130 cats in one (russian) apartment.

so is this real?? watch the video - it's truly crazy.



and how are the cats (and the apt.) so clean/healthy looking?

harp-lust

i just had a mini introduction-to-the-harp lesson with the very kind sivan magen and it was the most beautiful wonderful thing. dear mandolin! my eyes are wandering!

update

some new things for me these days:

- an attempt at growing my hair long
- mentally preparing to move to turkey
- eagerly anticipating (while recovering from the shock of) my sudden entrance into graduate school
- learning bluegrass-y mandolin
- formulating plans for a merfolk-themed fantasy novel
- a revived love for swimming/hanging out in water
- giving some serious thought to issues regarding child-raising, adoption (particularly international), the role of family, and emotional/cognitive child development via the two boys i've been nannying this summer
- feeling more confident, independent, and enjoying my time alone

and, unfortunately,

- a laptop, meaning more time online!!

a giant attempt at cooking & baking. . .

. . .after not cooking a single thing all summer.

for my part in the traditional "international dinner" at the marlboro music festival where i've been working (hosted at marlboro college in south-eastern vermont), i experimented with two recipes i've always wanted to try.

four old-fashioned pennsylvania dutch shoo-fly pies - where, to my sweet-toothy delight, sugar in various forms (mainly molasses, corn syrup, brown sugar) gets plopped down on a pie crust and somehow (just barely) clings together:



and a gallons of german chilled raspberry soup mixed in with some vermont black & blueberries, inspired by a fond memory of the most wonderful cold-cherry soup at a russian restaurant in toronto:



the trick was making mass quantities of it all and getting each to their appropriate gooey-thickness.



after multiple rounds of taste-testing, frantic sprints between two kitchens, and a few gin and tonics among a half-dozen or so others trying to concoct their own dishes, both turned out better than expected.



(not that i exactly had high expectations to begin with - hopefully everything'll be eaten tomorrow night!)

queen hatshepsut.

The most famous cross-dressing mummy was finally found!

cherry blossoms, , ,



and giant lobster kites, , ,



a new friend, , ,



and good-bye DC. (coming home to collegeville tomorrow.)

more here.

cocoNET safety

This website is worth checking out. A solution to dangerous falling coconuts. . . the cocoNET.

FAQ is very informative, including questions such as. . .

"WHAT IF SEVERAL TREES ARE CLOSE TOGETHER, CAN WE STILL APPLY NETS TO ALL
Yes, all that is required is to stagger the height of installation of each adjacent net."

and

"WHAT IF VANDALS WANT TO CUT THE ROPE THAT HOLDS THE BASKET
Depending on public access, the ropes can be attached at a nominated ladder height so as to lesson the chances."