You know you live in an apartment when...

It has been more than 30 years since we lived in an apartment or condo and we knew there would be an adjustment period as we learned again how to live in a smaller space with less privacy. Here are the top 10 things we've learned/remembered/discovered so far:

You know you live in an apartment when:

1. ... you can clean your home from top to bottom in an hour. This is a definite plus!
2. ... you go to the grocery store almost every day because you don't have storage space and you don't want to make multiple trips to/from the parking garage to unload groceries.
3. ... you wait (and sometimes wait and wait!) for maintenance people to do simple "repairs" you could do yourself. We wanted an a/c vent turned around for better air flow- a job Richard could easily have done himself if he had the right screwdriver and a ladder.
4. ... you are suddenly conscious of the noise you make. Is it too early/late to vacuum? Is the tv too loud?
5. ... complete strangers unlock your front door and walk in. I have been surprised by maintenance guys, housekeeping and the furniture company. We now have a privacy lock =)
6. ... the daily newspaper (The Washington Post) is delivered to your doorstep, precisely in the middle of the doormat... not somewhere in the vague direction of your home. This will be hard to give up when we return to our house!
7. ... there are no instruction books for any of your appliances. Does anyone have any tips for using a gas stove/oven?
8. ... you can incorporate aerobic exercise into taking the trash out... up and down two flights of stairs and across the apartment complex to the trash compactor.
9. ... you have to switch out clothes seasonally since only one season fits in the closet. We have our winter clothes stored in a suitcase... making that space do double duty!
10. ... purchasing anything (food, clothes, books, ANYTHING!) requires you to get rid of something else first. This is a good thing- it makes you really evaluate how badly you need/want something BEFORE you purchase it.

A Visit to Georgetown

We decided to explore Georgetown, a neighborhood in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C. this weekend. It is a historic town dating back to 1751- so there are  LOTS of really old buildings. It lies along the Potomac River and once was the furthest point up the river boats could navigate. Today it is home to many upscale shops, restaurants, bars, Georgetown University and several embassies as well as the Old Stone House, the oldest standing building in Washington, D.C. We had limited time there this time so I picked two things I really wanted to see: the new Safeway (yes, the grocery store- you'll see why!) and Dean & Deluca.

The Safeway in Georgetown is a "state of the art lifestyle store." In addition to groceries, a Starbucks and a bank this one also has a Bergmann's cleaners, a wine cellar with a tasting room, an expanded salad bar, sandwich bar and deli to complement the open-air cafe with a huge fireplace. Yep- it is the "yuppiest" grocery store I've ever seen and seems to reflect the new atmosphere in Georgetown. It is located on the second floor of the building with street shops on the ground floor and has a two-level parking garage attached. Some items were more expensive and some were about the same as our "regular Safeway" in Columbia. It was fun to visit but...

Bottom left to right: the wine tasting bar, bakery, expanded ready to eat food

After checking out Safeway we headed over to Dean & Deluca, a store with international foods- both ingredients and prepared foods ready to take home and serve. We leisurely walked through the store marveling at the fresh flowers, wondering who would buy lima bean salad and checking out the intricately decorated cupcakes. They also have the BEST coffee ever and we specifically went to get some ground coffee for Jacob's next care package (shhh... don't tell! =)) as well as a mocha from the coffee bar. 

My D&D Mocha was the best one I've ever paid for- Doug McGregor's are still the best ever!

I love how the buildings all butt up against each other- yet each one has its own distinct personality- with shops on all floors. It's a very "old town" feel!

After our "shopping adventures" we just walked around soaking up the local color. From across the street we saw a buildng with a bright red door we had to investigate. Grace Episcopal Church began having regular church services in 1857 for the local shopkeepers, laborers, craftsmen and watermen of the Georgetown waterfront, a very poor district quite different from today. Today they still have regular services and everyone is welcome, even your dog!

The church property has a wrought iron fence around it and the plaques were on either side of the gate into the church yard. The grounds are gorgeous- very peaceful and welcoming. Just a block or two farther is the Potomac River... and the Francis Scott Key Bridge. There is such beautiful architecture in Washington, D.C.!

We watched crew teams, rowers and kayakers on the Potomac with the Kennedy Center in the background. It was a beautiful day and there were a lot of people outside sunbathing, playing frisbee, riding bikes or just sitting and doing nothing. When we left the river, we walked up the steep street on the bottom left to get back to our car... whew!!

We had a fun time exploring some of Georgetown with Adam and Janne and are looking forward to going back again to see the Old Stone House and a shot tower we saw in the distance. There is so much to see and do!!!

Kristin and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day...

There were two things I wanted to take care of today- 1) make an appointment with a podiatrist to find out why the top of my right foot is increasingly painful and 2) make an appointment for a haircut. Both of these items were way past due- change (a new doctor or hair stylist) is hard for me. I picked a podiatrist pretty much at random (his name sounded nice...) on our health insurance plan and called this morning. I was able to get an appointment this afternoon due to a cancellation. One down, one to go. I planned to stop at the hair salon after my doctor appointment since I didn't have the salon's phone number.

The doctor was professional but personable. He took my history, probed around and sent me for an x-ray before gently telling me I had "fairly severe arthritis" in the joints in the top of my foot. Hmmm... I remember my Arizona doc telling me years ago when I had foot surgeries done that they could contribute to arthritis later.) He explained treatment options which are palliative (relieve symptoms) not curative- oral NSAIDS, cortisone injections and physical therapy- and new orthotics would definitely help. All I could think about as he was talking was that I am too young to be limping with arthritis. Dumb, I know. Later had come. He suggested a cortisone injection and two week course of a prescription NSAID- and they would check to see if orthotics would be covered by my insurance plan. After getting the injection and prescription, I limped out to my car and drove to the hair salon thinking I would stop at the mall after making my hair cut appointment. He did say I needed new "sneakers." And as they say, there is nothing like a little "retail therapy" to make you feel better!

I stopped at the hair salon Richard had used a couple of weeks ago. Although they cut his hair a bit differently, it looks really good. They weren't very busy in the middle of the afternoon and I was able to get an appointment right then. The shampoo and "head massage" was exquisite... and made me feel much better. The stylist asked what I wanted done and I explained that I am totally inept with a curling iron, flat iron and can barely use a bow dryer. I told her my hair needed shaping and to be a little shorter since it had been six weeks since my last haircut. She got to work snipping and cutting... snipping and cutting... snipping and cutting. The mirror was just far enough away that I couldn't really see without my glasses. When she finished- and handed me a hand mirror to see the back- I nearly gasped out loud. My hair has not been this short in at least a decade. This was not a haircut- it was a brand new hair style... and one I don't really like. Seeing the look on my face, she said she did what I asked- gave it shape and made it shorter. I beg to differ... but I paid for my haircut and left to go to the mall.

The short walk from the salon to the mall has a series of benches along it. I stopped at one and sat down to collect myself a bit. And then the tears came. I decided to skip the mall and just go home to wallow in my misery by myself. As I walked into our apartment, the tears started again. I knew I was being silly but couldn't seem to stop the flood. After a few minutes, I heard this small voice telling me, "You have so much to be thankful for. You have legs and feet to carry you- remember the story you just read in Colson's book, "How Now Shall We Live," about the Vietnam vet who returned home without any legs? You have hair- and it will grow back. Remember your friend, Jamie, who lost all her hair when she was battling breast cancer- and then lost her battle. Suddenly the tears stopped. I thanked God... for leading me to a caring, compassionate doctor... for having options... that my foot was less painful since the injection... and I began to feel less dejected. I continued thanking God... for the opportunity to grow my hair out and find a new hairstyle (something I wouldn't do... since I don't like change...)... for hair that grows quickly... for reminding me that real beauty is on the inside (1 Peter 3:3-4)... and I began to smile.

I told Richard earlier about my disappointment following my appointments. After work, he walked in the door with a beautiful flowering plant for me. And he didn't laugh at my hair. He gave me a hug. I thanked God for a loving husband who knows how to cheer me up.

A flowering plant... a reminder of life and beauty.

No picture of my haircut... but maybe one day =)

Contrary to what the advertising world would like you to believe, "retail therapy" doesn't make you feel better. Being thankful to our Sovereign God in all situations does. "Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him... He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." Psalm 147:1,3

tulips... the friendship flower

In early May Ottawa, Canada explodes in brilliant color as they host the largest Tulip Festival in the world. We expected to see tremendous tulips this past weekend- and we weren't disappointed- but the history behind the Tulip Festival is equally touching. The story begins in the spring of 1940...

Although much of the world was at war the Netherlands hoped to remain neutral. Because of their geographic location that was not to be and in May of 1940, Nazi Germany invaded and soon occupied the Netherlands. The Dutch government and royal family secretly fled to London which soon proved to be unsafe as well. Queen Wilhelmina sent her daughter, and heir to the throne, Princess Juliana and her two young daughters to Canada where they settled in the Ottawa area. Princess Juliana's husband, Prince Bernhard, was fighting in the war.

The Nazis brutalized the Netherlands destroying farmland, national treasures and buildings. Although the Dutch are a peace-loving people, the Nazis sent the majority of the Netherlands' Jews to concentration camps and killed many Dutch citizens for being "spies." Life was very difficult for the Dutch people with food and supply shortages as well as open hostility with the Germans who occupied their towns.

Meanwhile, in Ottawa, Princess Juliana lived a dual life. On the one hand, she was a war bride like many others and volunteered her time to help the war effort. Her children attended public school and they experienced "rationing" like everyone else. On the other hand, she was royalty and as such had diplomatic duties to attend to. Her third child was born in Ottawa, the only royal baby born in North America. Because the sex of the baby was unknown and a son would be the heir to the throne, it was imperative that the baby be born on Dutch soil. The Canadian government, in an unprecedented act, temporarily ceded a room at the Ottawa Civic Hospital to the Netherlands to ensure the nationality of the child. These events, rooted in friendship, surrounding Princess Margriet Francisca's birth were a great encouragement to the Dutch people who were fighting for their lives.

The winter of 1944 was unusually harsh in Europe and left much of the Netherlands without heat or enough food. The Dutch call it "hongerwinter" or Hunger Winter. The Germans realized by this time that they would not win the war and as they retreated they destroyed supply routes, blew up bridges and docks and ruined agricultural land making some of it unfit for farming for years. All of these factors contributed to a severe famine in the Netherlands. 10,000 Dutch died of malnutrition alone that winter. The Canadian Forces liberated the Netherlands on May 5, 1945 and immediately began airlifting food and helping the Dutch rebuild their country.

Princess Juliana and her daughters returned to the Netherlands later that spring but she never forgot the love and friendship Canada showed not only her, but her country as well. She presented the Canadian people with a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs. And the Dutch royal family has given a gift of 10,000 tulip bulbs to the Canadian people every year since then. In addition, the Dutch Bulb Growers Association also gifts 10,000 bulbs annually. This year was the 65th Anniversary of this loving friendship between these two countries. The vast majority of Dutch citizens today did not personally experience "hongerwinter" but they, like their Canadian brothers,  know the meaning of Proverbs 17:17- "A friend loves at all times."

There are tulip beds ALL over Ottawa using more than 50 varieties of tulips.

The dark blooms are called "Black Hero" and are stunning among the pastel pink and white tulips. They have a very subtle fragrance... I could have stayed there all day!

From design to flowering takes 17 months. With over a million visitors to the Festival of more than 3 million blooms, it is time well spent! 

"Could you repeat that, please?"

Do I have an accent? I've never thought so- but then that begs the question: Do people with accents know they have an accent? And, really, what is "an accent?" Merriam-Webster defines accent as "a distinctive manner of expression: as a : an individual's distinctive or characteristic inflection, tone, or choice of words  b : a way of speaking typical of a particular group of people and especially of the natives or residents of a region." 

Since coming to the east coast, I have been fascinated with the speech patterns (accents) of local residents. I think they tend to talk faster and slur their words (or syllables, in some cases) more so than westerners. And some words are just pronounced differently. The word "Maryland", for example, is pronounced "Mair-i-lend" in Arizona while native Marylanders pronounce it "Mer-lin" saying it so fast that sometimes it sounds like one syllable! With African Americans making up 30% of Maryland's population (and 56% of the District Of Columbia), African American Vernacular English, sometimes called Ebonics, is also thrown into the mix.


Some of these accents are relatively easy for me to understand- others not so much. At first, I was too embarrassed to ask someone to repeat what they had said so I would simply smile and nod. This sometimes caused very confused looks on the face of the person I was talking to, making me realize that wasn't the answer- not only did I have no idea what I was agreeing to, I also didn't get the information I needed! While humbling to admit you don't understand, it really isn't (or shouldn't be) embarrassing to ask people to repeat things, even more than once. I soon realized that simply saying (with a smile), "I'm sorry- could you repeat that? I'm not from around here..." more often than not got a smile in return and a much slower, better enunciated repeated comment- and usually was a conversation starter. 


It will be interesting to see if and how much of the "Merliner" accent we pick up while we're here. Already I am accustomed to hearing "Baltimore" pronounced "Bawlmore" and the enthusiastic "Hi Hon!" used to address everyone regardless of gender or age. I finally found a "Merlin Dictionary" online that has been a tremendous help to me in deciphering some of the more different pronunciations- it's only a matter of time before they, too, become more natural to me.


So I guess by Merriam-Webster's definition, I do have an accent- as do all people. Even though we are all speaking English, it is as different at times as British English is from American English or Canadian English. So how can we better understand each other? "Let your conversation be always full of grace..." (Colossians 4:6). Subtitles are optional...

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Since our oldest child, Jenne, was born almost 28 years ago, I have relied on the wisdom of others for advice and support in child-rearing. Perhaps as much as anyone, Erma Bombeck has given me great insight into and perspective on my children. "When a child is locked in the bathroom with water running and he says he's doing nothing but the dog is barking, call 911." Who could possibly argue with that advice? "A child develops individuality long before he discovers taste." Have you ever stood outside a preschool classroom and watched a three year old dance around in a pink ballet tutu, a blue SeaWorld sweatshirt, green knee socks and pink glitter jellies because they are all her favorite clothes? "Children make your life important." I don't think she was saying that being childless means your life is unimportant or meaningless. Instead, I think she was alluding to the fact that children are a blessing- or as the psalmist put it, "Children are a gift from the Lord, they are a reward from Him." (Psalm 127:3). It is, indeed, a great reward to have grown children that you love and enjoy being with.

This Mother's Day, Janne and Adam surprised me with an outing to Annapolis, the capitol of Maryland. Annapolis is a very old city, dating back to the mid-1600's. We marveled at the old architecture, the beautiful brick buildings, huge trees... and crowded streets!

What a beautiful church!

Main Street, Annapolis! 

Although the buildings have all been modernized (electricity, plumbing, etc), they have maintained the historic feel of the city.

After a quick lunch, it was time for my "surprise"- a 90 minute cruise on the Severn River (which empties into Chesapeake Bay)! The air was crisp and cool (about 64 degrees) and "breezy"- although in Arizona we would say it was "windy!" We boarded our boat (ship?) and settled in on the aft deck.

Me (yes, I do own a jacket!), Adam, Janne and Richard

We sailed past many beautiful homes- this was one of my favorites.

There is something about an American flag waving in the wind that makes me want to stand up and sing "The Star-Spangled Banner"... but I refrained!

Jenne gave me a cookbook (with many recipes I am anxious to try!) for Mother's Day when we were at Ft. Bragg last weekend. She wished me a "Happy Mother's Day" this morning before we left for Annapolis. And then, later in the evening after all her kids were in bed, she called and gave me another gift- an hour long phone call with NO interruptions!! If there is one thing we do well, it is talk on the phone!

Yes, we have an old-fashioned phone with a cord! At first I didn't like it because I couldn't do anything else while I talked on the phone- but now I really like it because I can't do anything else while I talk on the phone. If you call, you know you have my undivided attention!

I am incredibly blessed to have grown children who want to spend time with me, who call "just to talk." That is a priceless gift- and one I am quite thankful for. It was a fabulous day!

an afternoon at the Inner Harbor

The weather forecast predicted wind and afternoon thundershowers so naturally we decided to spend the day walking around the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. In the midst of the downtown area, the Inner Harbor is filled with hotels and apartments, shopping, businesses (like Best Buy and the Baltimore Examiner), the Baltimore Aquarium, restaurants and much more. There truly is something for everyone- and it's one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon just walking around.

The gusty wind made the water in the Inner Harbor a bit choppy but the line for the paddle boats and dragon boats was still quite long. We haven't done this yet... but will before we leave Maryland.

The boardwalk area was crowded. Today we heard people speaking German, French, something Middle Eastern and of course, English. It seemed a bit strange to not hear Spanish- and not see any signage in Spanish.

If there is one thing Maryland is known for, it is crabs (most notably Maryland Blue crabs, which these are not) and you can get them almost anywhere. This buffet was inside one of the shopping areas.

One of the things I love about the East Coast is the mix of old and new. The structure on the left, the Phoenix Shot Tower, was built in the early 1800's- it was where they made shot for rifles and cannons. We haven't been there yet- but it's on the "Must See" list. The building right next to it is the Post Office building and was built much more recently.  

I have long been fascinated with the idea of living in an urban downtown area. Housing options that I would consider, at least in Baltimore, seem to be limited to three: 

The top picture shows upscale apartment buildings along the Inner Harbor. The bottom picture shows upscale condos or townhouses (that you own) across the street from the Inner Harbor. I imagine both of those choices are $$$$!

Just a couple of blocks past the Inner Harbor is "Little Italy." It was here that we began to see the "row houses."

These row houses are tall (3 stories), narrow houses built right next to each other. They have no yards or porches and each is very distinct- no "cookie cutter houses!" And they have no garages so you either pay for a parking garage or street park. I imagine they are also quite $$$$!

The row house on the left was the only one we found with a "yard"- what a respite in the midst of a concrete jungle! Other row houses used flower boxes on upper windows or hanging baskets like in the picture on the right to create a "yard."

After strolling around an urban downtown neighborhood I decided it would be fun to experience that lifestyle for a short time, but I don't think I would want to do it long term- at least not until I learn to parallel park! By this time it was dinner-time and one thing "Little Italy" has a lot of is Italian restaurants!

Amicci's is our long-time favorite Italian restaurant. Situated in the middle of "Little Italy," it is a casual neighborhood restaurant with a family atmosphere and delicious food. I had my old stand-by favorite, Penne Amicci- penne with Italian sausage, tomatoes and spinach- and wasn't disappointed!

After dinner we walked back to the Inner Harbor to the parking garage and noticed that dark storm clouds had rolled in and the wind kicked up. Maybe the weather forecast wasn't incorrect after all...

Reward!!

Last week I thought I would never learn my way around this area. The streets names were unfamiliar and there seemed to be no rhyme or reason to the layout. I always felt lost, even with Navi telling me where to go, and driving made every muscle in my body tense. I promised myself a Dark Cherry Mocha at Starbucks when I could get to Target without any aids.

I got a street map and turned Navi off. After a few days I had the general layout down and knew the major streets. I noticed that my body was not just less tense when I was driving- it was relaxed! And I could find my way to Target, Safeway, my BSF class, Harris Teeter and Starbucks without any navigation aids! Today I went to Starbucks for my reward!!

Instead of a Dark Cherry Mocha I opted for a Coffee Frappuccino with Cinnamon Dulce syrup. (FYI- Get a half price frappuccino at Frappuccino Happy Hour from 3-5pm through May 16th!)

birds of a feather...

The morning dawned crisp and cool and I decided to take advantage of this beautiful spring day by strolling along Lake Kittamaqundi. I packed my camera bag and headed to the path outside our apartment complex. Those who know me know I love to take macro photos of flowers... and indeed, I did shoot about a dozen or so. And then I heard a most distinctive sound coming from above me. "HONNNKKK!!  HOONNNKK!!" I whipped off my macro lens, switched to a zoom lens and started off to find the honkers.

I was side-tracked by the beauty of the lake. Have you ever wondered how many shades of green there are? I found an interesting website where optical scientists and physicists discussed that very question- the consensus being there are an infinite number of shades although humans can only differentiate about a million of them. Amazing! Okay, back to the honkers...

I spotted this lone Mallard duck... but heard him quack, not "HOONNKKK!" so I continued on down the path.

I spied this beautiful white egret wading in a shallow area of the lake... still no honking.

As I rounded a bend in the path I heard that distinctive sound again... and discovered a family (or two) of Canada Geese- not "Canadian Geese" as many people call them! I love that Canada Geese mate for life- such a picture of God's intention for man! I watched and listened for awhile and then headed on my way thinking about Matthew 6:26-27 "Look at the birds of the air; they do now sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?"

I was watching a squirrel scamper up a tree when this Cardinal flew by. He (only the males are red) was a little camera shy and this was the best shot I got... but I enjoyed listening to his song for a few minutes.

As I was walking back this Great Blue Heron (the largest and most widespread heron in North America) caught my eye. He flew away shortly after I shot the picture on the left and I caught up with him again farther up the path.

While I was walking away from them, the family of Canada Geese moved to a grassy area by the lake. I think this is probably 3 mama geese and their babies since they have one brood per year with 4-7 goslings and there were about 15 or 16 babies. I noticed that one of the mamas would keep watch while the other two hunted for food. Even though I was a good 25 or 30 feet away, she kept a wary eye on me. 

Aren't they CUTE??? 

Weekend With the NC Sweethearts

Our oldest daughter and her family live in Ft. Bragg, North Carolina- yep, they are a military family. Jacob recently deployed to Iraq but Jenne and the kids live on-post. We made it two whole weeks on the east coast before we "had" to go down for a visit!

Since it is about a six and half hour drive door-to-door, we took US-301 which circumvents Washington, D.C. to avoid heavy commuter traffic Friday morning. One of the highlights of that route was crossing the Potomac River at a wide spot... on a very narrow, two-lane bridge.

The Potomac River... or at least part of it... 

... and the bridge over it!

This bridge has two very narrow lanes, barely big enough for two vehicles... with a double yellow line the entire length of the bridge... and they still need to put a "Do Not Pass" sign up!

We finally made it to Ft. Bragg and were greeted on the drive-way by three (Christopher was still at school) very excited children and their mother. There is nothing like the feel of a child's arms around your neck... or seeing them jump up and down as you pull up to the house... or hearing them all talk at once. I think this must be what heaven will be like. 

We picked Christopher up from school and then headed to a park in Fayetteville. It had two playgrounds and lots of shade trees. According to the boys, the best part was finding a lizard (very different from the ones we have in Arizona). Lexie thought the slides were the best part. I thought the best part was just being there with them.

Christopher is six...

... and Nick is five...

... and Ben is three...

and Lexie is two.

We had a great visit... reading books, making candy necklaces, hearing about first grade romances, going to Target to get "surprises", playing video games, having a tea party and a slumber party! And the drive home was... very quiet.