Muuuuch Better

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Money Makes the World Go Round

I love money. Not in the sense that I'd like to roll around in it, but for it's artistic value and what it says about who and what a culture values. Everywhere we go, I collect that country's money. I try to get one of every denomination. Sometimes it's easy, sometimes it's not. In our travels, I have found it very difficult to get the Euro one- and two-cent coins. They just aren't used as widely (and probably should be discontinued). People looked at me like I was crazy when I would ask for my change in cents. Inevitably, all of the cents I received would be either German, French, Austrian or Italian. C'est la vie.

Anyway, we just got a box of stored things from my parents' house. Inside was a good portion of my coin collection. I got a lot of coins from my grandfather who was in WWII. As a kid, I would get the tin container off of their bookshelf and sort through them when we visited. So yesterday, I sorted through them all and organized them and researched some that I wasn't sure where they were from. The Russian and Indonesian Islands coins are tricky!


Some of the looty booty.


Overall, my collection includes 53 countries and territories including pre- and post-Euro coins from most European countries although I did not count them twice. Of those 53 countries/territories, either Craig or I or both have been to 30 of them. I have a lot of coins from Carribbean islands for some reason and we've never been to any (need to work on that) except Puerto Rico which obviously uses US currency. I think they are from my in-laws. Thanks, Gran & Gramps!

Here are a few shots of my favorites.


Hungary, 500 forint
He is one awesome Magyar.


Poland, 100 zloty
So regal in the eyebrows, nose and hair.


Czech Republic, 100 & 200 korun
These look like the same guy, but they aren't. Probably the same artist though.


Czech Republic, 200 korun reverse
Just sweet.


Sweden, 20 kronor
I love when women are represented on money, especially when they are wearing their fur and fanciest hat. Well, maybe that doesn't apply to QE II. That's just overkill.


Sweden, 20 kronor reverse
I adore this picture and think it is so cool that what I guess to be a fairytale is represented on their currency. And the perspective is awesome - a little boy or man high above farmland on a goose's back which leads me into a good segue.

Lately, I have been hearing groups of geese flying overheard whilst on their northward migration. This is a welcome sight.



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Nuclear Explosion

Today marks the one-year anniversary of the meltdown of the Fukishima nuclear power plant. Today also marks the meltdown of our nuclear family member, Finn McCarter. He was sent home from school today for unacceptable behavior. It's not a suspension and there wasn't really even an altercation except that he and his Spanish teacher are really having a war of the wills. One of the assistant principals thought it best to send him home because Finn was upset.
Teen angst is really not my forte.
As a punishment on this beautiful day, I decided to show Finn what he might be doing for the rest of his life in case he decides that an eighth grade education is sufficient. He moved about 200 large garden rocks and repaired the rock walls of my garden beds. He raked leaves and bagged them. He loaded the bags into the car and then unloaded them at the dump. He lifted heavy bags of soil and spread it in said beds. I hope that this lesson hit home. I also hope that he realizes that if yard work is a career choice, Spanish might be a really good language to learn and maybe he should pay attention in Spanish class. And oh, that he will also have to live without any electronic devices whilst performing said yard work.
Can we please just skip this year of teenhood?
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Fat Yesterday

Look what I had for lunch yesterday:


And look what we brought home yesterday:


Her name was Polo at the shelter and might change to Cleo, but we aren't sure we want to switch her name. The kids and Craig couldn't resist her extra toes. She is polydactyl and has two big "thumbs" on her front paws. She is very complacent, very quiet and very overwhelmed. She likes the back basement and has settled in nicely. She has an upper respiratory infection, conjunctivitis and is a little beat up from life on the streets, but takes her meds without a fuss. She is also really smart and knows how to spit the pills out. Pill shooters are marvelous inventions.

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A Great Weekend

On Thursday, Evan and Owen performed in a concert at the high school. It was a showcase of the bands of the middle schools that feed into the high school as well as the high school itself. Owen was asked to play in the Festival Band which is normally just 7th & 8th graders, so that was an honor. All of the bands were enjoyable. Arbutus Middle School was particularly good. I will admit that I did have a yearning for the nibbles and (alcoholic) drinks intermission at the kids' UK school.

Yesterday, we threw a Mardi Gras fete slash Open House and it was a blast! It was so wonderful to see family and friends from near and far; some we hadn't seen in well over FOUR years. Everyone was so generous with their goodies too. At one point, the house was so full, I opened windows and doors to cool down the house! In February. In a drafty old house. I will admit that I chose this holiday weekend because I thought many people would have gone on a short holiday and over invited. But in hindsight it was definitely not a mistake. We are so glad to have reconnected with many.

Today, Craig took Owen and Finn down to the animal shelter in Baltimore City, to take a look-see at the cats. They came home with stories of two cats in particular. It seems Craig had officially caved in and was checking with the boss (that's me) to see if it was okay to adopt. I will admit I have missed having a cat. An hour later, they traipsed back to the city to officially adopt a polydactyl feline. We will go to get her for good on Tuesday. The kids are dreaming up a good name as I type.

Tonight, Craig and I went to see A Skull in Connemara at Centre Stage. It was really good and I would recommend seeing it. However, the elderly couple seated next to me would beg to differ. They left in the beginning of the second act, never to return! I think the wife was offended by some of the manhandling of the skulls and the constant use of the word "fecking". I will admit I found a perverse amusement in that.
Shrug.

We are looking forward to a relaxing day tomorrow. Yay for dead Presidents' birthdays!

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Happy Hearts

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!
I love hearts (the shape, not the organ, although it has its good qualities).

When Finn was in preschool, the kids said this prayer at snack time and we used to say it at home. I have always thought of it on Valentine's Day.

Fank you, God, for happy hearts
In rain and sunny wedder.
Fank you for da food we eat
And dat we are a-gedder.

In case you didn't figure it out, that was Finn-speak circa 2000.
I can still hear him say it just like that in my head.

Love your family. Love your friends.
I love you.

A Day in Balteemore

Craig took an unexpected day off so we went to Bawlmer for some chow. We went to a corner diner in Locust Point where the waitresses were the real deal, hon, and a homemade yellow cake with coconut flake frosting was calling my name. (I ignored it.) I had cod cakes with mustard and saltines, mashed potatoes and green beans. Craig had a Reuben that almost ate him. It was that big.

Then we headed over to the American Visionary Art Museum (AVAM).

The AVAM WAS fantastic! It is really amazing what an artist can do. We went here because I got a great Groupon deal on admission and we really enjoyed ourselves. Photos were not allowed inside the museum, but I snapped one in an outdoor garden.

And just in case you forgot...