whatever.

I always feel like this should be a national holiday.  After living in Los Angeles for a year, I really appreciate living in a place with real seasons. It feels like spring is special and it feels like I've earned it.  The flowering trees are all looking lovely and the bulbs are just finishing their bombast.

This is from the Enid A. Haupt Garden in front of the Smithsonian Castle.  It's looking just beautiful right now, and if you can visit, you very much should.

You should also visit the U.S. Botanic Garden.  Their Orchid Mystique: Nature's Triumph is ridiculous! So many flowering ethereal plants in one space.  It just doesn't feel real.

 

I'm continually amazed at the people who can get these plants to grow and flower.  It seems like magic to me.

Happy Spring!  Are you going to do anything in particular to celebrate?

And We're Packing Again...

I'm sorry I haven't been a very active blogger recently, we have been very busy over here with our upcoming move.  That very same move has been making my thoughts ping pong around my brain, and this blog post will likely reflect that.  Bear with me?

Last weekend we started packing the apartment and it's beginning to look pretty empty.  I always start with the decorations and nicknack's, partially so they don't get broken in the chaos, and partially so normalcy disappears from the space- that way I don't always feel like we're taking down the Christmas tree whilst packing.  Does anyone else relate to that feeling?

A lot of things seem to be working out for us.  For example, after flying to D.C. and completing a week-long interview process with DCPS M was offered a job teaching Algebra I at Roosevelt Senior High School in the district, and last Friday he officially accepted it.  He's looking forward to starting work with his new team; though I know he's really sad to leave behind the students and teachers with whom he's developed such wonderful relationships.

In a crazy spat of fortune, Mara, M's sister, is moving to Los Angeles a couple weeks after we leave it, and she and her roommate are going to take over our apartment.  We got approval from our landlord just a few days ago.  That means that we can just give our furniture (which is IKEA and therefore not worth moving across the country) to the two of them.  A win-win for both parties if you ask me.

So that leaves:
1 day until I fly to Arlington for my friend Karri's wedding
3 days until friend Karri's wedding
4 days until I fly back to L.A. from Arlington.
1 week until my last day of work
1 week and a day until M's last day of work at Animo Inglewood Charter High School
1 week and 3 days until my dad lands at LAX to help us drive
1 week and 4 days until we pack up our cars and start the three day drive to Texas

An excellent example of what a whirlwind feels like!

Because we're not moving our furniture, we're just packing our things into boxes.  We'll squeeze what we can in our cars and freight ship the rest, or maybe get one of those roof-top carriers to help maximize our cars.  We're finding it very difficult to know how much we own and how much our cars can fit until it's actually all packed up.  Any tips on packing?

There are so many little facets that go into moving, and sometimes it's hard to remember what all needs to get done.  One thing we haven't figured out yet is a place in D.C.!  We've heard good things about apartment finder services, and luckily I have a month "off" to look for one while staying with my family.  M, meanwhile, will jet off to upstate New York for the summer genius math camp where he teaches three weeks of the summer.

Finally, I'll leave you with a protip: It's really easy to change your address with the United States Postal Service online here.  You can tell them what date the change takes effect, and they'll send you an official change-of-address form which you might need to prove your move to people. You will need a credit card though, it costs $1, mostly so they can verify your identity.  If you don't want to give them your information, I'm sure there's a paper copy you can fill out at your local post office, but this seemed easier to me.  Remarkably space-age for the USPS.  Props to them!

Dinner with Friends Part II: Hosting

Recently M and I have had the opportunity to host a few friends for dinner.  Our first, real dinner-party-for-the-sake-of-having-a-dinner-party guys!  It's fun to treat our friends to a nice meal, and it's been great to learn to work together this way.  When we made Thanksgiving dinner we fought out of a pressing sense of tradition (holiday's are stressful, right?), but by last Saturday, we didn't peck at each other about cooking at all. 

It's not like we fight a lot, we don't, but cooking has a way of putting me on edge, especially when someone is in the kitchen watching me.  It tends to make me self-conscious which makes me needlessly defensive.  (Boy I sound like a dream, don't I?)  Anyway, the moral of the story is that, through practice, I'm getting more confident and less defensive (hallelujah), and M and I are learning to be a team in the kitchen.  And that's swell, kids!  We both want to be great hosts one day, and I'd say we're on the way. 

We had a tapas-style menu (though not necessarily traditionally tapas recipes), with many different bites and flavors to sample.  For starters we served prosciutto-wrapped cantaloupe (Malcolm did that all by himself!) and Whole Foods spicy olives.  The sweet, salty, and spicy elements all worked really well together.  

For the meal we served a "shrimp and asparagus salad" which was sort-of-not-really a combination of these two recipes from Martha Stewart for Asparagus with Prosciutto and Lemon Sabayon and Grilled Seafood Salad. 

Basically, I sauteed shrimp with red onion and red pepper flakes, all tossed lightly in half lemon juice and half olive oil.  Meanwhile, I cooked asparagus in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until it was softer and bright green.  Then I put it in an ice bath to cool, followed by air drying for 10 minutes.  Finally, I cut the stems into bite-size pieces and tossed it all in approximately 2.5 tablespoons each of olive oil and lemon juice.  It was delicious!

Next we had chorizo and oven-dried tomatoes on toast, which vaguely followed these two recipes, both also from dear Martha: (for braised chorizo, for oven-dried tomatoes) but both presented some challenges. 

Chorizo is often featured in tapas dishes; it's a Spanish sausage which can come in many different forms- some cured, some very soft.  Despite the plethora of chorizo recipes out there, we had a real difficulty finding any.  We bought the only sausage labeled chorizo after searching Ralph's, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.  It was very soft, so much so that after (I guess) not pricking it enough, it exploded in couple of places in the pan, and basically fell apart from there.  It tasted delicious spread on bread (I keep saying "like pâté" though I really have no idea how people eat pâté) and topped with the tomatoes, but I would be careful about trying it again.

Also, the oven-dried tomatoes recipe calls for you to bake them in the oven at very low temperatures for 3 hours.  When we did that, exactly as the recipe called for, they came out burned to a crisp.  No, thank you, one hour turned out just fine for us, maybe not completely dried, but flavorful and delicious.  Luckily we had enough time to try the recipe again, and I've made the one-hour version since this to good success.

We rounded out the menu with my dad's rosemary roasted potatoes, devilled eggs, a green salad, and squares of pizza provided by Lovely Linda:

For desert we made a blackberry, apple, pear cobbler for Linda and Roberto, because they'd never heard of one.  Luckily, it came out well and I was able to show off this very American of dishes to good reviews by all involved.  Who cares that the desert wasn't remotely Spanish when it tastes this good?   

I made this arrangement when Linda and Roberto came to dinner.  Yay for Trader Joe's flowers- $9 baby!

I'm feeling good about getting practice, but a little guilty about basically always using Martha's recipes. I know, I'm sounding like a broken record.  What source do you guys use for recipes?  I'd love to hear your entertaining tips!    

One Month Till We're On the Road Again

One Month.  Malcolm and I leave L.A. in One Month.  We start THIS in One Month: 

We'll travel it in two portions: first from L.A. to DFW with my dad (who's a champ), then there'll be a month-long break for me in Texas and 3 week math camp in NY for Malcolm, and then on from DFW to DC.

Just for some additional perspective, please consider these pictures:

That's an entire country, folks.

Actually, it's an entire continent.  2,800ish miles.  It registers on a global scale.

It's pretty big for us too.  So there's that.  Just thought I'd let you know.  We haven't made all the plans.  We've got a lot left to do.  But I'm pretty excited.

Pretty in Pink: Shower Invitations

A little over a month ago I made another set of bridal shower invitations for friend Karri who is soon to be wed. (Exciting!) Her colors are pink and black- very classy and very feminine, just like her.

These invitations were a lot of fun to make.  The patterns in hot pink were made by painting through a stencil.  I made the stencil by cutting out designs I liked in scrapbooking papers.  Each one came out slightly different, which was pretty beautiful when you saw them all together.

The enclosed recipe card was a constant element across both of her showers- all the guests were invited to contribute a recipe to her collection, such a cute idea from one of her friends!  The little instruction flag telling the guests to write out a recipe was stuck to the card by a glue stick run along the top of the index card.  There was just enough stickiness to keep the flag in place, but not enough to prevent it being peeled away without tearing the card.  I thought that was a pretty neat innovation.