Red Skies at Night...
I look west toward St. Paul Cathedral and the spires are framed by a soft, red, orange, and pale violet light off cumulus clouds. I know my camera tells me "battery exhausted," but I polish the contacts on the batteries before giving up to the beautiful changing sky.
What a lovely way to end a lovely day.
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Nancy and I visited Ornella at the gallery of her art class's show. We enjoyed Ornella's pieces and those of her class. Ornella's Western US landscape was painterly and colorful. I also enjoyed her piece entitled "Message in a Bottle," reminiscent of Paul Klee.
We spent quite a bit of time chatting about Europe (I'm planning a trip...) and we decided to dine together at the Belgian restaurant for dinner. Ornella and I shared the moules frites and the salmon dinner with risotto and steamed spinach. Nancy enjoyed tofu, mango, and the beer cheese soup.
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20:45
The sky is pale steel indigo-violet with certain clouds tinged/rimmed in red.
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Nancy and I made two grocery runs: One before dinner while waiting for our table, and one after dinner for dairy products.
Labels: art, dine, friends, light, moving, mystery, painting, photography, photos, rain, shopping, St. Paul Cathedral, travel, weather
Ground Hog Day 2009; Clean Coal
So I awoke, tuned into the radio (which described the Steelers win last night), and soon after there was a live broadcast from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania....during which the Ground Hog (a.k.a. Ground Pig) noted that the Steelers had won (again), and that he saw his shadow, indicating six more weeks of winter.
Check out this website out for a quiz on Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog.
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I had received a mass email encouraging President Obama to not focus on "clean coal." Note that coal CAN be burned cleanly, if the proper scrubber technology is utilized (such as developed by Dave, the husband of a friend). This reduces acid rain.
Labels: cold, email, EPA, international culture, Pittsburgh, rain, science, seasons, Superbowl, weather, Wellesley
FAAP Picnic 2008, Building Picnic 2008
Yesterday we enjoyed the FAAP Annual Picnic, complete with roasted lechon and rice; grilled hamburgers and hot dogs; and potluck salads, main dishes, and desserts. There was a contest for best potluck items, and All Clad pots were the prizes. We brought green bean casserole and red strawberry orange jello salad with mandarin oranges. (Marissa made berry crisp.)
William, Marissa, Beatrice, and Solomon met Jun and Arnie and Carol, all chemistry graduate students who prompted Beatrice with questions (and whom I had earlier tried to recruit for choir). While Solomon enjoyed a bottle with Lola, Beatrice, her mom and dad and I took off to go to the swings! Beatrice chortled joyfully while swinging...
Auntie Mimi: Is this as fun as Kennywood?
Beatrice: Yeah.
William interviewed Beatrice while on the swing.
Soon after eating William and Marissa and family departed, as the kids were very hot and sweaty.
A little later, the sky opened up and the winds blew, causing all to take cover under the one shelter and shrieks to arise from the edges of the shelter with each change in wind direction. Voting was orderly and straightforward. Dad and Tito Larry P. partook of the games, and they donated their winnings. Dad diagnosed a Colles fracture. We departed soon after, while it was still raining lightly. We got $15+ of gasoline (4.0 gallons) on the way home, happy with the price of $3.99
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The building picnic had fewer attendees than last year, probably due to the weather. I sat next to Martha M., Ann L., and spoke with John, a newcomer to the building on the floor above me. Dinner was potato and pretzel chips; grilled chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers; potato salad, bow tie pasta salad, cole slaw, and fruit salad; and bottled water or sodas. A bevy of desserts (of which I had a pecan pie bar) rounded out the meal. I enjoyed myself, and felt fully stuffed at the end of the meal.
Labels: Beatrice, berries, children, Choir, economy, friends, neighbors, niece and nephew, Philippines, photos, Pilipino culture, Pittsburgh, rain, science, St. Paul Cathedral, transportation, water, weather
This Heat
This weather the past few days has been close to record-breaking heat (90's+). Yesterday, the home physical therapist Margie and I decided to stay in the shade and visited my building's parklet. We ran into a couple who had been sitting outside for about three-quarters of an hour, due to a power outage in my building, (this is common around the city this week: William and Marissa had one in their neighborhood this weekend) precluding my collection of my mail at home.
Staying cool is a major event. We draw the blinds, turn on the portable air conditioning units and fans, and try to keep lights off as much as possible. Writing in the cool of the day is very relaxing.
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6am
The sound of thunder carries the promise of cooling rain to follow...the sound echoes off the Cathedral, with its quiet light and open doors across the street and outside my window.
Labels: BAD, Church, exercise, global warming, health, home, neighbors, Pittsburgh, rain, seasons, St. Paul Cathedral, surgery, weather
