Boat landing

I couldn't resist stopping by Lake Phalen today.  It's my favorite spot to put the kayak in, and this is the boat landing.  As you can see, the sun has some WORK to do before any of us get out there.  The University of Minnesota rowing team practices and competes on this lake (as well as on the Mississippi River), as it is very long, and no gas motors are permitted. I hope you will be seeing this view again--only with much more green in the picture!

Sense of relief (and a little celebration!)

I got my last bit of feedback in today from my primary advisor for my thesis. She is an expert in the field of renal (kidney) nutrition, which is what my thesis focuses on, so I was fearing that she would find ALL kinds of things for me to fix/expand upon, etc. But, no, she only had a few items here and there for me to address.  It shouldn't take much more than a day or two of additional work.  Hooray! So I told the guys they were taking me out for dinner and I treated myself to a margarita. Yum!

Monday's picture-a glimpse of what awaits come spring clean-up

Spring starts out kind of yucky--lots of leaves, all smashed down and moldy on the still-wet ground. We have a maple tree that usually won't let go of its leaves until December (the tree sticking up out of the deck), so it's rare that we can ever rake them up before the snows. Oh, and YES we need a new deck. I think I have finally talked my husband into it. (I wanted it redone back when we moved here in 1997--you can see how long I have to work to get my husband to agree to ever spend any money on house improvements! But I suppose that explains why we actually have money on hand to help the boys through college.)

Afternoon walk

The water is now completely open in this stream.  The lakes can't hold out too much longer...

Cat

When you hit the evening and don't have any good photo ideas....there is always the family pet, right?

Friday's shot

If I had taken the time to pick up my camera in the morning, I would have had a fun shot of animal tracks in the back yard.  But when I finally opened the window to look down in the afternoon, the sun had washed away all the contrast. So I took a shot looking down at the deck instead.  At least we can see our furniture now. (And you can see a few animal tracks in the picture too!)

Thursday is bouquet day

Small bouquets are on sale on Thursdays at the grocery store I like to visit.  I figure that if I can't have spring outside, it is worth it to have a little spring inside. I posed the bouquet on a chair near the window where sun was streaming in.

Thinking spring (even as it snows)

It snowed today (right over a layer of slushy ice because it RAINED yesterday).  You can imagine how depressing THAT is, after the awful winter we have had (but, hey, that's March around here; it always snows some more.) I refuse to dwell on it. Spring is coming and I have done virtually NO clothes shopping for the past year, so I decided that's what I would do today. After all, I will "need something to wear" at my thesis defense, which is tentatively scheduled for May 5th.

A haircut place for guys

My son desperately needed a haircut. We drove over to the shopping area near his house and found a place called Sport Clips.  They have their own ambience with Sports tv blaring nonstop and a black and red locker-room theme. The young girls working there admitted they tune out the tv sound, though they admitted that it gets more fun to have it on during baseball season! (I would agree-baseball is the only sport I like to watch on tv.)

Pirates of Penzance

I probably could have taken pictures during the performance, with no flash, since this is a small, rather informal Gilbert & Sullivan Light Opera Company--but having been scolded at the Ordway for even taking a picture of the CLOSED curtains during intermission (at the MN Opera), I was afraid to try. So I got a few cast members after the show. Unfortunately, this is not a sharp picture--but it's all I have for today. This group has SO much fun putting on their performances and is wonderfully talented; we have been going annually since 1998.

Hot yoga

I have tried hot yoga twice now.  I was very hesitant, as I really don't like to get all sweaty. (As much as I love to exercise, I am not one of those people who sweats all that much and when I do, I want it to EVAPORATE ASAP!) But I tried the hot yoga class because it doesn't have any positions that are hard on my shoulder (which is still healing).  I actually kind of like it--but my clothes and the yoga mat towel are drenched when I am done--not because I'm working all that hard, but because the room is as hot and humid as a sauna. This pile of exercise gear is now in the wash machine.

Forgotten items reappearing

The brick patio reappears after a long winter's hibernation.

Spring takes a crack at Minnesota....

I didn't get this posted yesterday--was too tired after working to make a deadline. However, I did get out for a walk after supper and took a photo of a shallow little pond that is used for ice-skating in this segment of the neighborhood.

New treats

I love baked goods--but I'm not eating them during Lent.  Meanwhile, Starbuck's got all kinds of new baked items in this week.  That Red Velvet Whoopie pie looks like my kind of treat! I sure hope they are still around come Easter!

Slowly but surely...

After spending over 8 hours with my nose in data output and my Results chapter, proofreading tables and numbers, I needed to get outside for a walk to see what the warm temperatures had accomplished today.  This is a field in our neighborhood park that is the site of an ice rink during the winter.  It is open now.  But scroll down; the lake still has a LONG way to go....

Making progress...

Not only am I making progress (handed in my last bit of writing on my thesis today, for advisor review) but the sun is finally making some headway around here.  The ice is starting to recede on our old deck.

Some color

Little time to shoot photos today--but I did snap a quick shot of this lovely yellow house on our way home from South Minneapolis this morning.

A smile at the end of a couple of tough days

I didn't post yesterday--was busy with a long workday, then had family news that led to such a distressing evening that I could not even contemplate taking a photo.  Things are just a tiny bit better today, and when I opened the new syrup bottle to use for this evening's pancake dinner, this is what greeted me.  I am taking it as a sign.

Come on in--the water's fine!

I honestly do not know how ducks and geese can tolerate the cold and be here in Minnesota when it is only 20-30 degrees. But this batch is hanging out on the only open stretch of water I know of in the area. This stream is quite shallow and  connects a couple of the lakes.The lakes themselves are still very much frozen.

Ash Wednesday

Made it to church this morning for the Ash Wednesday communion service. Took a very quick shot as I felt kind of funny shooting pictures during a service!

Night at the opera (La Traviatta)

I was too tired when I got home last night to post--so this is yesterday's photo.  I was told I could NOT photograph the stage (even during intermission with the curtains closed) so I don't have any pictures of the interior of this lovely theater (the Ordway in St. Paul).  But I took a picture in the 2nd floor lobby as we were listening to a pre-performance presentation.  The lights glittering from the outside are on the trees in Rice Park--just outside the building. I decided to post a second picture--one I took as we walked to the theater.  I was trying to capture the sliver of the moon in the sky, but didn't do so well with that.  (Oh, and the opera was amazing!)

Craving color

I am so sick of the white world outside--I am craving color. The snow doesn't seem to be going anywhere fast, so I am going to search for color indoors wherever I can.  Part of tonight's dinner:

A cluster of birthdays

My sister-in-law hosted our annual "group" birthday party today for the February and March birthdays (my son, my mother-in-law, and two of my nieces).

Iced Yew

I was talking to my husband while standing in the living room this afternoon when I spotted this outside the window.  I put on my boots, grabbed my camera and tromped through the snow in the front yard to shoot a picture.  This has been SUCH an odd winter and icicles are in just the oddest places. This bush is under where the roof can drip; hence it is decorated with icicles. In all the years I have lived in this house (13) I have NEVER seen so much ice!

Game of chess?

I put a little more effort into finding a subject today (can you tell my past several days have been panicky attempts to get ANY kind of picture posted?)  I inherited a Hungarian chess set from my grandfather.  I love the quirky little figures in this set.

146 pages and still not quite done....

I printed the whole thesis out tonight. (Obviously I don't do this very often, or I would REALLY be wasting paper). It is even longer than the theses that preceded mine on the same subject. (This might be an argument for NOT conducting research that expands on current knowledge!)  Had to take a photo of its thickness for my own selfish purposes. Sorry, this has got to be boring for the rest of you, but it's my blog of my year, so it counts as significant for me.  I have only a few more pages to write, and, of course, I expect to have to make some more revisions, based on my advisors' input. But I'm getting there..... 

Boat landing

Ya know, it is just TOO cold to take a walk outside (it was zero this morning) but I did stop the car by one of the lakes to take a photo.  Lots of reading material before you can go out on the lake. But one of these signs is temporary.

Home pedicure

I know a lot of women LOVE to have a pedicure in a salon. But I doubt I will EVER do that, as it is pathetically simple to do it yourself. (I'd rather spend the money on a massage!)  However, my "spa" isn't nearly as fun as the one Julie posted a picture of today!