May 2014 – Page 2 – Jennifer Michie

May 10, 2014 / 0 Comments

5 Years Bloga-Versary

Well May 5th came and went for me this year. I have to tell you that there are times where my working week gets the better of me! We are up by 5 and I am home past 6 every night and by the time we make dinner, do the dishes, have a few minutes to talk, do a few things around the house, speak to my mom or my sister or sometimes I’m lucky enough to speak to both, it is time to hit the hay before 5 o’clock rolls around again, because it comes around all to quickly.

I have so many things I want to share with you. I have yet to share with you about going to my Shibori Dying Class, or about visiting the Matisse Exhibition or the number of other things that flit through my head. I will get there. I just need to work harder on my work/life balance. It came to me last night that 5 years of being in this space came and went unnoticed by me this week.

When I started this space 5 years ago, I didn’t know where it would lead, but it has truly grown into its own. A year ago I moved into this new space that I call my writing home. I love the simplicity of my site. It is colorful, yet simply elegant, it lets me showcase my writing and photography without a lot of fluff and that is what I wanted it to be.

Thank you for sharing this space with me. Thank you for coming to visit me and read my words and view my pictures. I write for me, but it is nice to know that my writing not only touches my own soul, but you have shared with me that it touches yours too.

When I did think of writing about my 5 years of blogging the other week, I had made a Kentucky Derby Pie. It turned out perfectly. A slice was cut and fresh vanilla whipped cream was pillowed on to the top, but Mr. Michie stole a bite before I could get a picture.

So, instead of sharing that pie with you and recipe, I shall share a cake recipe with you, as cakes are a wonderful celebration of life. The image and recipe comes from the lovely Twigg Studios. The pie recipe I will share just as soon as I make another one. Pies should be made to share, but unfortunately, this one was just too good, we were greedy and devoured it ourselves before we could even give away a slice!

For the full Mandarin & Lemon Cake recipe and assembly instructions please visit Twigg Studios, HERE

Image pinned HERE

May 8, 2014 / 0 Comments

Diving

Last night I had my first diving lesson, scuba diving that is. It was more of a trial session, to make sure that anyone who signed up actually wanted to continue with the course once they got a taste for it.

I have wanted to dive since I was in High School, I was saving all my babysitting money to do a course but the timing was off and it just didn’t work out. It’s all about the timing. I haven’t had the opportunity since, but there are two divers at my school who are instructors as well and have kindly offered to teach anyone who’s interested at cost. I couldn’t get any luckier than that!

So, last night I went to the pool, threw on my bathing suit and began my first lesson. We went through a couple of basics as this was just a taster session. I learned underwater hand signals, where everything was on my tank and how to get my gear on.

We jumped in in the shallow end and pulled on our tanks. We put on our flippers and our goggles and had a chance to sit down then lay down on the bottom of the pool and finally do two test swims around the shallow end with our diving buddy at our side. Trying to give yourself enough room to turn a corner with your giant flippers on was like the underwater equivalent of driving a bus around a tight corner.

Diving was like driving a car for the first time, exhilarating, the feeling of freedom just in front of you but a lot to think about too. Were you watching your gauges, keeping the right buoyancy, making sure your partner was okay, following the instructor’s hand signals as well as remembering to breath, sounds like a silly thing to say, I know! The only set back for me was that we eventually had to get out of the pool. I wanted to go, go, go! I felt so free. It was magical!

I’m hoping that I can eventually log enough hours that maybe I can get in on an underwater dig, nothing fancy, I just loved all my Archaeology classes when I was in College and considered being an Archaeologist for awhile, but there was just something about Art History that pulled at my heart strings. They are disciplines however, that I believe go hand in hand. Knowing one only heightens your knowledge of the other. I’m ready for an adventure.

I can’t wait for my next class! I’ve got my eye on a pair of goggles that won’t pull my hair, an inexpensive underwater camera and a pretty good idea of where I want to do my first real qualified dive. But, down to the basics first, I’m getting ahead of myself!

{I’m sorry I can’t show you a funny diving picture, I was having so much fun, I forgot to snap a pic of me and my Donald Duck feet!}

May 5, 2014 / 0 Comments

Five Guys Fries

Going, Going…

GONE!

Five Guys Fries with loads of ketchup! Complete happiness!

May 4, 2014 / 0 Comments

An Auspicious Day

I knew yesterday was a lucky day! Yesterday, I used a new bag I had purchased in a sale ages ago and put on my new sneakers as my first ever pair of pink Converse had bitten the dust. I couldn’t figure out why my feet got so wet in the storm we had last week and then I noticed a big hole in the side of my shoe, plus the rubber soles wore worn paper thin. The shoe repairman near my school said there was nothing that he could do to fix them, so my sneakers and I parted ways.

With my new aqua colored Converse on we headed out the door and into London to see the Matisse Exhibition at the Tate Modern. I have long been a fan of Matisse and I will be sharing a couple images of the show with you this week, but this is about about an auspicious day.

I have not seen my fox since the early Fall and I had been worried about him. I normally bump into him by this point in the year, but our paths had yet to cross. But, yesterday they did. As the train pulled out of the station with the sun streaming down, I gazed at the meadow that runs the length of the platform. As we neared the tunnel, I saw two reddish ears poking up and I knew it was him.

I only caught a small glimpse, but he majestically laid amongst the wildflowers, sunning himself. His beautiful rusty red coat, standing out from the greens, purples, yellow and white flowers dancing around his head.

I looked around the train in excitement, but no one else had seen him. No one else had shared in the magic. He was my lucky sign, today was going to be a good day! Welcome to Spring, Mr. Fox, I’m so glad we are meeting again.

{Postcard from Franz Marc to Kandinsky/Found HERE}
{I’ve written about my Fox before: My Fox & Reynard the Fox}

May 2, 2014 / 0 Comments

I’ll Have What She’s Having

We kicked off our three day weekend with a Friday Date Night. We had dinner and then stopped for dessert at a crepe stand. I had the “I’ll Have What She’s Having”, a crepe filled with Belgian Chocolate, strawberries, and whipped cream! For the “When Harry Met Sally” reference alone, I was sold. It was delicious and the perfect end to a wonderful evening.