New Beginnings...

After the winter we had in Pittsburgh, we could not have been looking forward to spring with any more enthusiasm. Jim recently announced that he will (and I quote) "Savor this Spring like no other Spring in the history of Springs." (Dramatic, much?) Anyway, in the past two weeks, the leaves and blossoms have really started coming in- just ask Jim and his allergies! I had a few minutes today to capture some of the pretty things blooming around our place.

Forsythia...

This one's not quite ready to bloom but the buds are lovely....

Can't tell you what this is because I have no idea...

The cherry trees are covered with delicate white flowers...

Our Magnolia tree, while sparse, produces such stunning blossoms I had to share several shots...

Even some of Jim's ferns have popped up and are looking quite hardy all ready...

Last weekend, we bought the Japanese Maple we'd been wanting to fill an empty spot in the yard. Here's what it looked like immediately after it was planted...

Within only a few days, it's completely changed color to a beautiful red hue (it had been stored indoors and it changes color once exposed to the sun). Can't wait to watch it grow...

Let me finish by saying that I finally put up a seasonal banner at the top of the blog that is actually from our property- it's about time, right?

HAPPY SPRING!!!

Ready or Not...

Over the past several months, we have been working through the process of preparing an emergency kit that could be essential in the event of any number of disasters, natural or otherwise. We have begun to store some food, water and other items, and have given an overview of our process here. (For those of you with kids, good luck, you have a lot more to prepare.) Our kit only accounts for the 2 of us and our kitties. We hope you can use this information as a starting point to prepare your own family.

Food:

Our primary stored food items are THRIVE brand freeze dried or dehydrated canned goods from Shelf Reliance. Explore this site and you will see how much they offer. One cool feature is a plan called ThriveQ where you can set a monthly budget and they ship you that amount of your pre-selected emergency food each month. That way you can spread the expense out over a period of time. You can also buy a whole year supply all in one package (pricey!), or you can tell them your required caloric intake and they can customize a plan for you. Since I wanted to specify exactly what we wanted, we chose the following items (packaged in #10 cans) to get started:

Apple Slices
Banana Chips
Broccoli
Green Beans
Potato Chunks
Sweet Corn
Butter Powder
Bacon TVP
Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Small White Navy Beans
Strawberries
Baked Potato Cheese Soup

(Of course planting and growing your own food is another great way to prepare- but we don't have the space or skill for that so we're trusting the professionals- If you do, knock yourself out!)

To supplement these basic whole foods, we purchased a case of canned tuna and a 275 serving 'Emergency Food Supply Kit' from Costco, available here . Here's what the manufacturer has to say:

"Basic preparation will impact the probability of your family’s survival in an emergency. Delicious and easy to prepare. Each bucket contains 275 servings of pre-mixed and pre-seasoned 100% vegetarian and vitamin fortified food. With a 20 year long shelf life, this kit is perfect for the preparation of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes or even for a camping or hunting trip."

Easy to Prepare

Must have water and a heat source

275 Servings

All Meals 100% Vegetarian and Vitamin Fortified

Sealed in convenient Weather-Proof bucket for easy transport

25 Servings - Potato Soup

30 Servings - Corn Chowder

25 Servings - Cacciatore

25 Servings - Western Stew

30 Servings - Country Noodle

25 Servings - Rice Lentil

45 Servings - Whey Milk

40 Servings - Blueberry Pancake

30 Servings - Barley Vegetable

We keep 10 bottles of propane (the small green type) on hand with our camp stove- for the purpose of heating the emergency food.

Water:

We keep ten (36 bottle) cases of drinking water on hand at all times.

The "Kit":

Our non-food emergency kit is planned to fit in an extra large plastic bin. It could be packed in the car if the need to evacuate arose. The following is a list of what we have chosen to include- it is not exhaustive but covers the basic areas of concern. In thinking about your own kit, don't feel overwhelmed by the need to pull everything together at once. Our supplies were gathered over a period of time, working through one category at a time.

General Emergency supplies:
Matches in waterproof container
Hand-crank radio
First Aid kit
Flashlight with batteries
Large roll of plastic sheeting
Duct tape
Can opener
Pocket knife
Candles
Lighters
Emergency (space) blankets
Rope
Bed sheet
Fleece blanket
Towels

Clothing (at least one of each per person):
Sweatshirt
T-Shirt
Pants
Socks
Undergarments
Sturdy Shoes
Rain poncho
Work gloves

Personal items:
Toilet Paper
Toothpaste
Bar Soap
Kleenex
Toothbrushes
Wash Cloth
Purell
Prescription medications (try to pack a week supply)

Misc items:
Trowel
Hatchet
Dust Masks
Writing paper
Pens
Playing Cards
Bible
Pet items (food, litter, and leash)
Copies of insurance documents, ID, credit cards and other important info- sealed in plastic

Online resources:
http://www.ready.gov/
http://emc.ornl.gov/CSEPPweb/SIP/SIP_Student_Guide.pdf
http://www.areyouprepared.com/
FEMA's "Are You Ready?" - An in-depth guide to citizen preparedness


All of this preparation may seem a bit obsessive, but think of it like this - most of our grandparents had several shelves of canned goods in their basement that kept them prepared for all kinds of situations. We can't be 100% ready for every circumstance, but it's not a bad idea to give a little thought to a sensible emergency plan. It's not only a way to protect your family in an emergency, but you'll also be in a good position to help others.

Feel free to post questions or add your own suggestions - Happy Planning!

Jim's Item of the Week

Here's a handy device that we got from Carrie's parents at Christmas. I'm sure there are a ton of variations of this product out there in the marketplace, but here's a brief review of the Speaker-on-the-Go.

Made by HMDX Audio, this is a great little gadget that provides a portable speaker system for your iPod. The one-piece, durable zipper case easily protects your MP3 player of choice from dirt, rain or just about anything else. We all know how temperamental our fragile iPods can be, but the Speaker-on-the-Go has a sturdy nylon/plastic shell that should keep it safe and secure from most drops and bumps. It's got a handy clip that you can hook to a backpack, belt loop, etc., which is perfect for camping, hiking, picnics, or any other occasion that you want to fire up the tunage, sans headphones. Pop in two AA batteries and you're good to go.

I actually use mine when I practice guitar, but I've also been taking it outside when I'm doing yard work. The sound quality is actually quite good. It's not the Bose, of course, but for the price, you can't beat it.

Check HMDX's site for full details and to find out where you can pick up one of these very useful items ...

Happy Easter!

"Living, He loved me. Dying, He saved me. Buried, He carried my sins far away. Rising, He justified freely forever. One day He's coming. Oh glorious day, Oh glorious day!" - Casting Crowns

Jim's "Go or Don't Go" Double Bonus Edition...

Well, we finally saw Avatar this week. Why did we wait so long? Something in my nature usually causes me to avoid "must see" movies, but Carrie wanted to see it in 3D, so we figured that we had better get to a theater soon.

Most people know the Avatar plot by now, so I'll just give my general impression of the film. I'll skip the not-so-subtle political overtones of the movie, however, here's a helpful tip that applies to any movie: In general, avoid getting your history lessons from Hollywood films.

First off, the movie is beautiful to look at. The planet Pandora and it's native "Na'vi" people are an amazing achievement in visual effects. Director/writer James Cameron deserves be applauded for his vision and the incredible amount of work and talent that must have been necessary to bring Avatar to the screen. One note on the 3D thing - maybe it's just me, but I think that I would have preferred to watch the film in regular old FlatD. It took me half way through the movie for my eyes to adjust, and I had some serious eye strain the next day.

OK, now for the important stuff - the plot. Honestly, nothing new here. Maybe I was expecting too much, but if you take away the CGI, for any movie to be great, the story has got to be strong, and this ain't a strong story folks. Take a little Pocahontas, throw in some Star Wars, a pinch of FernGully and a dash of Dances with Wolves, and you've got Avatar. And at 162 minutes, I was tempted to check the time on my cell phone on a couple of occasions. Mind you, I'm not saying that the story was terrible, just nothing great, or anything that I haven't seen before, which is what I would hope to see in a film that's made a ba-jillion dollars at the box office. One more thing - this movie really suffered from a lack of humor. Of course, it's not a comedy, but boy, a couple of laughs here and there would have really helped.

Next up: characters. OK, I get it, the greedy corporate guy and the psuedo military jarhead guy are supposed to be the incarnation of evil, but they were so stereotypically over-the-top that I had a hard time even working up any hatred for them. I've seen more sympathetic villains in superhero movies. (Note to casting: Don't cast Phoebe's crazy brother from Friends as one of your primary villains. It's a little distracting). Speaking of stereotypes, let's move on the the noble natives of Pandora, the Na'vi. All knowing, all-caring, at complete harmony with the nature, they are one of those imaginary people groups that only exist in Hollywood movies.

So it may sound as if I didn't like Avatar, but I did. I just didn't run out of the theater calling 10 people to tell them that they must see this film and that it will change their lives forever. I think the Oscars got it right - great effects, not-so-great story. I say "Go".

-----------------------------

And now for a movie that I really liked. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang falls into the "Great Movies That I've Never Even Heard of Before" category. The 2005 gem stars Robert Downey Jr., (who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actors. I know, I'm getting to the party a little late on this one) as "a petty thief posing as an actor who is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition, and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who's been training him for his upcoming role." Thank you IMDb.

This is a dark comedy, full of smart dialogue, quirky characters and a clever storytelling style. The film had a "we are going to do whatever we want" vibe throughout. Downey narrates the film to us, all the while aware that he and the other characters in the movie know that we are watching them in said movie.

Downey is at his smart-alec best, and Val Kilmer is perfect as his detective mentor. This movie was funny from the very first scene, right through to the very last. And not "tee-hee" funny; laugh-out-loud "Ha!" funny.

There are people that know much more about film, pulp-fiction novels, and Hollywood insider stuff who could really do this movie justice in a review. You should look some of them up. All I know is that Carrie and I laughed a lot during KKBB. It's rare that we see a movie that's truly different from most of the stuff that we end up watching.

OK - here's the disclaimer. We watched the edited version on AMC, and from what we understand, there is a LOT of profanity in the uncut film. So if this would bother you, you may want to stick to a cleaned-up version of the film (your TiVo should be able to tell you when it's showing next) - it's still very, very good. I promise. I say "Go".

Item of the Week...

Since we moved into our house in 2008, we've had our Bose Sound Dock set up in the living room with the cord haphazardly draped over to the outlet. It sounds like a small thing, but it drives me crazy. Last week, I ordered the Cord Cover Kit over at Improvements Catalog. In about 15 minutes this afternoon, I was able to position and stick the cover and paint it to match the wall. To finish it off, I covered the exposed white plug with electrical tape to disguise it. If you have to run power cords over any distance, I highly recommend this quick fix.

Before Cord Cover Kit...

After Cord Cover Kit...

7 Years and Counting...

Today we celebrated our 7th anniversary. I can't believe how the time has flown but I wouldn't trade a second of it. Here's how we celebrated...

Jim getting ready to open presents while Bear investigates... This year's traditional gift was 'wool' and coincidentally, we both each bought the other a black wool coat. Jim's is a 3/4 length overcoat, while mine is a traditional peacoat.

Bear was satisfied with the gifts...

We both donned our new outerwear (good thing, because it was freezing and windy) and headed up to Mt. Washington for dinner at the swanky LeMont.

This was the nicest Mt. Washington restaurant we've been to yet, with spectacular city views.

While we were out, we stopped at 'Color Me Mine' to pick up the plates we had painted each other for Valentine's day. I painted the tree plate for Jim with lyrics from "Grow Old With Me" (John Lennon), and Jim painted the flower plate for me with lyrics from our wedding song, "The Way You Look Tonight" (Frank Sinatra). We'll be using them for our anniversary dessert tonight- what a great keepsake...

One more shot at home- we don't get dressed up all that often so you've got to get the photo ops in...

Jim surprised me today by sending 7 roses to my office... We had to spend our anniversary working, but at least I got to enjoy these beautiful flowers all day.
And finally, here are a few shots from this date 7 years ago...

Thanks for reminiscing with us!

Piano Progress...

Not sure if you can tell I'm actually making progress- sometimes I'm not sure myself. Learning the piano is harder than I thought! You might notice I have a new digital piano that Jim got me for Christmas. It's a Yamaha P85 and I've really been enjoying the full size keyboard and weighted hammer-action keys... much more closer to a real piano than the kids casio I was playing on before. I finally have a pedal too so I have to get to work on adding that in. I just can't grasp moving my feet while I'm trying to figure out what to do with my hands... yeah, yeah, I know- practice makes perfect.

Here's the latest tune, a basic rendition of "Hello, Dolly"

Jim's 'Go or Don't Go' - God Grew Tired of Us

If you think that you've had a bad day, take a couple of hours to watch God Grew Tired of Us: The Story of the Lost Boys of Sudan. This intriguing 2006 documentary gives you a glimpse of just how absolutely horrible this world can be, as well as the incredible resiliance of the human spirit.

In case you're not up to speed on who the Lost Boys of the Sudan are: In 1987, the Muslim government of Sudan prounced death to all males in the Christian south of the country. Nice. 27,00 young boys fled - on foot mind you - on a nightmarish 1,000 mile journey to Kenya, where 12,000 survivors eventually ended up in a United Nations camp in Kakuma.

The story picks up in 2001, with many of these boys, now young men, receiving an opportunity to be relocated to United States. Despite their hardships in Africa, we see their reluctance to leave the camp and separate themselves from the only "family" they know.

One thing that made this film unexpectedly interesting to us was that two of the three subjects in the film were placed in Pittsburgh. The other young man was sent to Syracuse, NY.

Once in the United States, they are set up in apartments and arrangements are made for getting them jobs. In the more lighthearted scenes of the movie, we see light switches, flush toilets, pre-cooked food and refrigerators being explained to the young men. Keep in mind, these are people who have never used electricity, and think that a common American job is cleaning dog teeth.

Although the United States is an opportunity for the young men, we see their struggle to make ends meet and send money back to friends and family in Africa, all the while deeply missing their homeland. The film deals in a thoughtful and respectful way with cultural differences and the emotional baggage of their past experiences. I think the film will also cause most viewers to reflect on American culture, and rethink any preconceived notions of African culture.

The amazing thing about these young men was the faith, joy and optimism that was still present in their outlook on life, especially after what they have been through. Their progress is followed over several years, and we see them mature, seek out lost loved ones and faithfully work to preserve their culture.

I highly recommend this film. Co-produced by Brad Pitt and narrarated by Nicole Kidman, God Grew Tired of Us was a thoughtful break from the usual explosions and CGI effects that I regularly subject myself to. I say "Go."

Snowmageddon 2010!

Yesterday we had zero inches of snow. Today, we woke up to 22! We spent 3 hours shoveling and were able to dig out 1 car and the neighbor's driveway. Once we got the car out, we went out to get something to eat but all the stores and restaurants were closed. Oh well- we'll need the car soon anyway. Got a call from the Borough that a State of Emergency has been declared because so many are without heat and power. In fact, our friends and their cat are on their way over right now because they have no power and their house is 46 degrees!

I've never seen so much snow in my life. Enjoy the pictures...

The Kia!

And there's the Saturn...

The neighbor's driveway...

Surveying...

Cold Paws...

Is it time to go in?

Jim's Website of the Week...

If the current state of our country has you discouraged and you are looking for a little inspiration, check out Real American Stories . The site was created "to share American stories and to help us appreciate who we are, where we come from, and how truly fortunate we are to be part of the American experience." It may help clear your head for a few minutes of the daily news clutter, which is always a good thing.