Jack Manning Miner. March 27, 1919 - June 18, 2011Wilhelmina Long Taylor Miner. December 28, 1918 - August 4, 2004
Saturday, June 18, 2011
My grandparents
Jack Manning Miner. March 27, 1919 - June 18, 2011Wilhelmina Long Taylor Miner. December 28, 1918 - August 4, 2004
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Fun with the scanner
Last week I rediscovered that we have a scanner, and that I can play with it. Here are a few pictures I uncovered in my room.
Adelle and I at Sandy Hook, NJ - September 1999
My first time fishing I caught a 19 pound salmon in Cowichan Bay, but that's just because Uncle Bill was my fishing guide. I didn't even notice when the salmon first got the line. Uncle Bill had to say, "Carol, I think you have a fish on the line." Within a couple moments of its fighting, he knew it was a salmon. I think this was probably summer of 2001, maybe '02, based on my eyeglasses.
I can hardly believe how little Daniel and Anna look in the picture! They've grown up so much. Here they are with Freya, my fifth puppy. I think this was probably summer 2005 (or maybe 2004?) I'm not much good at keeping track of when things happened.
Adelle and I at Sandy Hook, NJ - September 1999
My first time fishing I caught a 19 pound salmon in Cowichan Bay, but that's just because Uncle Bill was my fishing guide. I didn't even notice when the salmon first got the line. Uncle Bill had to say, "Carol, I think you have a fish on the line." Within a couple moments of its fighting, he knew it was a salmon. I think this was probably summer of 2001, maybe '02, based on my eyeglasses.
I can hardly believe how little Daniel and Anna look in the picture! They've grown up so much. Here they are with Freya, my fifth puppy. I think this was probably summer 2005 (or maybe 2004?) I'm not much good at keeping track of when things happened.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Hot
I couldn't help but think of this passage from To Kill a Mockingbird today:
Somehow, it was hotter then: a black dog suffered on a summer's day; bony mules hitched to Hoover carts flicked flies in the sweltering shade of the live oaks on the square. Men's stiff collars wilted by nine in the morning. Ladies bathed before noon, after their three-o'clock naps, and by nightfall were like soft teacakes with frostings of sweat and sweet talcum.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
7 weeks in 9 photos
I wanted it to be 7 weeks in 7 photos, but I couldn't figure out which picture to cut out.
Here with four dear friends - Erin, Sarah, Robin, and Amy - before senior banquet. We could have followed up the banquet with the campus dance, but Robin and I are old ladies so we tottered back to our apartment to collapse exhausted on the couch.
Shortly after spring break I house sat for a week and took care of two dogs, two bunnies, one chinchilla, one tortoise, and some fish. It was not so eventful as last summer's animal-sitting extravaganza but it was not without mishap. I wasn't expecting the 110 pound Mastiff puppy to go into season. It was great having a house to share with other friends. I cooked our regular Tuesday evening dinner there. It coincided with Sarah's birthday, so Susanna made a cake and we had a lovely meal together. Living in an apartment is much more wonderful than being in the dorms, but a real home beats a campus apartment any day.
Definitely one of the highlights of the semester was going to the Gospel Coalition Conference in Chicago. Besides getting to hear rich teaching on teaching on preaching Christ and the gospel from the Old Testament, I got to hang out with Ashley and her husband and sister-in-law. This was the first of what has been (and will be) a spring and summer of sweet, if brief, reunions with dear friends.
This beautiful lady has become a dear friend this year. Sarah's getting married in September. Scott's a lucky man.
Here's a bunch of us graduating seniors from the College Group at College Church. There was a special lunch for us one Sunday after church. A picture doesn't exactly capture it, but the College Group has meant a lot to me this year, and no less this last semester than any other. Such a great group.
My small group went out for breakfast together (instead of to my apartment) the last Monday of the semester. These girls astound me, in a good way.
Another happy reunion was with Laura, one of my roommates last year who graduated. We had lunch together because she was in town some time in the middle or end of finals week. Our time together is a bit of a dim memory, unfortunately, because I was so sleepy.
I found out that the the Wheaton Public Library has a partnership with nearby museums and similar places so that it's possible, with diligence and good timing, to get discounts or free tickets to those places. I wish I'd learned about this four years ago! This spring meant some said farewells as well as reunions. A spring time trip to the Morton Arboretum (partially funded by the library) was a great way to spend some last sweet hours with these two dear Wheaton friends, Julie and Allison. All the pressure of finals and packing melted away as we talked together, admired the flowers, and basked in the sun. We took a detour on the way home for a stop at Graham's for ice cream – a pre-dinner treat. These were definitely some of my favorite hours in the semester.
Liz, who was my freshman year roommate, came over for tea the afternoon of my last final exam. We hadn't seen much of each other since we lived together, so there was a lot to catch up on. She's wonderful – I couldn't have asked for a better roommate.
Here with four dear friends - Erin, Sarah, Robin, and Amy - before senior banquet. We could have followed up the banquet with the campus dance, but Robin and I are old ladies so we tottered back to our apartment to collapse exhausted on the couch.
Shortly after spring break I house sat for a week and took care of two dogs, two bunnies, one chinchilla, one tortoise, and some fish. It was not so eventful as last summer's animal-sitting extravaganza but it was not without mishap. I wasn't expecting the 110 pound Mastiff puppy to go into season. It was great having a house to share with other friends. I cooked our regular Tuesday evening dinner there. It coincided with Sarah's birthday, so Susanna made a cake and we had a lovely meal together. Living in an apartment is much more wonderful than being in the dorms, but a real home beats a campus apartment any day.
Definitely one of the highlights of the semester was going to the Gospel Coalition Conference in Chicago. Besides getting to hear rich teaching on teaching on preaching Christ and the gospel from the Old Testament, I got to hang out with Ashley and her husband and sister-in-law. This was the first of what has been (and will be) a spring and summer of sweet, if brief, reunions with dear friends.
This beautiful lady has become a dear friend this year. Sarah's getting married in September. Scott's a lucky man.
Here's a bunch of us graduating seniors from the College Group at College Church. There was a special lunch for us one Sunday after church. A picture doesn't exactly capture it, but the College Group has meant a lot to me this year, and no less this last semester than any other. Such a great group.
My small group went out for breakfast together (instead of to my apartment) the last Monday of the semester. These girls astound me, in a good way.
Another happy reunion was with Laura, one of my roommates last year who graduated. We had lunch together because she was in town some time in the middle or end of finals week. Our time together is a bit of a dim memory, unfortunately, because I was so sleepy.
I found out that the the Wheaton Public Library has a partnership with nearby museums and similar places so that it's possible, with diligence and good timing, to get discounts or free tickets to those places. I wish I'd learned about this four years ago! This spring meant some said farewells as well as reunions. A spring time trip to the Morton Arboretum (partially funded by the library) was a great way to spend some last sweet hours with these two dear Wheaton friends, Julie and Allison. All the pressure of finals and packing melted away as we talked together, admired the flowers, and basked in the sun. We took a detour on the way home for a stop at Graham's for ice cream – a pre-dinner treat. These were definitely some of my favorite hours in the semester.
Liz, who was my freshman year roommate, came over for tea the afternoon of my last final exam. We hadn't seen much of each other since we lived together, so there was a lot to catch up on. She's wonderful – I couldn't have asked for a better roommate.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Summer read
I just finished a fascinating book called Shantung Compound by Langdon Gilkey that I highly recommend.
During World War II, all citizens from allied countries living in China were sent to an internment camp run by the Japanese and imprisoned there for two and a half years. The author of this book was a young, American university professor in then Peking who kept a journal during his years in the camp.
The prisoners, about 1500 in number, were a motley crew of all ages, social strata, and professions, from Catholic and Protestant missionaries, to businessmen, to prostitutes. Within the close confines of the camp, they were given relative independence in the way those chose to organize and govern themselves and make use of their limited resources. Gilkey writes compellingly about descriptions of their situation, vivid portraits of some of the prisoners, and, most interestingly, the moral problems that arose in the community and what he discovered about human nature. He's an insightful writer, and it's an excellent read.
During World War II, all citizens from allied countries living in China were sent to an internment camp run by the Japanese and imprisoned there for two and a half years. The author of this book was a young, American university professor in then Peking who kept a journal during his years in the camp.
The prisoners, about 1500 in number, were a motley crew of all ages, social strata, and professions, from Catholic and Protestant missionaries, to businessmen, to prostitutes. Within the close confines of the camp, they were given relative independence in the way those chose to organize and govern themselves and make use of their limited resources. Gilkey writes compellingly about descriptions of their situation, vivid portraits of some of the prisoners, and, most interestingly, the moral problems that arose in the community and what he discovered about human nature. He's an insightful writer, and it's an excellent read.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
"Downsizing"
One of my tasks this summer is to sort through all of the stuff I've kept in my desk and closet that I can throw out to make room for things accumulated in college (which I imagine I'll sort through and throw out a few more years down the road). Today I uncovered the top of my desk and went through all the drawers. Now there are piles spreading across the floor and a couple bags of recycling.
Some of the things that I once thought important to save are pretty funny to me now – for instance, the program to the 2003 Covenant College Graduation Senior Banquet. I've had a habit of keeping programs and playbills from events I've been to. Most of those I threw out, but I did keep a few that remind me of particularly special times, like seeing The Lion King on Broadway with Valerie and my 4th grade marionette play.
As much as I want to have few possessions, I find getting rid of stuff kind of difficult. I've had a bulletin board hanging over my desk for years with cards, tickets, pins, and photos stuck to it. It's not so much that I find it aesthetically appealing anymore, but it's been there so long and every object on it is familiar and has some story attached. Today I pulled everything off of it and took the board down. Most of the things on it I threw out or put away to file somewhere else, but a few things I didn't quite want to part with yet so I can stumble upon them again and think about the memories associated with them.
A sampling:
– my ticket to the Emmanuel Ax and the NY Philharmonic performing the Brahms Piano Concerto #2 on February 17, 2007
– my medallion for placing third in the something-dash at the 4th of July events in Colgate Park. The guy officiating the race had to chase me through the crowd because I didn't realize I'd placed. Then I got to accept the medallion and shake the mayor's hand. It was pretty special.
– my Presidential Physical Fitness badge from 5th grade. If I throw it away, who will believe me that I earned it?
Other gems that I discovered in the desk drawers include my 6th grade country report on the Czech Republic and several years worth of annual reports from the Seeing Eye. The former was saved for posterity; the latter are going to recycling.
Some of the things that I once thought important to save are pretty funny to me now – for instance, the program to the 2003 Covenant College Graduation Senior Banquet. I've had a habit of keeping programs and playbills from events I've been to. Most of those I threw out, but I did keep a few that remind me of particularly special times, like seeing The Lion King on Broadway with Valerie and my 4th grade marionette play.
As much as I want to have few possessions, I find getting rid of stuff kind of difficult. I've had a bulletin board hanging over my desk for years with cards, tickets, pins, and photos stuck to it. It's not so much that I find it aesthetically appealing anymore, but it's been there so long and every object on it is familiar and has some story attached. Today I pulled everything off of it and took the board down. Most of the things on it I threw out or put away to file somewhere else, but a few things I didn't quite want to part with yet so I can stumble upon them again and think about the memories associated with them.
A sampling:
– my ticket to the Emmanuel Ax and the NY Philharmonic performing the Brahms Piano Concerto #2 on February 17, 2007
– my medallion for placing third in the something-dash at the 4th of July events in Colgate Park. The guy officiating the race had to chase me through the crowd because I didn't realize I'd placed. Then I got to accept the medallion and shake the mayor's hand. It was pretty special.
– my Presidential Physical Fitness badge from 5th grade. If I throw it away, who will believe me that I earned it?
Other gems that I discovered in the desk drawers include my 6th grade country report on the Czech Republic and several years worth of annual reports from the Seeing Eye. The former was saved for posterity; the latter are going to recycling.
Muffins
Oh, my poor neglected blog.
I need to post, but there are so many other things I need to do more!
For instance, this morning I had to bake muffins to use up mushy bananas. I used this recipe for Whole Wheat Banana & Dark Chocolate Muffins (I put in a little less sugar than it called for) and they are very good, if I do say so myself. I think it's a recipe to use again.
I need to post, but there are so many other things I need to do more!
For instance, this morning I had to bake muffins to use up mushy bananas. I used this recipe for Whole Wheat Banana & Dark Chocolate Muffins (I put in a little less sugar than it called for) and they are very good, if I do say so myself. I think it's a recipe to use again.
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