tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-348701532024-02-07T12:10:36.039-08:00spellbound jungleHome of the thoughts & photographic adventures of Brooke M. WalshBrooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.comBlogger210125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-63347487441442754902010-08-03T14:59:00.000-07:002010-08-03T15:16:52.487-07:00Your name in print<span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">I want to start doing some more writing for writing's sake over here on Spellbound Jungle Blog 1.0. So, here goes.<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br />Sometime this summer Truman pulled out all my old high school and college newspapers from their accordion folder tomes and started scattering pieces around the basement. I stopped him, laughed at some of the inserts, then put them back away.<br /><br />I thought about why I was keeping these relics that are quickly gaining this old newspaper smell. Not the good kind that comes after 20 years of yellowing and dog eared pages, but a the smell of trapped ink that hasn't off-gassed.<br /><br />It's because I remember how much they meant to me once. And I remember that thrill of seeing my name in print for the first time on a story about the La Jolla High School band that trying entirely too hard to make the band sound cooler than it was because I wanted a story that sounded good.<br /><br />I was doing more with words than with story, then.<br /><br />In college the paper was a labor of love. I remember once sitting next to a student who was reading my work. I felt like a time traveler stumbling upon herself in danger of creating a paradox that would rip a whole in the very fabric of space and time — because, for me at least, the time period in which I wrote something, and everything that went into that, is part of the final product.<br /><br />When I read the words I remember it all.<br /><br />The reader, though, just sees the text before him.<br /><br />Feeling dangerous and sneaky, I asked the guy what he was reading about and if he liked it. He was reading my article and he did.<br /><br />Elation. I don't write to be liked, necessarily, but I do write to be read. Knowing someone was reading what I was writing gave so much more meaning to the process.<br /><br />That same year I got my first check for writing from a little alternative weekly in San Diego I freelanced for. My name in that print — that check ink — was amazing to see. I felt legitimate, that this wasn't just a hobby, but something I could do for a living.<br /><br />I still a photocopy of that check scanned into my computer. I've held onto it because it reminds me of how proud I felt to be making even a tiny sum off of the written word.<br /><br />Last year there was get-together for USD Alumni in Minneapolis and I talked to someone who was at the school around the same time I was. I asked about the paper before revealing who I was and he said he remembered it turning around when I was editor-in-chief.<br /><br />Writing is often a thankless job. It's rare to get comments and when you do they are often angry, especially when it comes to newspapers. Hearing that the work I did — the late nights and general hard-ass stance I had to take — actually made a difference in someone else's mind was like getting that first pay check all over again.<br /><br />Now I write online for myself, for my photography business, for my son and freelancing for MPR. Somehow in some weird way online publishing isn't as exciting as print.<br /><br />Maybe it's because I don't expect to stumble upon someone in the real world reading a blog. But with smart phones and e-readers all around, I probably should.<br /><br />There are many elements I love about writing on the web, but that doesn't make me miss seeing my name in print any less.<br /></span></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-24907494984732057902010-06-21T15:00:00.000-07:002010-06-21T19:48:01.763-07:002010 Walsh Family Road Trip Day1: To Fargo we go!<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Preface: Each year Joe embarks upon a wondrous journey helping coach the Milaca Speech team and judging at Speech meets while I embark on an equally wondrous but more whine-filled journey of having no Saturdays as a family from Jan. through March. As a result the money earned from judging is mine to spend. </span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br />Last year we bought a bike trailer for Truman to ride in (<a href="http://spellboundjungle.blogspot.com/2009/08/mn-state-fair-no-place-for-jogging.html">remember everyone tripped on it at the State Fair?</a>). This year I dreamed bigger.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br />This year we headed on a 10 day road trip to Yellowstone National Park. This the true story of the 2010 Walsh Family Road Trip to Yellowstone.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">You will also find tons of pictures here, but the really stunning pictures worth mulling over in photoshop will be posted on </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://www.spellboundjungle.com/">www.spellboundjungle.com</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">, and a few stories related to our potty training adventures while camping will be posted over on </span><a style="color: rgb(51, 102, 255);" href="http://www.spellboundbaby.blogspot.com/">www.spellboundbaby.blogspot.com</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj912F1RI9NjRvk8jhL5TCV07DPwzXrePL1uJpQOsZeNgEH4E-tgsfi5P02-nBf7uovkgVSCNa0qIbqDXq1EISHCPAviohyn8FDGTUu4bOxku5-VhS7JAZxjGtQDysPUajoapWCAA/s1600/P6025769.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj912F1RI9NjRvk8jhL5TCV07DPwzXrePL1uJpQOsZeNgEH4E-tgsfi5P02-nBf7uovkgVSCNa0qIbqDXq1EISHCPAviohyn8FDGTUu4bOxku5-VhS7JAZxjGtQDysPUajoapWCAA/s400/P6025769.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485354181920091314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">June 3rd: After Joe got off work he came home and we finished up packing. I had almost everything packed already, but you know how it goes prepping a house to leave for over a week — turning everything off, asking my neighbors to water my garden, double checking that things were unplugged/off, running back in the house 5 times to grab various items.<br /><br />Then we hit the road.<br /><br />We picked up sandwiches (and cookies) in St. Cloud then made our way to 94. Then we ate said sandwiches and had a cookie party. I had a total mom-win the day before when I realized his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-G5920-0-Healthy-Care-Booster/dp/B0002VZ21E/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&s=baby-products&qid=1277159933&sr=8-17">highchair</a> tray could be used as a car seat tray.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NF3l5wv7G4X1KwMiqX6UoOKfN_FGHyydsKH0V1MN7C3hm6EIFhUtDHSfZVpm6iOI3UpPWL5-G1eYXzd-Eg8Pdnm1A28BS5fQY2pD2lof2R1-35ZyR8pkkd6VP-r4fnt2SrvNwQ/s1600/P6025771.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6NF3l5wv7G4X1KwMiqX6UoOKfN_FGHyydsKH0V1MN7C3hm6EIFhUtDHSfZVpm6iOI3UpPWL5-G1eYXzd-Eg8Pdnm1A28BS5fQY2pD2lof2R1-35ZyR8pkkd6VP-r4fnt2SrvNwQ/s400/P6025771.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485355907446301186" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSFLcKJggVOukBFoCcLc_1EyxBEYI-eudwLPpStXbRIjgIO4OKzU44qFYXFTLU6dO1P3GWgcGrW1Q0GLSKVLadhGvGoB0kicukS8_SrHu2EfCZDd4bFNn1kHfd3MO2ucBaFwQbw/s1600/P6025779.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiSFLcKJggVOukBFoCcLc_1EyxBEYI-eudwLPpStXbRIjgIO4OKzU44qFYXFTLU6dO1P3GWgcGrW1Q0GLSKVLadhGvGoB0kicukS8_SrHu2EfCZDd4bFNn1kHfd3MO2ucBaFwQbw/s400/P6025779.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485355914705413314" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">We stopped at this rest stop with newspaper boxes for such periodicals as "Country Singles," "18-wheel Singles," and "Diabetes Cure 101.com."<br /><br />Truman spent some time ever-so-carefully crossing the 3-inch divide between two benches and then leaping off the end to land 2 ft. below. I didn't bring my camera out at the time, so later I channeled <a href="http://www.demetrimartin.com/">Demetri Martin</a> and drew a diagram:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytz7tsyOi0iYbF5mGTJvunxBWcY5owYifOyjCUI-fkK2cGV_gWvRTu6XSwOnfiDpIr6vct0UVVuNCPsTXBuIIyDYAwFdGkZ3wlmZQl7B5g8XVjSU93JJ-nvw104eIyVgcInmJmQ/s1600/Photo+on+2010-06-21+at+17.28.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytz7tsyOi0iYbF5mGTJvunxBWcY5owYifOyjCUI-fkK2cGV_gWvRTu6XSwOnfiDpIr6vct0UVVuNCPsTXBuIIyDYAwFdGkZ3wlmZQl7B5g8XVjSU93JJ-nvw104eIyVgcInmJmQ/s400/Photo+on+2010-06-21+at+17.28.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485360560154737714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br />Then we got to James' and Nikki's house in Fargo, ND and spent a lovely night sleeping in their guest bed <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(Thanks again J&N for having us!)</span>.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-yfreFkgh5XDjoVZsoRcfVHOOujNtnU1vlRmMgHeCWc2BvBeQEdPObxgoujTu2MUjICbWoM2NjbDqYylVyFRdRE7Bkboy3aZqXHLM9DF_aOZd44eDZc1wYCMrtQXihxyxJPIPw/s1600/J&N.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn-yfreFkgh5XDjoVZsoRcfVHOOujNtnU1vlRmMgHeCWc2BvBeQEdPObxgoujTu2MUjICbWoM2NjbDqYylVyFRdRE7Bkboy3aZqXHLM9DF_aOZd44eDZc1wYCMrtQXihxyxJPIPw/s400/J&N.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5485423986192297250" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br />As Truman fell asleep he hugged Joe tight, telling him over and over again "I love you."<br /><br />I had been telling him for weeks that daddy would be with us every day for 10 days on our vacation and I think he was really looking forward to it.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-36814398151068299202010-02-12T15:29:00.000-08:002010-02-12T15:39:12.757-08:00Happy Valentine's Day!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzgXVi5yRPrS52kAFnrKwKal5SAb0iqCSV69XEH29hOOzn3PQ2M7GRvPX1v7SZGbodvUdd_4P5YWM0NNeMCKWi1XqruuKSonrbVK1ObvvnF27QYyUjGzkXW5sEpcaxdE9m6muZQ/s1600-h/P2123328.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUzgXVi5yRPrS52kAFnrKwKal5SAb0iqCSV69XEH29hOOzn3PQ2M7GRvPX1v7SZGbodvUdd_4P5YWM0NNeMCKWi1XqruuKSonrbVK1ObvvnF27QYyUjGzkXW5sEpcaxdE9m6muZQ/s400/P2123328.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437503935805853362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">We're having a family get together over the weekend to celebrate a multitude of things, so I'm posting my little Cupid today. Have a great weekend!</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pn7Pv7BTTGspx2VLdfCOc_agiQ1klF7yG3lrRFXre6TMbSrWHk0mFcEMGfvpApFW0khAhOVqrsYLPc92GPPxi8HPBDOXjsuWkwjT8Kr0cU5RE7BqIr6IpcV8FCd4j6bxm5wDjg/s1600-h/P2123337.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9pn7Pv7BTTGspx2VLdfCOc_agiQ1klF7yG3lrRFXre6TMbSrWHk0mFcEMGfvpApFW0khAhOVqrsYLPc92GPPxi8HPBDOXjsuWkwjT8Kr0cU5RE7BqIr6IpcV8FCd4j6bxm5wDjg/s400/P2123337.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437503945617644802" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5mFnAH3MQMsmM1m_QzUIyAveMAe5kuJ1EscdwEWjcI5tvS79dyupp3PPqNi0_BNweF2wRCQfv2l1Bh62p2jPJPt6nKA-Evb_tLdXTrTRC4qjEbT_EUj_GnCPiQbNDh_oDdKsmg/s1600-h/P2123351.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5mFnAH3MQMsmM1m_QzUIyAveMAe5kuJ1EscdwEWjcI5tvS79dyupp3PPqNi0_BNweF2wRCQfv2l1Bh62p2jPJPt6nKA-Evb_tLdXTrTRC4qjEbT_EUj_GnCPiQbNDh_oDdKsmg/s400/P2123351.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437503956706974162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3EoIaOO-_21RRcWEDuqzMqYJnnTut1V1BxMzXhIwu3-Yo60NmiGnfFhe6Pn1wdPwByaGRrp71sJjCqccZ76D59qgz_gV2XH_qyabIVYIZ1yVOSDA-Wfzrhcy-b3ki5I9AFY4RQ/s1600-h/P2123323.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig3EoIaOO-_21RRcWEDuqzMqYJnnTut1V1BxMzXhIwu3-Yo60NmiGnfFhe6Pn1wdPwByaGRrp71sJjCqccZ76D59qgz_gV2XH_qyabIVYIZ1yVOSDA-Wfzrhcy-b3ki5I9AFY4RQ/s400/P2123323.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437505202417274658" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYBP1voY3trlJQ_C862CsjGN18VXsl0v7JOzoBWHZ2eJJiga8qRfrX9VFryvREPEOk7oKtPK_IydZ5-nl5_NQ1R_RvITDfWW5-anEkgp1Z68acon4WcY8Prgn35IGAUJqxI9A1Q/s1600-h/P2123355.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHYBP1voY3trlJQ_C862CsjGN18VXsl0v7JOzoBWHZ2eJJiga8qRfrX9VFryvREPEOk7oKtPK_IydZ5-nl5_NQ1R_RvITDfWW5-anEkgp1Z68acon4WcY8Prgn35IGAUJqxI9A1Q/s400/P2123355.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437505195834910594" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-74698451574492749722010-01-11T10:06:00.000-08:002010-01-11T14:04:03.829-08:00Cooking with Brooke: Icelandic Fish Soup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntmuuifeGaGIHF95Ly_G3pQhS2jQnYfpq_gxop3lQqSM9mGJnou3loyEhyOFvC2Sron6T_CUsk1tYHve4liAngq1uf23cxmF8e-yW7Uj1XyGDitirogHZwOUGJP0zYj_WprkAgw/s1600-h/P1102970.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgntmuuifeGaGIHF95Ly_G3pQhS2jQnYfpq_gxop3lQqSM9mGJnou3loyEhyOFvC2Sron6T_CUsk1tYHve4liAngq1uf23cxmF8e-yW7Uj1XyGDitirogHZwOUGJP0zYj_WprkAgw/s400/P1102970.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425597025956435602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br />A few years ago when my little peanut was literally the size of a peanut (sans shell) Joe and I traveled to Iceland for our delayed honeymoon where we encountered the worst food we've ever tasted.<br /><br />Why, then, you ask, am I creating a recipe to duplicate something from the land of fire and ice?<br /><br />I'm so glad you asked. You see hidden in a tiny gift shop along the shore of the glacial lagoon, <a href="http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=tPn&q=jokulsarlon&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=MJ5LS7z-LoeSNszisJAJ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQsAQwAA"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jokulsarlon</span></a> was the best soup I have ever eaten. This <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">brothy</span>, hearty fish-based soup that I have found myself dreaming about since.<br /><br />I had done a cursory google search to see if the recipe was available a few months ago and found nothing. But yesterday I took charge and realized I never tried searching for "Icelandic Fish Soup," which was gross oversight.<br /><br />I found a few recipes, melded them with my own ideas and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tada</span>:<br /><br />Icelandic Fish Soup<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wYDljk3gWSDbCMKs864gPQfU9t7u17IgDh2HgrIR4ZrDksFZGwvnGyNwQQSv6OwuL-UZx1eucJukZWzn0crzYJdNW4KfQZnzxXDp-f5zHn4bPz7Z2S4CO5hzSuNurwVykPQyEA/s1600-h/P1102976.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8wYDljk3gWSDbCMKs864gPQfU9t7u17IgDh2HgrIR4ZrDksFZGwvnGyNwQQSv6OwuL-UZx1eucJukZWzn0crzYJdNW4KfQZnzxXDp-f5zHn4bPz7Z2S4CO5hzSuNurwVykPQyEA/s400/P1102976.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425595951283222162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Though I had long dreamed of this soup, I have to say I was afraid that I only remembered it being delicious because I was so starving that in comparison to all the other food the island offered it was astounding, but when pared with my kitchen of endless possibilities it would fall flat. It did not. This soup is amazing.<br /><br />Obviously, you could use any vegetables you like, I am writing it with what I used.<br /></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Makes a large pot of soup<br />Takes approximately 1 hour<br /><br />5 cloves of garlic<br />1 large onion<br />2 large carrots<br />4 medium yellow potatoes<br />2 golden beets<br />1 head of broccoli<br />Handful of green beans<br />1 jalapeno<br />1 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">chipotle</span> pepper or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">ancho</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">chilli</span><br />3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">bayleaves</span><br />1T. fennel seed or fresh fennel<br />1 1/2 T. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">tumeric</span><br />2 tsp. curry powder<br />1 tsp. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">chilipowder</span><br />2 pinches ground cloves<br />salt & pepper as desired<br />12 oz. crushed or strained tomato<br />32 oz. low-sodium chicken broth<br />12 oz fish <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(I used white fish in the form of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Mahi</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Mahi</span>, you could use any fish but white fish will be the least "fishy")</span><br />Handful of shrimp<br />butter<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFoutodSBS215q-44JJUdEx5tZLUeC7MpVvDLZyWWyZWPeks4TPCN_RCb6sk2-0QL9CY3CwVw8_iE6f2V1OI1uy90ZHbMOYFEtCt8iAKACTt3bgMsSYye-5JKbAI58p2W7c6MYA/s1600-h/P1102973.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdFoutodSBS215q-44JJUdEx5tZLUeC7MpVvDLZyWWyZWPeks4TPCN_RCb6sk2-0QL9CY3CwVw8_iE6f2V1OI1uy90ZHbMOYFEtCt8iAKACTt3bgMsSYye-5JKbAI58p2W7c6MYA/s400/P1102973.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425595959125299922" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br />Chop vegetables and onion. Saute onion in olive oil and butter (or butter substitute) on medium heat while you chop the garlic. Add garlic and spices and saute for a few minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.<br /><br />Remove bay leaves and use an immersion blender to smooth onion. <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Feel free to skip this step if you like onions. But if you don't (or are married to someone who doesn't like me) this is a great way to add onion flavor without the textural mishap.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Add veggies and cook for a few minutes, then add tomato* and broth and 1 1/2 cups of water. Boil for 30-40 minutes. While it is boiling, cut the fish into small pieces and prepare the shrimp. Right before you are ready to serve it, throw in the fish and shrimp and continue on a low boil for 3-5 minutes. I used still frozen fish, but it may take less cooking with fresh fish.<br /><br />Turn the heat down to low and serve when ready.<br /><br />Joe said a nice crusty piece of bread would have made a good accompaniment, but I think the soup was hearty enough on its own.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdkRGMNwPmVOZELIyLGMG_835XZG-BWghdTTbSMnfCWWCyiTLb3P9lcnw9BhE_6pXjpS-RdTfX42MZd6Xh66BHwAuJosHoSc_OHyFR-tO0cxF2XCjv3v1b1hFytJK-VxmRYZSgA/s1600-h/P1102964.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSdkRGMNwPmVOZELIyLGMG_835XZG-BWghdTTbSMnfCWWCyiTLb3P9lcnw9BhE_6pXjpS-RdTfX42MZd6Xh66BHwAuJosHoSc_OHyFR-tO0cxF2XCjv3v1b1hFytJK-VxmRYZSgA/s400/P1102964.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5425597014611471074" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">*A note about canned tomatoes: Most people have caught on that <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">BPA</span></a>, which is used when making plastics can act as a hormone disruptor in humans. It's why we don't drink from polycarbonate plastic water bottles anymore, right? Well, unfortunately we actually get most <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">BPA</span> in our system from canned foods and (this is really scary) carbon copy receipts. The more acidic the canned food, the more likely the can is lined with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">BPA</span>.<br /><br />The solution? Buy tomatoes from a glass jar. I finally found some made my <a href="http://www.ansonmills.com/images/steps/pizza/Photo_1.jpg"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">bionaturae</span>. </a></span></span></span></span><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><a href="http://www.ansonmills.com/images/steps/pizza/Photo_1.jpg"><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span></a><br /></span></span></span></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-33895827714466205062009-12-25T07:01:00.001-08:002009-12-25T07:50:15.898-08:00Merry Christmas!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLcUvdyCJHL31F0gZfBaUyNa2NxyoNDVAQA5Fnd3rRHlsKECEGhtbC-8Jx7kX-K6tWKnrmy_cnDlJIevCRZYAcjnLhFj6roXVYOMnL9HRKMMxJQjzx2WI2GMm2EXQLA3W7qzJhA/s1600-h/PC242753.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLcUvdyCJHL31F0gZfBaUyNa2NxyoNDVAQA5Fnd3rRHlsKECEGhtbC-8Jx7kX-K6tWKnrmy_cnDlJIevCRZYAcjnLhFj6roXVYOMnL9HRKMMxJQjzx2WI2GMm2EXQLA3W7qzJhA/s400/PC242753.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419199861799953250" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><br />Merry Christmas to all! I hope everyone is surrounded by love, family and warmth as you celebrate. We're snuggled up in our house with family watching feet of snow pile up (well, Joe has been shoveling a great deal of it, too).<br /><br />Here are a few pictures from last night's celebration.</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"> We hosted family and then headed to "midnight" mass at 9:30, where Joe <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cantored</span> and Truman slept in his stroller/my lap.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"> I have to thank my family for letting me get in some off-camera flash practice. I set my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Vivitar</span> up on light</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">stand</span><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"> pointed at my white ceiling triggered via pocket wizard and wandered. </span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_E6GL1qfT7bYLUfFFqZ0JyZkvm46MFkws3APGbMhyphenhyphen-t2HwvQsllw7lQZXhrLHZeEKCcnDs_44O2fu9hdn5Pbe4EszrR8N0tV3bFHnEzv6Ki5O8-tumgJ-03sWdo0dQR6dRF8ng/s1600-h/PC242697.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc_E6GL1qfT7bYLUfFFqZ0JyZkvm46MFkws3APGbMhyphenhyphen-t2HwvQsllw7lQZXhrLHZeEKCcnDs_44O2fu9hdn5Pbe4EszrR8N0tV3bFHnEzv6Ki5O8-tumgJ-03sWdo0dQR6dRF8ng/s400/PC242697.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419197240279292914" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I9XdLf7A36Q_wJg1inA3GfIPD7NDXi8KRV4d1Os5prI-ZunBYq-NlVkZLLa1A5Ug3LySzbzuD_iX2oHWIH1LcdSElJ4fCJ8dM3T_xFUOE8igcYK8aRzFXuhrM9MalpyQMHJGjw/s1600-h/PC242710.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I9XdLf7A36Q_wJg1inA3GfIPD7NDXi8KRV4d1Os5prI-ZunBYq-NlVkZLLa1A5Ug3LySzbzuD_iX2oHWIH1LcdSElJ4fCJ8dM3T_xFUOE8igcYK8aRzFXuhrM9MalpyQMHJGjw/s400/PC242710.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419197249317128130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK4d0eLAuKB5YUD-vCu1Fm0BCRVecVUZ8Hyb9lZ1Oa9aJSCFh2a8g83FfvhsaaQkjb4vhwazXAVlzwb5rdp2o2fv4sLOVMXz7720XT20K2_Ji2P-9HYH2K7NXmxeEgI4lXdQjCw/s1600-h/PC242719.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQK4d0eLAuKB5YUD-vCu1Fm0BCRVecVUZ8Hyb9lZ1Oa9aJSCFh2a8g83FfvhsaaQkjb4vhwazXAVlzwb5rdp2o2fv4sLOVMXz7720XT20K2_Ji2P-9HYH2K7NXmxeEgI4lXdQjCw/s400/PC242719.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419198183928925618" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5z2qbS9ZTwMO11ZIw48IuJX-yVYOWRlIe6G3JPASuUbJNAjquMjLLHMLLrvO3bgjJlIs58KzEVh_3RObtarV0Wbdwu1H-4H9EgiDp32vNO9chQ_cM2kPDTHtaSOVQv0-dYcWH5Q/s1600-h/PC242759.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5z2qbS9ZTwMO11ZIw48IuJX-yVYOWRlIe6G3JPASuUbJNAjquMjLLHMLLrvO3bgjJlIs58KzEVh_3RObtarV0Wbdwu1H-4H9EgiDp32vNO9chQ_cM2kPDTHtaSOVQv0-dYcWH5Q/s400/PC242759.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419199850798510818" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Bt2K9RZkjw4IpeeSL7dZn0GbFV5lm2g1F0pEs9AO33afeYSYUkWxRpp8St9A2KW8hhARbrZiXtGvVmFElP4OX2b9k0V1xtQZA12oVV9S67-2y2MAyBOlVfHypdA4f12mZ6dhMg/s1600-h/PC242733.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Bt2K9RZkjw4IpeeSL7dZn0GbFV5lm2g1F0pEs9AO33afeYSYUkWxRpp8St9A2KW8hhARbrZiXtGvVmFElP4OX2b9k0V1xtQZA12oVV9S67-2y2MAyBOlVfHypdA4f12mZ6dhMg/s400/PC242733.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419199311815104002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6t8Bp4fexC1qw71gUc7jmgQIrMObnxISO1aq-mPPZXVcsgsp2DDiXez2aJXeBj8Gj5LyfMxsr-_e4sha4N59mT28_lAkiS4L3kjRlgF9IIaiHsKWTphB8N-J9IA5AY9OEAXwZw/s1600-h/PC242727.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX6t8Bp4fexC1qw71gUc7jmgQIrMObnxISO1aq-mPPZXVcsgsp2DDiXez2aJXeBj8Gj5LyfMxsr-_e4sha4N59mT28_lAkiS4L3kjRlgF9IIaiHsKWTphB8N-J9IA5AY9OEAXwZw/s400/PC242727.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419198195708647730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Joe's stunt double — err, brother — James playing <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Wii</span> with his own <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">doppleganger</span>-nephew Josh:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyrQ0SnDSZn1fuyW9Cv7HVUNjImuFUgo5GiJIfnElvftgbEOFYhRzOWOBFxuvWBT2PUNTsMN57VyhA56_P8M0pVv8sPwsz2QGPCQ9QSUiOW5pH8arDaBHWCSioEmMRNMgjEPYGQ/s1600-h/PC242721.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoyrQ0SnDSZn1fuyW9Cv7HVUNjImuFUgo5GiJIfnElvftgbEOFYhRzOWOBFxuvWBT2PUNTsMN57VyhA56_P8M0pVv8sPwsz2QGPCQ9QSUiOW5pH8arDaBHWCSioEmMRNMgjEPYGQ/s400/PC242721.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419190822336235602" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-4-L5alPZEeS94gsHTbvcBRnCuSOf2RRBZ_oTkUCxMbNuk-udZgWQBfzd-efoo8Zem5MzLj_HLSHNo4lPyYQNFD5irHdP6tDh8eaEKTbNnmktJytmawJ-n2apJ3XtW6l9vasRw/s1600-h/PC242723.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ-4-L5alPZEeS94gsHTbvcBRnCuSOf2RRBZ_oTkUCxMbNuk-udZgWQBfzd-efoo8Zem5MzLj_HLSHNo4lPyYQNFD5irHdP6tDh8eaEKTbNnmktJytmawJ-n2apJ3XtW6l9vasRw/s400/PC242723.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419190835226722882" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">And the gift-giving:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyeouc5U4smI7FEYgoMuTo1CbHFvO7c_659XEgzqO28z6apV1GSHA6AC88tVO-wZt1sKVaoVhMmh48a81HAHOyh8vA1yaBLT1VUiyf6BV4mAfXS1Jvk0gYLoo5O0aeRzO8gmJbQ/s1600-h/PC242670.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRyeouc5U4smI7FEYgoMuTo1CbHFvO7c_659XEgzqO28z6apV1GSHA6AC88tVO-wZt1sKVaoVhMmh48a81HAHOyh8vA1yaBLT1VUiyf6BV4mAfXS1Jvk0gYLoo5O0aeRzO8gmJbQ/s400/PC242670.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419195425314976786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7r0pNDTmBilARPJJB2ZD8BVQetIlUyZWmjxrrRrlJa_2waKylAbXaSB64PYq31-PNNMtoLOfB55aWuy7o1ro0JJDFhhexUBonzzGXb-Dgx86VK-Wu0RZvwBeZfwloTouAZAgGw/s1600-h/PC242694.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp7r0pNDTmBilARPJJB2ZD8BVQetIlUyZWmjxrrRrlJa_2waKylAbXaSB64PYq31-PNNMtoLOfB55aWuy7o1ro0JJDFhhexUBonzzGXb-Dgx86VK-Wu0RZvwBeZfwloTouAZAgGw/s400/PC242694.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419196323412699330" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">These slippers Kellie gave Truman are made with recycled sweaters, how cool (and they fit his giant feet):</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiET0C6REymk8Wx7dPefDtfGYzLDjB-rHmy5mD_6PcbAGghuXSGJe76ao-D_gmW35PAF_wD4k71wZg_4JKbDIXwebbsJNm8YG-FvepgejABX4Tr8y4hqTXgmtXJyp2SWkPHZfyIPQ/s1600-h/PC242688.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiET0C6REymk8Wx7dPefDtfGYzLDjB-rHmy5mD_6PcbAGghuXSGJe76ao-D_gmW35PAF_wD4k71wZg_4JKbDIXwebbsJNm8YG-FvepgejABX4Tr8y4hqTXgmtXJyp2SWkPHZfyIPQ/s400/PC242688.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419196312966101298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">I did a big knitted Christmas this year, making everyone I thought would enjoy a knitted goody a hat or scarf:</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3Yh-UWR8NFDpkejvpmPKqZrGWSw-N_ij1xNMZEfWAPMQldNY6tUARLDxJPtsuM8cSrc-2BfDhahyphenhypheniqywMyApp_CjpI2xv-FUcoj_JgqpSyRPEYR290Me53Pdx7a2Rp1FWYnvvQ/s1600-h/PC242674.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu3Yh-UWR8NFDpkejvpmPKqZrGWSw-N_ij1xNMZEfWAPMQldNY6tUARLDxJPtsuM8cSrc-2BfDhahyphenhypheniqywMyApp_CjpI2xv-FUcoj_JgqpSyRPEYR290Me53Pdx7a2Rp1FWYnvvQ/s400/PC242674.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419195440089271202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldCfgP2GzlIF-9BPKR_dhxgta_GSqfGhzqEoQDijzCBNofvjSMv6RedIYuFQw_Z9kwu7d03Xoqgb9MwGhA2v8Uj-qiFQZf-sYQR6ryVP8aS2ZdX9oFWMuzNEbKpTZ49t9CgCRjA/s1600-h/PC242671.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgldCfgP2GzlIF-9BPKR_dhxgta_GSqfGhzqEoQDijzCBNofvjSMv6RedIYuFQw_Z9kwu7d03Xoqgb9MwGhA2v8Uj-qiFQZf-sYQR6ryVP8aS2ZdX9oFWMuzNEbKpTZ49t9CgCRjA/s400/PC242671.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419195431202746530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5hKh4_tdodQez4xGQ39Z1CvWaTnYR0_U7PcznN5HUXbr8kXLJbNYh-17nYHfPsg84JbRsMOJtCXM6uOJpK6Xq4ZpT5_V6I3JQqEQfpowGyWCF16n9Is2azN7EF2zLzinkebfIw/s1600-h/PC242693.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG5hKh4_tdodQez4xGQ39Z1CvWaTnYR0_U7PcznN5HUXbr8kXLJbNYh-17nYHfPsg84JbRsMOJtCXM6uOJpK6Xq4ZpT5_V6I3JQqEQfpowGyWCF16n9Is2azN7EF2zLzinkebfIw/s400/PC242693.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419196318871649746" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTmh0Ze2MPrJznqLiNJl-5iWu7Zual5exfeBWhyLfRg_mCaFE-D9UZjjFuFm-FLcsPt6JIeYYiIPTZj9u6wvyiyfPSvUw-E4l-P_SB_Td4ZXNeJEbEUqPXneqBpBVIFRWyXGQaw/s1600-h/PC242696.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigTmh0Ze2MPrJznqLiNJl-5iWu7Zual5exfeBWhyLfRg_mCaFE-D9UZjjFuFm-FLcsPt6JIeYYiIPTZj9u6wvyiyfPSvUw-E4l-P_SB_Td4ZXNeJEbEUqPXneqBpBVIFRWyXGQaw/s400/PC242696.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419197230763833714" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8RWMfnQ_E5e1chmlmGZlh_nbJZ5BBfSvto19PLiVmvDFk8oUh3B0SpNOFqqO7A8HMNvQ-li_xYKqdIt2LMFl0kv3-e4LAgvjuKdV0bxpY94unky_zs10AZOnqLxDZDZLCB4VYQ/s1600-h/PC242711.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8RWMfnQ_E5e1chmlmGZlh_nbJZ5BBfSvto19PLiVmvDFk8oUh3B0SpNOFqqO7A8HMNvQ-li_xYKqdIt2LMFl0kv3-e4LAgvjuKdV0bxpY94unky_zs10AZOnqLxDZDZLCB4VYQ/s400/PC242711.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419198170679256242" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ77-bptwCp9lNLo5rFyY0tdJ07rTVNbTz1klWk46-Ss_FToJD3juBAE5sD4jlszmaL0J6Ow13SDmh9EYs6aKtO8GZftLiNwkIXembEmz9LPUXZmWJYOxJj_wzC7Y7k0Pi0RKtYA/s1600-h/PC242745.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ77-bptwCp9lNLo5rFyY0tdJ07rTVNbTz1klWk46-Ss_FToJD3juBAE5sD4jlszmaL0J6Ow13SDmh9EYs6aKtO8GZftLiNwkIXembEmz9LPUXZmWJYOxJj_wzC7Y7k0Pi0RKtYA/s400/PC242745.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419199317141091266" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_lOMAfeqPX9DDxHZ0h4zfQsxVvgyq0bZAlWjHTFZ7J11UVcTNnFM2RhNdQjXjmqwK5luAYiJPwwOmwRtvqivI5Q0CUFxZ9mzNm25RALGhWuZ4tnoh1LEPskFbcAImNW2YhAFMw/s1600-h/PC242743.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_lOMAfeqPX9DDxHZ0h4zfQsxVvgyq0bZAlWjHTFZ7J11UVcTNnFM2RhNdQjXjmqwK5luAYiJPwwOmwRtvqivI5Q0CUFxZ9mzNm25RALGhWuZ4tnoh1LEPskFbcAImNW2YhAFMw/s400/PC242743.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419201304630406530" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">(p.s.: For those wondering, no, my son is not wearing pants. But when not wearing pants he is potty trained. We accept the trade off. Can you guess what my project in the new year will be? We'll just call it Project Pants.)</span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-56602396315251930042009-12-04T22:51:00.000-08:002009-12-04T23:14:33.733-08:00Caillou's bald head<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">This post could also easily be entitled "Things that bug parents in the wee hours of the morning when they are trying to get their kid back to sleep and are so tired they turn on the TV to try to occupy their night owl toddler," but I thought that was a little long for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">rss</span> feeds.<br /><br /><a href="http://pbskids.org/caillou/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Caillou</span></a> is the little bald boy star of a PBS children's cartoon about the daily trials and tribulations, not to mention learning experiences, of a toddler. It's a pretty good show other than the fact that the boys baldness is never explained.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GY1ELy3z4SnIpRzC_qABCOqkZArtZdyq54MpP7AcaE0k4Ph6LSmzvpC2C3Cg7PygPhgf6TbchBeKtLOLN1o8rNHycqWx8NTvyKIhOzaJr9lhgPomGOteZKnWxe4owLThljJecw/s1600-h/caillou_1024.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-GY1ELy3z4SnIpRzC_qABCOqkZArtZdyq54MpP7AcaE0k4Ph6LSmzvpC2C3Cg7PygPhgf6TbchBeKtLOLN1o8rNHycqWx8NTvyKIhOzaJr9lhgPomGOteZKnWxe4owLThljJecw/s400/caillou_1024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411645746297142098" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br />For the longest time I just assumed he had <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Alopecia</span> or a similar disease that rendered him hairless and maybe it was a learning opportunity for kids. So I've been waiting for the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Alopecia</span> episode.<br /><br />BUT IT NEVER CAME.<br /><br />Tonight, sick of waiting I finally came across the answer: there is <a href="http://www.pbs.org/parents/caillou/faq.html">NO REASON</a> he is bald. He just is. And apparently the producer's focus group said it didn't matter.<br /><br />That's because their focus group was made of kids. It's the parents they are driving mad.<br /><br />Now, this shouldn't be a big deal, as <a href="http://domesticpsychology.com/blog/2008/01/09/why-is-caillou-bald/">this blogger</a> points out: <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Caillou</span> means "bald head," and there are lots of reasons he could have lost his hair, such as giving himself a haircut. Sure, I buy that.<br /><br />But then someone please tell me why they had to give his sister, mother and father ridiculous, obnoxiously luscious heads of hair? If it weren't for the stark contrast my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Caillou</span> quandary would have been dropped long ago.<br /><br />Just look at his father:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV311ZHosHDDMBvRIa7OvHBnq8H7CAhgJg-h1p0cnOQPCsEDjzKTOlTY09pWl5xMBYY5mGeilgTb_AsttE7Y3DAdPJbj0GRrtVqDBLYg_sbue341crl_T5qIOQAXTbfZLRBwlmw/s1600-h/p2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 273px; height: 329px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYV311ZHosHDDMBvRIa7OvHBnq8H7CAhgJg-h1p0cnOQPCsEDjzKTOlTY09pWl5xMBYY5mGeilgTb_AsttE7Y3DAdPJbj0GRrtVqDBLYg_sbue341crl_T5qIOQAXTbfZLRBwlmw/s400/p2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411645761928248226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Even his little sister has gobs of hair:</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBjjt1i0wrlHo1DssORGepxj_UJYelepXLqUYJTmMMvXg0TYFeWu0k75AXyhDgIS-H5Im7ShYdYeOx0TCk9rLu6MafuZLSCxbQdVImOk5eK0EkkzkF7BXOkWJL6A2Adzj1MVEXQ/s1600-h/CA_IMG_02.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 164px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBjjt1i0wrlHo1DssORGepxj_UJYelepXLqUYJTmMMvXg0TYFeWu0k75AXyhDgIS-H5Im7ShYdYeOx0TCk9rLu6MafuZLSCxbQdVImOk5eK0EkkzkF7BXOkWJL6A2Adzj1MVEXQ/s400/CA_IMG_02.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5411645757377809490" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br />And why doesn't his hair ever grow back?<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Caillou's</span> world just doesn't seem fair. If he has to miss out on that hair he should at least be given the decency of a reason for his baldness.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">Coincidentally, I think all the parents subject to his whiny voice deserve the same.</span><br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-15329947932434830712009-12-02T19:43:00.001-08:002009-12-03T12:38:18.013-08:00Fedie Family Fun<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIveKD1GUEBCncgmxWjtjVhgYJAYDwdgws6bSpDVAGYQuVyGEZiKVYvaWYl34xYKN4lk8CGmVao28zCRmeM7wGKGTzVLA0dcIlSaj48zQkCocDxfKQYRS74pY5C2C8PjYPEAAIQ/s1600-h/PB082285.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIveKD1GUEBCncgmxWjtjVhgYJAYDwdgws6bSpDVAGYQuVyGEZiKVYvaWYl34xYKN4lk8CGmVao28zCRmeM7wGKGTzVLA0dcIlSaj48zQkCocDxfKQYRS74pY5C2C8PjYPEAAIQ/s400/PB082285.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410852031954236002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Say that five times fast!<br /><br />Seriously though, the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Fedies</span> are my neighbors and good friends whom I was honored to photograph a few weeks ago. It's always fun to do family shoots with toddlers because they are busy, busy, busy.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 153, 102);">On another note, thank you for those who've been checking the blog through my little blog <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">sabbatical</span>. I'm hoping to hop back in now, so stay tuned.<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxOVIN8Ap2ZNgYe44ZUTRNeV-yYTCLVgP1LzGrwT0HCL3SLsqsbGKt8xJBKUTCClM13JKwq9vqwgny7PgL48WTFJcn_uoe3S74xeWGmvaM8JNLmn8W3tbRgIcf482hP9XuZsdPw/s1600-h/PB082311.2.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtxOVIN8Ap2ZNgYe44ZUTRNeV-yYTCLVgP1LzGrwT0HCL3SLsqsbGKt8xJBKUTCClM13JKwq9vqwgny7PgL48WTFJcn_uoe3S74xeWGmvaM8JNLmn8W3tbRgIcf482hP9XuZsdPw/s400/PB082311.2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410854587201116034" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilV3xLUFMC32IkNlJoMZpQdmF_PoYb-bZMF3RHJp0bB9F6r_vMVPdYs2VnWGvGekWS7mkGH9L3zEqyX0-131vXS-pFwNNz4Lmw-RpLssINC0ZMKPjk0e_SaIVXJ6dpZCSw_tHdvg/s1600-h/PB082331.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAv8qrmEsIFNRNleC2M-pdXFwlfwy9jcU89M_DxbzO0JBgyoepReO3w8jx8CS5gCj8rGLDnSFeysj4YCWfXh_ZgHV4mCbLwop64IYC0hXMDjresu8wjW8PQkhS__K4uM66PDPufw/s400/PB082381.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410876935608124978" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EAtRcNhdCDku-_41vbfAUtl1OeNUAh_QzEdteitCEafHeKtHtf33AzDhDAla_V-O_J7txYnZWrZh_fbq1gs64d6J4cIZAZy015FRmx2k1fNBgJwh8Pm5Ol95-ztDM-uGNr1BWw/s1600-h/PB082371.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1EAtRcNhdCDku-_41vbfAUtl1OeNUAh_QzEdteitCEafHeKtHtf33AzDhDAla_V-O_J7txYnZWrZh_fbq1gs64d6J4cIZAZy015FRmx2k1fNBgJwh8Pm5Ol95-ztDM-uGNr1BWw/s400/PB082371.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5410876927970446706" border="0" /></a>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-9166888153814589392009-10-09T19:44:00.000-07:002009-10-09T19:49:51.593-07:00TC Birth & Baby Expo Tomorrow!<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">I'll have a booth at the Twin Cities Birth and Baby expo in Minneapolis tomorrow. The event will be held at Midtown Global Market (920 E. Lake Street) from 10-5 on Oct. 10.
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<br />If you make it to the expo, be sure to stop by to say hello!
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<br />More information about the event can be found on their <a style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" href="http://www.twincitiesbirthandbaby.com/">website</a>. <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 10"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 10"> <link style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);" rel="File-List" href="file:///Users/spellboundjungle/Library/Preferences/Microsoft/Clipboard/msoclip1/01/clip_clip_filelist.xml"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:usemarginsfordrawinggridorigin/> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"Times New Roman"; panose-1:0 2 2 6 3 5 4 5 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; 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mso-list-type:hybrid; mso-list-template-ids:-548897566;} @list l0:level1 {mso-level-number-format:bullet; mso-level-text:; mso-level-tab-stop:none; mso-level-number-position:left; text-indent:-.25in; font-family:Symbol;} ol {margin-bottom:0in;} ul {margin-bottom:0in;} --> </style> <!--StartFragment--><!--EndFragment--> </span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-68402095621507489142009-10-04T20:17:00.000-07:002009-10-04T20:33:28.334-07:00By the Light of the Moon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XAg30fHFgmuE5UeZfeXawA_LJniHbt8X2hPC1RoR9ZIZTn1lLolrrHRetuQH2005OsdI-l-GbaOpJKoc79Myuouin6oXHPgfrfb7Dh3DQr68hozh-yDMYcLRu0B2qmY_KdonRQ/s1600-h/PA041282.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XAg30fHFgmuE5UeZfeXawA_LJniHbt8X2hPC1RoR9ZIZTn1lLolrrHRetuQH2005OsdI-l-GbaOpJKoc79Myuouin6oXHPgfrfb7Dh3DQr68hozh-yDMYcLRu0B2qmY_KdonRQ/s400/PA041282.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388952751052341906" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Joe went outside to get something from his car when he spotted this moon configuration hanging eerily surrounded by clouds.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bmiOyFovvQeks5Ym3WP86qut0Vmc9dxxjK2uyLK8haEhw_oOKfdsDjTwPwZ2uW7dP198-1V3xybYWxoT77NBZ8SnfCDkgvmVtv4EpSEKEJYCt-lY8PLa3z_t5b9urGxoswOl_w/s1600-h/PA041286.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1bmiOyFovvQeks5Ym3WP86qut0Vmc9dxxjK2uyLK8haEhw_oOKfdsDjTwPwZ2uW7dP198-1V3xybYWxoT77NBZ8SnfCDkgvmVtv4EpSEKEJYCt-lY8PLa3z_t5b9urGxoswOl_w/s400/PA041286.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388953655868840898" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipryB7o-ArTNv1rjVZdU2qQN-rW5cb88CLupXzbQ1a054SvK4BBfnF0-g3XdC6jWs7WBFsOVZINtgeLNtqAQAmR-xilg_h_Qprel3552ycKPxshOXgsYjYgxk4enT54k_tEIBuDQ/s1600-h/PA041283.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipryB7o-ArTNv1rjVZdU2qQN-rW5cb88CLupXzbQ1a054SvK4BBfnF0-g3XdC6jWs7WBFsOVZINtgeLNtqAQAmR-xilg_h_Qprel3552ycKPxshOXgsYjYgxk4enT54k_tEIBuDQ/s400/PA041283.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388952757163943314" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br />Out in the chilly fall night photographing our quiet suburb I was thinking about the moon and my father, who died a little over a week ago. For a long time I have felt a closeness to my father while on nature-photo expeditions because he was the person who first inspired me to fall in love with the night's sky, lugging out his telescope and pointing out the constellations, Mars, Saturn and comets when they were near.<br /><br />When we camped my dad would set up cots and we'd sit gazing up past tree tops at the magnificent show in the sky. A few days ago I found a sheet of paper on the ground on my landing. It containing an old memory I had written down while I was in college those nights camping. It reminded me that I often stayed gazing long after others had moved closer to the fire to talk or roast marshmallows. While my dad got me interested in the stars, I new my desire to observe quietly surpassed his. And so it is in nature that I recollect the ways in which he and I were the same and different.<br /><br />And I carry him with me, as I always have, in moments like this. And although the memory of his death is new, I don't see these moments as sad. There is peace in having that kind of connection with a person that exists outside of physical existence. I am lucky to have had that relationship with him.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I am sure I will write more about him as I remember things. His memorial service will be held at his California ranch on Oct. 24.</span><br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-78239479231963101472009-09-20T13:12:00.000-07:002009-09-20T13:55:26.918-07:00Ed Fest 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPTrIAp7FJhurton7mVcyUJBJLk85SSkWeV8mKQSAKNIe_EG75OK060mJOrv58JTOfqS8NqtMRwLDKM1OkIrDDdgY2LCoYnnI6TFYWg5Kc80odexwXP8GX7etqOv9ToSmW_JxPA/s1600-h/P9190696.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZPTrIAp7FJhurton7mVcyUJBJLk85SSkWeV8mKQSAKNIe_EG75OK060mJOrv58JTOfqS8NqtMRwLDKM1OkIrDDdgY2LCoYnnI6TFYWg5Kc80odexwXP8GX7etqOv9ToSmW_JxPA/s400/P9190696.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383647182750318290" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">This weekend our church held it's annual festival (Ed Fest) and Joe and I did our part as gate keepers of the Bounce Castle. Joe also <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">cantored</span> during the preceding outdoor mass during which time Truman explored another child's wagon and a tree, then made friends with a dog (who ended up making a little too good of friends with me).<br /><br />Truman then found a series of different sticks and had a blast with them, went in the Bounce Castle three times, danced, played the drums for a minute, ate lunch, then promptly fell into a deep sleep.<br /><br />It was fun to get back into shooting straight photojournalism. I miss covering events like this for a newspaper; but it was fun to actually enjoy a festival instead of just observing.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLjIyVunI52IXzYALk2CyudDh4735QRN3CtHbSz2K_1kz_TR3EsJzK5Utrl3znlNHFnHpGI_U1yqHiP5W2a39ueQ3Hzc5ung2DRdPMTipF-0a2TJBYmSpAM-TmEQKnsgyDuE0Dw/s1600-h/P9190675.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmLjIyVunI52IXzYALk2CyudDh4735QRN3CtHbSz2K_1kz_TR3EsJzK5Utrl3znlNHFnHpGI_U1yqHiP5W2a39ueQ3Hzc5ung2DRdPMTipF-0a2TJBYmSpAM-TmEQKnsgyDuE0Dw/s400/P9190675.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383647188466229282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Q76wIULCr9Wu_eLRnw0Yzw9TRPT1sqpPmH0WxcNSnhW8mj8UpkvnQRsUSm4DdPjLkE3zMFSDeWcYlGMg235jhPZUmqCrg4l-oIE9_PyX7CF4wWDL1aVj32JdV8tQ6cnzm55gog/s1600-h/P9190679.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXBj6X9ueNgQ78qejzvWFmAubjqU-pLrzqtaL6bxt5LXMMH-rfq3FO5ZguM1ZmFQdlQCSJAHLJ-1zes-0VlrPMHeImPmcwEqRONNyvuo5tTjVnNMNUmDKM544JqDKc3LIf5b7dA/s400/P9190719.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383655380949805474" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YxZu2D_YHO6aTcElrz6cbLy4pcf6jbbxh_X9tnq94Lnobbpaw6XXKWS56H3-u2ONxVPJ1ou6c3Hnmznu3PpfqK5bKScMNgcFb2odw9HXLVdqFURbqWlbhjtBDhCnf2uXpFehuQ/s1600-h/P9200724.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YxZu2D_YHO6aTcElrz6cbLy4pcf6jbbxh_X9tnq94Lnobbpaw6XXKWS56H3-u2ONxVPJ1ou6c3Hnmznu3PpfqK5bKScMNgcFb2odw9HXLVdqFURbqWlbhjtBDhCnf2uXpFehuQ/s400/P9200724.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383655372764130690" border="0" /></a>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-42576005329779393292009-08-30T10:37:00.000-07:002009-08-30T11:07:49.402-07:00MN State Fair: No Place for a Jogging Stroller<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_KToECIei8GOSa2WVRg_uzITUUuaMZDZwEAGTPlR4qMjYdXiBbZEf_QR-1Gjfq7P6OVaC3iFWMowqq6wgi7WqncFI6eHE6vkO1uc6z8e0kJ0UMWWGXEmeHiYZwz9IdEcVmmP1Q/s1600-h/P8299350.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_KToECIei8GOSa2WVRg_uzITUUuaMZDZwEAGTPlR4qMjYdXiBbZEf_QR-1Gjfq7P6OVaC3iFWMowqq6wgi7WqncFI6eHE6vkO1uc6z8e0kJ0UMWWGXEmeHiYZwz9IdEcVmmP1Q/s400/P8299350.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375813537012142418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">If you are reading this and thinking, as we did, that your bike trailer that converts into a jogging stroller seems like the perfect companion for Minnesota's Great Get-together (with it's sun/rain hood and pockets to carry snacks and water) do yourself a favor and think again.<br /><br />The plan looked good on paper, but we forgot that the site of all those people and things on-a-stick renders most fair-goers ignorant of their feet. People were tripping over the front wheel at every turn and one tween nearly fell into the stroller while we were stopped.<br /><br />So this year's State Fair trip elapsed in two parts. Part One: Ballad of the Obnoxious Stroller, began like this:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yMdIn4cofhVDQVRqyHk_etByaVLZd-K2VSwL8nyxtLhYeVFMVda8z4td8zk2Lx-VErS2mAS9Xcrh8TZbSNAVap7qbtZT4cdjTKJT3WQiCBdJa_c4Kkwc7b9rZdW_gQwbJVL4-g/s1600-h/P8299333.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7yMdIn4cofhVDQVRqyHk_etByaVLZd-K2VSwL8nyxtLhYeVFMVda8z4td8zk2Lx-VErS2mAS9Xcrh8TZbSNAVap7qbtZT4cdjTKJT3WQiCBdJa_c4Kkwc7b9rZdW_gQwbJVL4-g/s400/P8299333.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375814519859463394" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZDIkM-isBJ2qeotBiwrzIzeRhLGUtYY96SCZKBt5K8nCyh4U7V_zV4ey_XL5esjZIKx0Eht-TZ9PVggbN76F_umuY0OhTWC0NgQZ-ICX3wNT7BrFVv3j78Vdz3kPWbKe1V_ipQ/s1600-h/P8299335.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ZDIkM-isBJ2qeotBiwrzIzeRhLGUtYY96SCZKBt5K8nCyh4U7V_zV4ey_XL5esjZIKx0Eht-TZ9PVggbN76F_umuY0OhTWC0NgQZ-ICX3wNT7BrFVv3j78Vdz3kPWbKe1V_ipQ/s400/P8299335.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375813512568425762" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">We made one detour to the dairy building to recreate a photo from last year:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtV9gc5x3WW34kQJyhcCmLDh_Sux3nLlzh0-9StGjcqugbwyr7OnxMGRDyZvPS6WrZsseypr75N2UMWImWVRFN1AytuUSe0olm1oSHQn0T6Q606M1nBofro2WMUEautddumvEgg/s1600-h/P8299346.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbtV9gc5x3WW34kQJyhcCmLDh_Sux3nLlzh0-9StGjcqugbwyr7OnxMGRDyZvPS6WrZsseypr75N2UMWImWVRFN1AytuUSe0olm1oSHQn0T6Q606M1nBofro2WMUEautddumvEgg/s400/P8299346.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375813527395419410" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDNHwZYlBaxO2FnwSgNaQKUHvhtsmwlAiNnvm2a4b_rX0hMuwrCgjLsEyR53tlfKmzjZlWVxaOf9E8AtCPQX7qMeoG2kl4wd8n7Neq7Fxb5-mnQhZQAqJ58cJOy4vKMTHV0g-pA/s1600-h/P8223249.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDNHwZYlBaxO2FnwSgNaQKUHvhtsmwlAiNnvm2a4b_rX0hMuwrCgjLsEyR53tlfKmzjZlWVxaOf9E8AtCPQX7qMeoG2kl4wd8n7Neq7Fxb5-mnQhZQAqJ58cJOy4vKMTHV0g-pA/s400/P8223249.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5375814505444212546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Then returned to the car to get rid of that stroller and returned for Part Two: Stroller Be-Gone.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Part two was much more fun and included an amazing fish taco, burger and fries, ice cream, pretzel, and Joe chugging two servings of all-you-can-drink milk (which he wouldn't want me to remark was "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">udderly</span> delicious") and then one glass of chocolate milk for me, but only one photo, which appears above.<br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-30457975444671823652009-08-26T08:15:00.000-07:002009-08-27T06:44:09.021-07:00Verisimilitude, But Not Actual Verity<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">I started as a writer-turned-journalist-turned-photojournalist and have spent the last year immersing myself in non-journalistic photography. Specifically, the art of portraiture and all the technical elements that go into the art form. But when I'm shooting it doesn't feel technical. It feels familiar.<br /><br />In the past, I've seen what I used to do as very separate from posed photography. But I have since refined the way I think about and execute these images and have found myself reaching for the tools from my previous life.<br /><br />As a writer I control time. Real time is linear, elapsing quite orderly from the hour we are born until the moment we die. Occasionally it feels slow or fast, but it's always ticking away at the same pace.<br /><br />On the page, everything is different. A writer with no sense of timing is quickly lost in a sea of quotations and plot devices. Masterful writers extend and contract, bend and twist time until they achieve what all artists are trying to achieve: not simply to tell a story, but to evoke emotions in their audience. Writers do this by creating the illusion of reality. How much of an illusion depends on where one lies between journalist and poet.<br /><br />As a photographer I control what you see and seek to use these elements to create the same illusion of reality. It's a mixed media process, really, combining constructs that are visually evocative (light, color, backdrops, positioning) with real people and their own evocations (laughter, love, excitement, youth) to create art that looks effortlessly real.<br /><br />I was thinking about this process while watching Gabe Askew's glorious fan video of Grizzly Bear's <span style="font-style: italic;">Two Weeks</span>:<br /><br /><object height="220" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5904993&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5904993&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" height="220" width="400"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/5904993">Two Weeks - Grizzly Bear</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1904617">Gabe Askew</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</p><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"></span>The video is computer generated but uses photographic elements to create a mixed media film that marries the realistic and the fanciful. We see what seems to be real dioramas mingling with animated fishes and birds creating a more beautiful image than either media would create alone. Then, what gives the video emotional output is the appearance that we really are traveling via film across box after box of cardboard cut-outs and the fantastical notion (and sight) of such a dramatic endeavor. <span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(Read more about how the video was made <a href="http://vray.info/interviews/gabeaskew/">here</a>.)</span><br /><br />Whereas I began my career as a photographer trying to capture what I see, even in portraiture, I am now working more and more to create, instead, an artistic rendering of reality. I'm utilizing all the things lay observers and amateur writers take for granted as so-real-there-is-no-need-to-contemplate-their-explanation — things like intensity and color of light, the tilting of heads and subtle expressions — to create verisimilitude, but not actual verity, in my images.<br /><br />Whereas I once sought strict fidelity to a collective reality, I am now courting photographs that reflect a world containing all those natural elements but appearing much more beautiful. I'm now making art.<br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-28726082595862993352009-08-15T06:03:00.000-07:002009-08-15T06:03:00.483-07:00Adventure Tuesday: San Diego<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjUE_wICHUMKLX97JZzHU1Y6rEs5ayZ043PWHauAv86NEYcbYAhLsOM0kqVnpzoDhGUGXUufPq2kLT-9vvQNF6-7LZ1ieLwjsSlU5RgV4qcjf3JCsxdcnjcclT0IoGS9Bp8zWLA/s1600-h/P7147864.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjUE_wICHUMKLX97JZzHU1Y6rEs5ayZ043PWHauAv86NEYcbYAhLsOM0kqVnpzoDhGUGXUufPq2kLT-9vvQNF6-7LZ1ieLwjsSlU5RgV4qcjf3JCsxdcnjcclT0IoGS9Bp8zWLA/s400/P7147864.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369252494996491202" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">For our San Diego style adventure we headed to the <a href="http://www.thinkplaycreate.org/">New Children's Museum</a>, which puts a modern art slant on museums for kids. Truman had a blast with his Nana, though much of the stuff was geared toward older children.</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHw3XyC6vSswuQkO_1BAKpqobeQ_mynyxyTa_KbTkjK9hZLHYsv0rzUh43rvxsioQVpmwN8po0dlgJpZTIgFxDdQsM3_pQm65vcG4J1JKqetO4RGqeReVoAkFbtcnmqmpQ7Ks_rQ/s1600-h/P7147852.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHw3XyC6vSswuQkO_1BAKpqobeQ_mynyxyTa_KbTkjK9hZLHYsv0rzUh43rvxsioQVpmwN8po0dlgJpZTIgFxDdQsM3_pQm65vcG4J1JKqetO4RGqeReVoAkFbtcnmqmpQ7Ks_rQ/s400/P7147852.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369257797679315378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwU-3KCBdOs5WT1f39lvsvMV8XmfNkH1LFo5Jh3Ch1haLdWGizAgRh1XAOV6bzTyMNBIRCZhn2oAVf9PTcu_sqKDQ5-VtqCtSuzeE3-pDLO-jiGBU7vzDbFVCZ1T4M9wwakr4QA/s1600-h/P7147855.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmwU-3KCBdOs5WT1f39lvsvMV8XmfNkH1LFo5Jh3Ch1haLdWGizAgRh1XAOV6bzTyMNBIRCZhn2oAVf9PTcu_sqKDQ5-VtqCtSuzeE3-pDLO-jiGBU7vzDbFVCZ1T4M9wwakr4QA/s400/P7147855.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369252462990161426" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">My mom pretending to be a rock-throwing giant in the toddler area:</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOS90-dZBizbpKIEgjYRyqS2CC4mdY3ikzeYsQ4lPvFeM0yDOOVtToQmpj3LT2YJ8PH0CXV8_kNjwIlDJfvuRQKsr5llFM2R82EJ7Cmg1dYXk3CUU1qt5Ee0QuvwpWZ8SDIWjcw/s1600-h/P7147861.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOS90-dZBizbpKIEgjYRyqS2CC4mdY3ikzeYsQ4lPvFeM0yDOOVtToQmpj3LT2YJ8PH0CXV8_kNjwIlDJfvuRQKsr5llFM2R82EJ7Cmg1dYXk3CUU1qt5Ee0QuvwpWZ8SDIWjcw/s400/P7147861.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369252481257978226" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhoCnRII_ozXsyGyralUUm1gymUaYutZrN86ZWzUzWVchBHgVUQxH3UBvznSGkp8w8fimuyLIlVYpOuJyyGMCaSQeGFLO-AXqubM6-x3WilSrL6ovFIGqsDLYv6AOjaAO00Xg6A/s1600-h/P7147827.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikhoCnRII_ozXsyGyralUUm1gymUaYutZrN86ZWzUzWVchBHgVUQxH3UBvznSGkp8w8fimuyLIlVYpOuJyyGMCaSQeGFLO-AXqubM6-x3WilSrL6ovFIGqsDLYv6AOjaAO00Xg6A/s400/P7147827.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369251272753125218" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">They had a giant room filled with old mattresses to jump on and these pillows shaped like tires My mom took these lovely photos:</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxONlDqIxDY9Zwi9xDyd1An7VkB0AX76bkmIjtLivD_yxs9BhwQ9kXHUnsmJBPuLbjkAUQTmiHlnbJI4JHBvJEJzsbPfM_52cGFE7Zvyl1TJQ4HwfJ2p3Xat1Tqhw-3JiPYgGPvQ/s1600-h/P7147871.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxONlDqIxDY9Zwi9xDyd1An7VkB0AX76bkmIjtLivD_yxs9BhwQ9kXHUnsmJBPuLbjkAUQTmiHlnbJI4JHBvJEJzsbPfM_52cGFE7Zvyl1TJQ4HwfJ2p3Xat1Tqhw-3JiPYgGPvQ/s400/P7147871.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369253929174093170" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkyG80yp6E2zhm7Eq-1FDKwKcZv6TemTVf3ABslUE5Girq7WNOTAvhmM9vvf1LNdvG0BsS_QChRWUB0uNfiLxVunHAvAcUi-S_LGk4QAnOQzpPW50QxReb3gecbs9mhN4atE17Q/s1600-h/P7147875.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrkyG80yp6E2zhm7Eq-1FDKwKcZv6TemTVf3ABslUE5Girq7WNOTAvhmM9vvf1LNdvG0BsS_QChRWUB0uNfiLxVunHAvAcUi-S_LGk4QAnOQzpPW50QxReb3gecbs9mhN4atE17Q/s400/P7147875.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369253938308534066" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUe71ExQhPfoXXzn_jan4vOVeEbcmF2eObXza9gFWqaTtI6mOjVq6vVd0zc0unSuFjrfFgAtqfl9hyphenhyphenPgt_xFwlikxbZp1mBDAsAkp8KDQxdKTF1BcVXRMEwwj41whtPu4oLsiTA/s1600-h/P7147869.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXUe71ExQhPfoXXzn_jan4vOVeEbcmF2eObXza9gFWqaTtI6mOjVq6vVd0zc0unSuFjrfFgAtqfl9hyphenhyphenPgt_xFwlikxbZp1mBDAsAkp8KDQxdKTF1BcVXRMEwwj41whtPu4oLsiTA/s400/P7147869.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369253922207173282" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt5f8lJemTS_oSd4cg40uqXDMny0gQhZNjZB-TVaAmAORAQRPdZVBh_tochBFn_p1o5RKkOzV7_q256KOnq0y_F_rSwHUItWbnYVbENvz8a1iBzh6bj_EWOb8DpducDwanvVA5Q/s1600-h/P7147886.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEt5f8lJemTS_oSd4cg40uqXDMny0gQhZNjZB-TVaAmAORAQRPdZVBh_tochBFn_p1o5RKkOzV7_q256KOnq0y_F_rSwHUItWbnYVbENvz8a1iBzh6bj_EWOb8DpducDwanvVA5Q/s400/P7147886.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369251261337579634" border="0" /></a>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-81587138441557536112009-08-14T06:01:00.000-07:002009-08-14T06:01:00.624-07:00Objects of Curiosity: Book House<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWvEVIUzHIDpfRjcV2hK3it4dCtTtniZBLyJarzgHr7z2uAul0zLngsYWtTL4B9dqDHwqFcf7jU92BY1HJIrgDFNxqcJz01ISRnSLilnLi6fRBA7RU9uxh8v4w-pQfkX9tcj78w/s1600-h/P7147831.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWvEVIUzHIDpfRjcV2hK3it4dCtTtniZBLyJarzgHr7z2uAul0zLngsYWtTL4B9dqDHwqFcf7jU92BY1HJIrgDFNxqcJz01ISRnSLilnLi6fRBA7RU9uxh8v4w-pQfkX9tcj78w/s400/P7147831.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369242176712568130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">While in San Diego we had the awesome opportunity to see <a href="http://www.aarontstephan.com/">Aaron T. Stephan’s</a> </span><em style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Building Houses/Hiding Under Rocks, </em><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">a cube-hut of books that I was magnetically drawn to because it reminded me of <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9378352">The Raw Shark Texts</a> (blogged <a href="http://spellboundjungle.blogspot.com/search?q=raw+shark+texts">here</a>). Besides being an object of pure curiosity, the cube was built with great precision — none of titles of any of the books were visible because we're meant to forget that these are books. The center of the cube is carved into a sphere so carefully the interior acoustics are enhanced like a tiny amphitheater for one.<br /><br />I suppose I'd be the perfect place to read over drafts of your own poetry aloud alone, letting your own voice, traveling through your own words, return back to you from the walls of books.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">I could of stayed in there all day, but it was a behind-closed-doors exhibit at the<a href="http://www.thinkplaycreate.org/"> New Children's Museum</a> and we had to wander the rest of the place.<br /><br />If I'm ever near another one of </span></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Aaron T. Stephan’s exhibits, I'll definitely want to check it out.<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fNrvhEDZcExryp0pqgDTBvfDzl1QFCTXfuKHhOAqLApaFXROTz1KNe9mpRGHDqOKwhNkhbVaKMcy5TdCB6HPUloi_iefVpe1faicFs6ApKVvP6uTohzGjeeE_d8KB2WEk-bR6g/s1600-h/P7147829.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8fNrvhEDZcExryp0pqgDTBvfDzl1QFCTXfuKHhOAqLApaFXROTz1KNe9mpRGHDqOKwhNkhbVaKMcy5TdCB6HPUloi_iefVpe1faicFs6ApKVvP6uTohzGjeeE_d8KB2WEk-bR6g/s400/P7147829.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369243369362268850" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlyvSuzmGBw3TXPeUOWwJDVhj5TPHD_2z0P3zmQh8YuebA6DAS01-k0Fp8nBT6ZfJlAdtu5X4KySFOK5-8Qj0-PI_OEWYWFDPw9RrKKegkICaYnM9wqh0ir8IUtdFWpFxdD1-dA/s1600-h/P7147835.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKlyvSuzmGBw3TXPeUOWwJDVhj5TPHD_2z0P3zmQh8YuebA6DAS01-k0Fp8nBT6ZfJlAdtu5X4KySFOK5-8Qj0-PI_OEWYWFDPw9RrKKegkICaYnM9wqh0ir8IUtdFWpFxdD1-dA/s400/P7147835.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369242182671964770" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgic0jJLS7nZkrdVwlIllCSkNUC-BCDBOYWCsBnHSpu7KAi_qStKhZEcHrK6oIwoPXe0IqGEbGzX0tgNA8gGw6FkkawiMr0h96Upjg0gFi-H9guQC93qUA9BfVVne8gOp2jW8HQWw/s1600-h/P7147837.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgic0jJLS7nZkrdVwlIllCSkNUC-BCDBOYWCsBnHSpu7KAi_qStKhZEcHrK6oIwoPXe0IqGEbGzX0tgNA8gGw6FkkawiMr0h96Upjg0gFi-H9guQC93qUA9BfVVne8gOp2jW8HQWw/s400/P7147837.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369242859377815970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lCvKq0lnao8QR8s5El974YV0j9lb7QFgvLSMk5BBUZLjfwtyIJBIGHBl34hogTaBmhrWBfACJrEdS3hm27BVhtfJzIBHmzY5ptSpED7cyoLbBHD4KFx2uejsrarNFBN7qpoMjA/s1600-h/P7147842.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lCvKq0lnao8QR8s5El974YV0j9lb7QFgvLSMk5BBUZLjfwtyIJBIGHBl34hogTaBmhrWBfACJrEdS3hm27BVhtfJzIBHmzY5ptSpED7cyoLbBHD4KFx2uejsrarNFBN7qpoMjA/s400/P7147842.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369242872458641922" border="0" /></a>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-41449346445445633282009-08-13T06:00:00.000-07:002009-08-13T06:00:00.965-07:00Clocky's illegitimate son, Andy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7i69pX4sIQlIY5atHn8zOQwX7oaCJhBWja1IJ6vBifl1rjbIUO2KjOa8QmQkwx2vpglKoeqQx4Wu5GoYsHUZI6FlrlXFyA35_o_9jho3206sqqDvsbFY8FNVdicNFjcCPsEr3g/s1600-h/P7147821.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7i69pX4sIQlIY5atHn8zOQwX7oaCJhBWja1IJ6vBifl1rjbIUO2KjOa8QmQkwx2vpglKoeqQx4Wu5GoYsHUZI6FlrlXFyA35_o_9jho3206sqqDvsbFY8FNVdicNFjcCPsEr3g/s400/P7147821.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369232601992567714" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><br />I'm sure you thought the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Clocky</span> Saga (featured <a href="http://spellboundjungle.blogspot.com/2008/01/introducing-clocky.html">here</a> and <a href="http://spellboundjungle.blogspot.com/2008/08/clocky-i-am-your-father.html">here</a>) had ended. Surely there can't be more clocks masquerading as men or acting as poorly chosen mascots loose in the collective consciousness.<br /><br />Wrong.<br /><br />Meet Andy, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Clocky's</span> illegitimate handyman son, whom I met in downtown San Diego last month:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxNhRMp3AtCu_DghG6n0fiabLZHjhyhnMJ5EyManispVwnmrmKM6RRJHdBfhP-xjrzPk0plGQlyXkd8BJdK9fU6vEw7TU4gnvhyphenhyphen5njM9r9ajTsK-ncloEcG_XlOwsNEME53tPHw/s1600-h/Andy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 394px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUxNhRMp3AtCu_DghG6n0fiabLZHjhyhnMJ5EyManispVwnmrmKM6RRJHdBfhP-xjrzPk0plGQlyXkd8BJdK9fU6vEw7TU4gnvhyphenhyphen5njM9r9ajTsK-ncloEcG_XlOwsNEME53tPHw/s400/Andy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369233452160974546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Apparently Andy is so distraught over the distance between him and his father that he forgot how to use the letter "i," opting, instead, to spell words such as "time" and "smile" with a "y."<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">As if the clock character wasn't beating the we're-available-around-the-clock concept into our heads enough, they had to add a word pun. What's funny is that wherever I find a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Clocky</span>, I'm sure to find a terrible <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tag line</span>. I call this The Curse of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Clocky</span>.</span> </span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-15627077502956033742009-08-12T12:30:00.000-07:002009-08-12T16:52:53.766-07:00Adventure Tuesday: Minnesota Science Museum<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphen2S6yGj5JDP9REgZujwST8d7wCF0xbCdrY9kWkOtYgxitWY_6-pPsqREzO2zCYnyx3A_0mkM9FIpGI1F8r3f169NcQG3IMTNq_6plrv8ZP4j61Ltc9MV5WAntnVCOaeg9RNi9Q/s1600-h/P8099206.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyphenhyphen2S6yGj5JDP9REgZujwST8d7wCF0xbCdrY9kWkOtYgxitWY_6-pPsqREzO2zCYnyx3A_0mkM9FIpGI1F8r3f169NcQG3IMTNq_6plrv8ZP4j61Ltc9MV5WAntnVCOaeg9RNi9Q/s400/P8099206.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369174950671736162" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">(What's that weird thing bisecting the picture, you ask? Why it's Truman's painting I just happen to snap as it whisked to the ground.)</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">We cheated and did Adventure Tuesday on Monday this week with Sarah and Khai because the Science Museum runs a special Preschool Playdate event on Mondays. Kids under 5 are free and there are activities specifically geared toward little ones, such as watercolor painting and fun with wind tunnels, both of which we tried.<br /><br />Truman loved just about everything and ran all around the museum like a banshee. Although I guess a banshee would probably float. He found a small living room built into the middle of the light exhibit where families cool read books and take a rest. He was having a good time there until he noticed that there was a tiny closet-sized office tucked into the corner that contained a computer and other office accompaniments. Of course, this quickly became the most interesting exhibit on display.<br /><br />The museum worker was kind enough to show them some special non-exhibit items from the closet-office — a ball that lit up when you touched two metal segments on it and a strange puzzle that involved a glass tube, sand and a ball bearing that she challenged me to solve ("I bet mommy can't even figure that one out"). I was on my way to proving her wrong when he realized the light up ball, like all balls, looked great when you throw it and we began bouncing from exhibit to exhibit for a while.<br /><br />We forgot to pick up the paintings the boys made, but here are some pictures of the painting process:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxK1QTRHboFq2uu25CO1TPNE_TIhiUfthKIGhctgF4lVoOzLydu5eMG5QmVtvZKmh4bSFSnu_mlHXHy6V5VZJDborP3DeSAFdTkGShCyFYliXnB1qlPiUFwGhx-5GF4Lspd_d0w/s1600-h/P8099194.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxxK1QTRHboFq2uu25CO1TPNE_TIhiUfthKIGhctgF4lVoOzLydu5eMG5QmVtvZKmh4bSFSnu_mlHXHy6V5VZJDborP3DeSAFdTkGShCyFYliXnB1qlPiUFwGhx-5GF4Lspd_d0w/s400/P8099194.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369227828659658386" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKwhzi1bNWKuXdfq1ZP0zkIAl0aZ-a7F8xgfkiTHVNQG-JOHM2BbYYaAMSFlhBFuUyubkIobz55LKv_0oyZ-2rYihtf78NayX6osP5HL3tLIEcnmcitCSKAuQ4l64JzZdCTvRxA/s1600-h/P8099196.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixKwhzi1bNWKuXdfq1ZP0zkIAl0aZ-a7F8xgfkiTHVNQG-JOHM2BbYYaAMSFlhBFuUyubkIobz55LKv_0oyZ-2rYihtf78NayX6osP5HL3tLIEcnmcitCSKAuQ4l64JzZdCTvRxA/s400/P8099196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369227330370792290" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xMOBvIhyYexNDmegDabYBWp4RURmwgDbiyRXAMDiNeCyNegJJA0gFl-WcX-luY879pPjUPlnhHJ_Pn8c5mgD23BJ6dIPA-UOVGWb5Ulfoct7t84WIyn3EcFRZAwS8YYxNDR0lw/s1600-h/P8099198.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_xMOBvIhyYexNDmegDabYBWp4RURmwgDbiyRXAMDiNeCyNegJJA0gFl-WcX-luY879pPjUPlnhHJ_Pn8c5mgD23BJ6dIPA-UOVGWb5Ulfoct7t84WIyn3EcFRZAwS8YYxNDR0lw/s400/P8099198.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369224295179368898" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sa4Y2j_00LzD63qfyyj3UZ-HReNG3oTCnkLJFI1m_j7z9BGJSM98hblbTQ9xPfsM7r5ccWQTHnokgoCawV9VoW1n-clwKro4Py8wY06cXknG6Q-IXB1JAyWn9w_MfXpefgWCsg/s1600-h/P8099203.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3sa4Y2j_00LzD63qfyyj3UZ-HReNG3oTCnkLJFI1m_j7z9BGJSM98hblbTQ9xPfsM7r5ccWQTHnokgoCawV9VoW1n-clwKro4Py8wY06cXknG6Q-IXB1JAyWn9w_MfXpefgWCsg/s400/P8099203.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369223332423654386" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDyuVytpUlsfgcCETvpkBuYt7cVhQDr2qj69J6CPY-6JR9bw3z8g9_tlssFY5rFz42qp8OMVlgqdvLy8RhXDo89TW41aWMN_khOtNs0PHRz5DZtrRsDZXYGScIDsIBCdAjJumnQ/s1600-h/P8099200.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDyuVytpUlsfgcCETvpkBuYt7cVhQDr2qj69J6CPY-6JR9bw3z8g9_tlssFY5rFz42qp8OMVlgqdvLy8RhXDo89TW41aWMN_khOtNs0PHRz5DZtrRsDZXYGScIDsIBCdAjJumnQ/s400/P8099200.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369222952840029698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjMZ4DzZGielTriI8LnOcEVfcod9euODmPVjRW2aKPc9U3LVX7ldLZGezzoUg2_sMNFmY2fa60DPYsiGFjqepNFJEIalQ9f6G_ZnVZuW802R0fSYCZmV-S2czO9-qm0jZ46u38Q/s1600-h/P8099201.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbjMZ4DzZGielTriI8LnOcEVfcod9euODmPVjRW2aKPc9U3LVX7ldLZGezzoUg2_sMNFmY2fa60DPYsiGFjqepNFJEIalQ9f6G_ZnVZuW802R0fSYCZmV-S2czO9-qm0jZ46u38Q/s400/P8099201.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369222571494307538" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUzthaqB5KGhOzSFITo1nBwnOPcmYzZAlx4Z6pOZVS5TwF-Mp3fJOiSzwQDgOuelA43obu5kJ8WYryX3v-Z_Ggg_zhyphenhyphenzLX4SBDvXq3Zw_T-w3QWWHO6jMRmWs3CXwfzvP1Y_BaQ/s1600-h/P8099207.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaUzthaqB5KGhOzSFITo1nBwnOPcmYzZAlx4Z6pOZVS5TwF-Mp3fJOiSzwQDgOuelA43obu5kJ8WYryX3v-Z_Ggg_zhyphenhyphenzLX4SBDvXq3Zw_T-w3QWWHO6jMRmWs3CXwfzvP1Y_BaQ/s400/P8099207.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369173977181849602" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja98FlDSe1U9WYJNYD6jwRgq_Rkk42Xmk-ULaflc5OfSSBHmKsSurXicmgEuLLMzIpe_GHzcdglIObrwkUQnGuwmQvvVQyoa476nSiK7ZZ8aums_GxxYym1_zg-pLcNesRAB9jA/s1600-h/P8099209.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgja98FlDSe1U9WYJNYD6jwRgq_Rkk42Xmk-ULaflc5OfSSBHmKsSurXicmgEuLLMzIpe_GHzcdglIObrwkUQnGuwmQvvVQyoa476nSiK7ZZ8aums_GxxYym1_zg-pLcNesRAB9jA/s400/P8099209.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369171821099933714" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNv9VKtehONd62Cvhs7j4-AzSX3TTTn3oSUaeIO-aXbs_FyznuD1IfCdulJbyiw_h4VQFaxjed3DL6P-NwGHlT2DlbdLnp0amkQvN2uZsMVp9ii3TAn7x8uXGFpFgEEyDL-PdLA/s1600-h/P8099211.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeNv9VKtehONd62Cvhs7j4-AzSX3TTTn3oSUaeIO-aXbs_FyznuD1IfCdulJbyiw_h4VQFaxjed3DL6P-NwGHlT2DlbdLnp0amkQvN2uZsMVp9ii3TAn7x8uXGFpFgEEyDL-PdLA/s400/P8099211.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369171811147920178" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhxPs1hcHwFr-JIoTVnJM_xdw6Ahxgrh3RLa-9MwSZx8DSZuWzoUhREIdTHMbNaHIoTNJcjNbsmBSz6BLhyphenhyphenFPW02L3I0lSUQSgcuJ_O2CT460h1Vx_TpGPoMoFhxQduZs4u3JOA/s1600-h/P8109214.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhxPs1hcHwFr-JIoTVnJM_xdw6Ahxgrh3RLa-9MwSZx8DSZuWzoUhREIdTHMbNaHIoTNJcjNbsmBSz6BLhyphenhyphenFPW02L3I0lSUQSgcuJ_O2CT460h1Vx_TpGPoMoFhxQduZs4u3JOA/s400/P8109214.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5369170966465736338" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Oh, and he loved the musical stairs just as much as you would expect a budding audiophile to.</span><br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-678761170231839292009-08-05T10:03:00.000-07:002009-08-05T10:30:12.246-07:00A bride & a baby<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">amount to a fun day of photography. Here are a few of my favorites from yesterday.<br /><br />First I went to visit my friend (and Joe's co-worker) Jill to shoot make some photographs of her new daughter, Elizabeth:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHLwPN52bPPZPjYwERzXJRBwew6p0_YRA9gkqIH5cDk71Vi9aTOnWXn1Zj2b8eLD8dAI0iP-rqCyv3ZazKFGD9ArpAV0ZuyfEIQPFl3uNlIIbIw1uuFz2nggdDfCNIAa1R-Klew/s1600-h/P8048781.2+copy.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHLwPN52bPPZPjYwERzXJRBwew6p0_YRA9gkqIH5cDk71Vi9aTOnWXn1Zj2b8eLD8dAI0iP-rqCyv3ZazKFGD9ArpAV0ZuyfEIQPFl3uNlIIbIw1uuFz2nggdDfCNIAa1R-Klew/s400/P8048781.2+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366528231786552002" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_d2nVel7ji6Lo_LurBQknyludBPF89ZH88XiQY5jQACUCrEhQlZKSrCgI6EdMD7waZzVjIDYPSFmfEPdJaIqWn-OD5TWvk82qYF2xp4VUfYTTUGo1_fx58XZ0eNOsC58lDH2XQ/s1600-h/P8048798.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_d2nVel7ji6Lo_LurBQknyludBPF89ZH88XiQY5jQACUCrEhQlZKSrCgI6EdMD7waZzVjIDYPSFmfEPdJaIqWn-OD5TWvk82qYF2xp4VUfYTTUGo1_fx58XZ0eNOsC58lDH2XQ/s400/P8048798.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366528242313698690" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);"><br />Then I headed to the Sculpture Garden for an after-wedding shoot with the lovely Hannah and her husband Jon:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7MOF0jGSnUN20-alS16S6Wga-m5YBkbcFATzvzwCgOsmFX8fSfYsmNddg7X5WE-YgszM0owhfBJ1NWj757KcKsDmfv9HRuLAV-0mFTS2qM3TVae4C94-zhQZUNHEwjMll8xz3A/s1600-h/Hannah.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 334px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7MOF0jGSnUN20-alS16S6Wga-m5YBkbcFATzvzwCgOsmFX8fSfYsmNddg7X5WE-YgszM0owhfBJ1NWj757KcKsDmfv9HRuLAV-0mFTS2qM3TVae4C94-zhQZUNHEwjMll8xz3A/s400/Hannah.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366528227305471186" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyPXL3miXpivpwSZ495_pCiju7kH4wG2HdgTK_ZvYzSj3lXvOybMRcJYIogVNiz4wRhYcY4uolT20Etp9BsDGsYSiVpsw33JAO-PPEgLfPPXvszIeZL2JetHAFGAGOccS8DqH8Q/s1600-h/P8048918.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXyPXL3miXpivpwSZ495_pCiju7kH4wG2HdgTK_ZvYzSj3lXvOybMRcJYIogVNiz4wRhYcY4uolT20Etp9BsDGsYSiVpsw33JAO-PPEgLfPPXvszIeZL2JetHAFGAGOccS8DqH8Q/s400/P8048918.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366530691111952674" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Thanks for the great day, Jill & Elizabeth, Hannah & Jon and my wonderful helpers, Sarah, Dean & <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Khai</span>, who chased Truman around the Sculpture Garden while I photographed. Here's Dean wearing his own son and carrying mine:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgJDrOc0hFwLBmHDMSVogCDk3ubqhUFRyzDRscFqN61G_4opzqnyp5vselzdsfh0xAOgaJ6jYPeUmFAbiclvSMW2wyXrPqCbF3D0ElboX_176TK7Pz6zRXfBTwkCCNevGS2cLqA/s1600-h/Dean.Khai.T.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgJDrOc0hFwLBmHDMSVogCDk3ubqhUFRyzDRscFqN61G_4opzqnyp5vselzdsfh0xAOgaJ6jYPeUmFAbiclvSMW2wyXrPqCbF3D0ElboX_176TK7Pz6zRXfBTwkCCNevGS2cLqA/s400/Dean.Khai.T.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366533129317110530" border="0" /></a>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-34967364974821951012009-08-03T11:04:00.001-07:002009-08-03T11:08:26.431-07:00My Husband Fritz<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdymZdHu-LLj443GxO5XWDmML8UMnoQj0f8BkMl31LyA22M29q1OUqdpEiP9HcEr39E3fy6odD8WRfa7WxHN9j37U4ldVdkpTkCr_E7LzSJ0eJXHwvXB8b7YCVvKKnZTaBQBVmyQ/s1600-h/P8028556.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdymZdHu-LLj443GxO5XWDmML8UMnoQj0f8BkMl31LyA22M29q1OUqdpEiP9HcEr39E3fy6odD8WRfa7WxHN9j37U4ldVdkpTkCr_E7LzSJ0eJXHwvXB8b7YCVvKKnZTaBQBVmyQ/s400/P8028556.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5365800282927431378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">I guess I never thought I'd say that; but here's Joe dressed as Fritz Robinson, the oldest brother in the Swiss Family Robinson clan.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">I took this last night while working on some photos for the press material to promote the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mille</span> Lacs Area Players performance of the musical Swiss Family Robinson, which runs August 13-16 and 20-23 at 7:30 p.m. in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Milaca</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">mn</span>.<br /><br />A few other photos can be found on <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/spellboundjungle/SwissFamilyRobinson#"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">picasa</span></a>.<br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-77175529639421067542009-07-31T06:28:00.000-07:002009-07-31T06:28:00.912-07:00Mill City Adventure Tuesday<span style="text-decoration: underline;">\</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6USsBoX_Lr1XeDH2PAPe2-I45FsNazwUy0IJZoGxDfX75F4QvEuhHdEbw5YrZBZb2skp4WW-xLxXmb47A9wqYsZBSUkJv-5TbL-_WIIdfj28V1XVD6go5yARke3JiI2aTRqqEYQ/s1600-h/P7278432.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6USsBoX_Lr1XeDH2PAPe2-I45FsNazwUy0IJZoGxDfX75F4QvEuhHdEbw5YrZBZb2skp4WW-xLxXmb47A9wqYsZBSUkJv-5TbL-_WIIdfj28V1XVD6go5yARke3JiI2aTRqqEYQ/s400/P7278432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364370169788200434" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELrN9T_R1KGdAuRbPdZ0CWgLrZLOf5veIr09vPDO8kqRWqUjyhdibhNhWB8r_BXn_qGblKQUKJ5ad3yHtoGmqpYGdmYfVvrB35RVpGs_G2m-3LnUygq49q_Xlr2t9lq4S0Yqcww/s1600-h/P7278433.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjELrN9T_R1KGdAuRbPdZ0CWgLrZLOf5veIr09vPDO8kqRWqUjyhdibhNhWB8r_BXn_qGblKQUKJ5ad3yHtoGmqpYGdmYfVvrB35RVpGs_G2m-3LnUygq49q_Xlr2t9lq4S0Yqcww/s400/P7278433.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364370159547988306" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);">I met up with my friends <a href="http://1particularharbour.blogspot.com/">Pat</a> and <a href="http://tabledreamer.blogspot.com/">Heather</a> for an educational Adventure Tuesday at the Mill City Museum, where we were treated to this gorgeous view of the river. After watching me snapping away with my lens nudged against the glass, the tour guide kindly pointed me onto a balcony. My lens and I were thankful; these were the result:<br /><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTafGvWctXX2copO7q041TPjTG47k-8_Ov_AVg4QM_SJ23QuXLmUNG4qDwh99y2eR2IS6kMCdaJYbTFn5O29X_npLemIMPwPhZQIyCVgNx68PaaZpx73IWLcmjX2riPWE6pFc9Q/s1600-h/P7278446.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTafGvWctXX2copO7q041TPjTG47k-8_Ov_AVg4QM_SJ23QuXLmUNG4qDwh99y2eR2IS6kMCdaJYbTFn5O29X_npLemIMPwPhZQIyCVgNx68PaaZpx73IWLcmjX2riPWE6pFc9Q/s400/P7278446.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364376270867462546" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUjPY04dYzpTODt1Q7dKc1xFRBhuQg6I5hUR-N8g_nDAEVpr25H1a0clHoQuyknqSB9CaIpI2pFpC0HqBPRqn5ubOEqYDHH7OXyLEXHMY3gpV6Cu2waM0RZpZLVDiYfJyu225ug/s1600-h/P7278445.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUjPY04dYzpTODt1Q7dKc1xFRBhuQg6I5hUR-N8g_nDAEVpr25H1a0clHoQuyknqSB9CaIpI2pFpC0HqBPRqn5ubOEqYDHH7OXyLEXHMY3gpV6Cu2waM0RZpZLVDiYfJyu225ug/s400/P7278445.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364376275929027554" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(204, 102, 0);"><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFW2TpKpPrxOdcVbi6Edrw3xaA71qVTJF-NqpLQDmsh4liwSykqPX2vUMvpLEgZdDBqtVxJsKi-AQblOMmyMa9wxTmCFRkSFzAfZysR5vIvZYS7664rqmccDXaAcPaZxJpuPjOw/s1600-h/P7278444.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWFW2TpKpPrxOdcVbi6Edrw3xaA71qVTJF-NqpLQDmsh4liwSykqPX2vUMvpLEgZdDBqtVxJsKi-AQblOMmyMa9wxTmCFRkSFzAfZysR5vIvZYS7664rqmccDXaAcPaZxJpuPjOw/s400/P7278444.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364376286803174274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSRbxmnNEDSG-EHBpiX9R5Jd4bFUQYzyIa7Gpyf39cfARIFsYd3UE4qupu_D5j68LZHyf4okVbN8YJ6Ph9YDmcOaLddDguZYh3Cg2pGKXRDe1xliuVojnBSyq6wEVF8a_mSAXcw/s1600-h/P7278456.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFSRbxmnNEDSG-EHBpiX9R5Jd4bFUQYzyIa7Gpyf39cfARIFsYd3UE4qupu_D5j68LZHyf4okVbN8YJ6Ph9YDmcOaLddDguZYh3Cg2pGKXRDe1xliuVojnBSyq6wEVF8a_mSAXcw/s400/P7278456.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364374848640227362" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">The museum, housed in the old Gold Medal Flour mill, offered more than just a pretty view. We learned a lot about the history of the mill and Minneapolis. Did you know that for a while Minneapolis milled more flour than anywhere else in the world? There were lots of hands-on activities geared toward older children; Truman's favorites involved water (no surprise). We also road the excitingly named "flour tower," which was a lot less like the Power Tower than some would hope, but much less nauseating.<br /><br />In fact, we left the museum hungry, on our way to The Spaghetti Factory for lunch.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-q4NXKPg-khaotTkZ7oz6Q5iOLONFYrgmx06MD2VurUPBbSoVmzZNNT8DHYSfxM7AO7t1ovcePMJeTaXhEEMtld7hQaNqfrVjHw4Sq17aFKt_VB-axQVwLLeGGVwrFvUypMRYw/s1600-h/P7288466.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG-q4NXKPg-khaotTkZ7oz6Q5iOLONFYrgmx06MD2VurUPBbSoVmzZNNT8DHYSfxM7AO7t1ovcePMJeTaXhEEMtld7hQaNqfrVjHw4Sq17aFKt_VB-axQVwLLeGGVwrFvUypMRYw/s400/P7288466.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364374842275602130" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgry6wS_2bYtNqAIujTc1ZpyYMaUOUCr7VCZWM5LDqMIh8rJWQi8K5QUuEeKKvvHEqQUFL0efXMlFbitqg1Ad5cT_c1Ry8WLXDVCRfKMrDbjccFQvlwIYsu4M-Vxckb6ALW2pvA/s1600-h/weirdface.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 241px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQgry6wS_2bYtNqAIujTc1ZpyYMaUOUCr7VCZWM5LDqMIh8rJWQi8K5QUuEeKKvvHEqQUFL0efXMlFbitqg1Ad5cT_c1Ry8WLXDVCRfKMrDbjccFQvlwIYsu4M-Vxckb6ALW2pvA/s400/weirdface.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364374833339094786" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">This is what I would look like if I were insane, but enthusiastic (notice the thumbs up?)</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">living in a giant field of wheat:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxg3fUgCWspDcQWAEU7MCe13kKzZhXyHjClGltf7yGlaTBea-yrNXSINi1WIFoOoAf96hu2olWIRMTrLtscmkTNZdFJPRY3PMH6IkzWGgjBvwRLcf_oxU8nRzmxDF3Fd694EDThQ/s1600-h/P7288474.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxg3fUgCWspDcQWAEU7MCe13kKzZhXyHjClGltf7yGlaTBea-yrNXSINi1WIFoOoAf96hu2olWIRMTrLtscmkTNZdFJPRY3PMH6IkzWGgjBvwRLcf_oxU8nRzmxDF3Fd694EDThQ/s400/P7288474.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364373856632700418" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">This is what it looks like when play food at a play dinner table is inexplicably glued together and you try to indulge in a nice slice of felt bread while your child wonders where their bread is:<br /></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3-X0IdD8RSj_GflTV9pZ6LIzjm6QMf4bKMRDADgqBsiwYp-W5JnQN9lEZMCkpfO8QAwa9oT2eRzTKo4cPuR6Z6LxPBfZTAQ53a9l6pWxNOyhko9wJl6MljZGspdwXG4ZXwlTvA/s1600-h/mmmbread.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid3-X0IdD8RSj_GflTV9pZ6LIzjm6QMf4bKMRDADgqBsiwYp-W5JnQN9lEZMCkpfO8QAwa9oT2eRzTKo4cPuR6Z6LxPBfZTAQ53a9l6pWxNOyhko9wJl6MljZGspdwXG4ZXwlTvA/s400/mmmbread.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364373841703747730" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Not enough pictures of me looking crazy for you? After the museum, Pat and Heather headed home and we went to visit my friend Vanessa, where I became a robot:<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6c0MvHyqTfx4p0Q0_BF4I5PuoiFgzMz-Ihw3WRZzfl0nPsjQ_YIhYWF76rCuPxe8bc5W0JZ3-ZOYU9w3-coesGo2sRTruqkY1D-ZvVPknlrpvTyocrDDviOes4c5QpU7ZazgPrQ/s1600-h/P7288475.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6c0MvHyqTfx4p0Q0_BF4I5PuoiFgzMz-Ihw3WRZzfl0nPsjQ_YIhYWF76rCuPxe8bc5W0JZ3-ZOYU9w3-coesGo2sRTruqkY1D-ZvVPknlrpvTyocrDDviOes4c5QpU7ZazgPrQ/s400/P7288475.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364373849730627506" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Or maybe an <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">iPod</span>, depending on your preference. </span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-53630156722572796382009-07-30T15:47:00.000-07:002009-07-30T16:04:55.497-07:00A Musical for the Whole Family <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUN_K0t0Sm8_xCTL_C09l0f9IByQmj2Ks_ZC6JX7dkyBwZtInsTKHAFhE_taldsVlcP9H4de13DRmID72eU8TgTfTergkICrJoqwrgeA2_1kUilp7M7NcypGxIrKfjH4xn7AEsUA/s1600-h/MLAPSwissPosterwAds1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 247px; height: 377px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUN_K0t0Sm8_xCTL_C09l0f9IByQmj2Ks_ZC6JX7dkyBwZtInsTKHAFhE_taldsVlcP9H4de13DRmID72eU8TgTfTergkICrJoqwrgeA2_1kUilp7M7NcypGxIrKfjH4xn7AEsUA/s400/MLAPSwissPosterwAds1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364391544242956962" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">As most of you know, our very own Joe will be playing the role of the eldest son in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mille</span> Lacs Area Player's upcoming production of <span style="font-style: italic;">Swiss Family Robinson</span>, which runs Aug. 13-16 & 20-23 in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Milaca</span>.<br /><br />But you may not have known that I have been hard at work behind the scenes creating some pretty posters to publicize the show. For more details about the show, see the above poster. A factoid for the photoshop nerds out there: most of the design elements on the poster come from brush sets created from scans of actual antique maps.<br /><br />We'd love to host anyone who wants to come up and see Joe in action. Just let us know when you'd like to visit so we don't over-book Hotel Walsh.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Although, as long as you don't mind sleeping on an airbed it is pretty hard to overbook the expansive Hotel Walsh.</span><br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-8757260346344602502009-07-30T13:18:00.000-07:002009-07-30T13:27:44.608-07:00Happy Birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JOE!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aYmr1vGoFc0WYZaD6Lq5Gz4WyoMjTV7sP7df57ZD1OjmlA9arecq1So-KG95KNalsmLsO32EPdJO_6SUzl3vtCISSzFiF0XsuT8UF0AvG47Caxg21mvNipIUPDP9_wRaSjYS_g/s1600-h/P7298484.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5aYmr1vGoFc0WYZaD6Lq5Gz4WyoMjTV7sP7df57ZD1OjmlA9arecq1So-KG95KNalsmLsO32EPdJO_6SUzl3vtCISSzFiF0XsuT8UF0AvG47Caxg21mvNipIUPDP9_wRaSjYS_g/s400/P7298484.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364351517818165042" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">Joe has work and play practice today, so we won't have much time to celebrate. When he forgot a few things at home today, I took the opportunity to ambush him with balloons and sing him our crazy version of Happy Birthday, which involves lots of Punk Rock screeching (the one from Truman's birthday).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Happy birthday, my love!</span><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG_W9WhWoAp7oCXVySPnD2-WBpgVnldG0Vr8H-hsPSYvTd_hJv6N49uDWMRvz6Ho6TV75pWJCtDkQri2755PfTARNM7YFV0rNLItwkp9HEHN5yA3QXQRzxLLyJofaBIW6vI5Htg/s1600-h/P7298478.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNG_W9WhWoAp7oCXVySPnD2-WBpgVnldG0Vr8H-hsPSYvTd_hJv6N49uDWMRvz6Ho6TV75pWJCtDkQri2755PfTARNM7YFV0rNLItwkp9HEHN5yA3QXQRzxLLyJofaBIW6vI5Htg/s400/P7298478.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364351529618752482" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Tq6mANpxrAeAl1e9obfLWqdAvHV9agxgnDqGOGsGN9Hd-zIl__jDZZWvo3vCh-4SQeq0Ckta1xjXodknjypwYyCjV3QXJf0kDQNfbZ10R-2xYszI8KyRYfBUc7CPfyc6pSHWSQ/s1600-h/P7298480.JPG"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Tq6mANpxrAeAl1e9obfLWqdAvHV9agxgnDqGOGsGN9Hd-zIl__jDZZWvo3vCh-4SQeq0Ckta1xjXodknjypwYyCjV3QXJf0kDQNfbZ10R-2xYszI8KyRYfBUc7CPfyc6pSHWSQ/s400/P7298480.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5364351534833749906" border="0" /></a>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-9128614830737134542009-07-27T20:17:00.000-07:002009-07-27T20:21:51.688-07:00The "Intruder"<span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">While driving down our street last weekend we noticed the usual suburban ornaments — our neighbor's lawn windmill, the black decorative street lights that invade my bedroom with light at night, the giant trampoline near the stop sign — and then we saw something new, an RV called "The Intruder," parked in front of our neighbor's house.<br /><br />It looked like this: <a href="http://www.buyusedrvforsale.com/uploads/medium/damon-25377.jpg">Intruder picture.</a><br /><br />I guess it's the RV for the horribly annoying guest.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);">Seriously, who names an RV "The Intruder?"</span><br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-81695589022936160152009-07-10T15:55:00.001-07:002009-07-10T16:04:16.540-07:00Hat and Onesie for Jill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6tsOqyWBYGj_gGANqGLWg6O526u_I2nlOoQvpbeOqqqoP5emv8juesyuegkyu0KZ0O_vIk7EuiuK7PlNDrMjZMDvln4zqFPZwzJWCvR4VFloDQUzX7PO-PX6q9ezjs7_b6tF3w/s1600-h/Jill'sbabygift.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 270px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD6tsOqyWBYGj_gGANqGLWg6O526u_I2nlOoQvpbeOqqqoP5emv8juesyuegkyu0KZ0O_vIk7EuiuK7PlNDrMjZMDvln4zqFPZwzJWCvR4VFloDQUzX7PO-PX6q9ezjs7_b6tF3w/s400/Jill'sbabygift.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356969289849039874" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">I made these for my friend Jill who is expecting a little girl sometime this month. I can't wait to see her in the hat.<br /><br />Thanks, <a href="http://andsometimesy.blogspot.com">Amy</a>, for teaching me the joys of applique.<br /></span>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-46263899271543837482009-07-08T19:04:00.000-07:002009-07-08T15:52:23.711-07:00Mothers Day Lake Maria hike<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49SxHbA8fpzP9B5huoCw-0-fN0KT0J4pTjyMTtVsoRFUzCcBELoFCd3Q_rap6_2kVQ4BXbkvyco4T-vpfg3rOctynv1czLYZvMNjU0NzMC9QEOg8fhGoAviWNEyWoIXxujHbVVg/s1600-h/P5245514.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49SxHbA8fpzP9B5huoCw-0-fN0KT0J4pTjyMTtVsoRFUzCcBELoFCd3Q_rap6_2kVQ4BXbkvyco4T-vpfg3rOctynv1czLYZvMNjU0NzMC9QEOg8fhGoAviWNEyWoIXxujHbVVg/s400/P5245514.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356200468754256610" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 204, 153);"><br />This photo is just a few matching shirts away from <a href="http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Awkardfamilyphotos</span>.com</a>, but there is something about it I love. Maybe it's the look on Joe's face. Maybe it's my hair in Truman's hand or my half-face. Somehow that combo really reflects our life right now.<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">It didn't happen on Mother's Day, but we headed to Lake Maria State Park in celebration of motherhood. It gave us the chance to try out our new hiking pack (Joe gave it a good review) and gave me chance to photograph the forest while risking life and limb to a bunch of starving ground <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">mosquitoes</span>. </span><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 102, 0);">The reason I'm a mother:</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT2K9jBr9ZRUeRzr6pm4TtNrIhBapqKDQX1pqYGIYnXz7SLJIY_-WffC02Q8oLUQMXSeuKAS05pXWt1IDcur7T3g-NrMKlfDwxNzQXKgruUg4YXdqHamEOy-k7H7AXtsAdVLBOg/s1600-h/P5245454.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTT2K9jBr9ZRUeRzr6pm4TtNrIhBapqKDQX1pqYGIYnXz7SLJIY_-WffC02Q8oLUQMXSeuKAS05pXWt1IDcur7T3g-NrMKlfDwxNzQXKgruUg4YXdqHamEOy-k7H7AXtsAdVLBOg/s400/P5245454.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356091481512064898" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX3P9iwtxv2uwRpwV0iCn20No-p7KELOBwMD4AVSmHfhraKhKCP9XGxZdUWvgT6iiE_hLbuM8SevsuH6rqU7UKVxGV61uwjLWzHi9XaAibehu9HAYykaww-E1D-NtcpzKB0Ea6Qw/s1600-h/P5245462.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; 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width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-YVn3Zw4vm_yKy-VMeJFcAaUVBGdBaPcbM-a1iBdITJCo26VSwW3nX4fUZs2RBM1xjOP3kjtzzkAJavrGkGXknCbDPvtIIKLAftV445vmoL5ZgMrV0evvI_jjYLZzNLVXhFmBg/s400/P5245521.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356201296411461794" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvcUURT8jQXkFgoLjk1ceYdvpGUw0kJEfD6Mzrq5ukfp23m61krFQZma5wwLXsycSHPzY_JAUzdHrHkWJEtM99RXth9MYyFM8S4WmN-xSC5c7rzsqJVeik_8CPa9mNKij_DpRzA/s1600-h/P5245502.1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvcUURT8jQXkFgoLjk1ceYdvpGUw0kJEfD6Mzrq5ukfp23m61krFQZma5wwLXsycSHPzY_JAUzdHrHkWJEtM99RXth9MYyFM8S4WmN-xSC5c7rzsqJVeik_8CPa9mNKij_DpRzA/s400/P5245502.1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5356198972394091490" border="0" /></a>Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34870153.post-74679007148050244672009-07-08T13:22:00.000-07:002009-07-08T13:45:22.750-07:00Flight (words)Have you ever noticed that there is a point right before a bird takes off in flight where they pause, glancing upward, then bend and push off on their pointy bird-feet to get the leverage to fly? Watching that quiet moment outside my window gave me the kind of deep recognition you only get from seeing someone do something you've actually done before.<br /><br />We all try to gauge how well something will go before we jump into it for the first time, but flight seems so intrinsic to being a bird, I assumed they could do it with their eyes closed.<br /><br />Now that I have the time to think and notice these kinds of things I've been amazed by the sheer effort it takes to accomplish most of the tasks we take for granted — mental and physical. That is, until we can no longer do them easily. I've been resolving to take with me into my everyday life the kind of mindful-<span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">appreciation</span> it takes to wonder at the magnitude of each moment without dwelling so that I can actually live in the moment. Just as difficult to do as it was to say.<br /><br />Do I wish I had a picture of the bird crouched just before take-off? Perhaps. Do I wish I had photographs to stand as place markers for the millions of poetic moments my prose-speaking-mind fails to capture metrically? Sure.<br /><br />But all of these moments live somewhere in my mind waiting to be recalled and used as fodder for a future creative endeavor. And sometimes it's nice to write without pictures in order to remind you all where I started. Sometimes its nice to diversify my creative energy even if just for a moment before I plunge back into the world of shutter speed and light.Brooke M. Walshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00379788898260741480noreply@blogger.com0