Author Archives: JJD
Synetic Theater: Romeo & Juliet
Tonight I saw Synetic Theater’s production of Romeo and Juliet. Synetic Theater is a small theater company in the DC area that produces wordless plays — which means they rely heavily on dance, pantomime and other physical storytelling. It’s an interesting concept, especially when they do Shakespeare, because it raises the question of whether a […]
I’ve got a barrel . . .
. . . in the back seat of my car. Ammon mentioned that the local nursery usually has a big sale the day after Christmas, so we went over before I left to drive back to DC. Turns out the nursery was not open this year, but as we were about to leave empty handed […]
Bowties are cool
Now all I need is a tweed jacket and a time machine. Thanks, Amanda!
Little Faces
Ashley and Ammon have cute little kids! And they grow up so fast — the last time I saw them was in August and already I can see the difference. Teya (2 yrs) looks about the same, but she’s bolder and much more talkative. She also had a rather disastrous play-date with a boxer puppy across […]
White Christmas
They don’t call northern New York “the North Country” for nothing — it’s cold here! 11:00am in Watertown, NY I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. I mean, we’re practically in Canada here. It’s a wonder there aren’t polar bears. (I did find a French-language radio channel from Montreal, which is fun.) The wintry weather is beautiful, though, and so […]
Dashing through the snow…
After putting in a surprisingly busy 4.6 hours of work today, I’m off to Ashley’s house for Christmas! Naturally, I come bearing gifts (only some of which are for me). And food from the German bakery (because Ashley’s taking care of the chocolate cake). butter cookies, apple pie, cranberry-walnut bread And a lint roller (because not having one can be […]
Directions in the digital age
Here’s a secret: Deep down, Mormon missionaries who serve outside the United States try really hard not to think that they are better than the missionaries who stay stateside — because, even deeper down, they suspect that they really are better. Like maybe physically or emotionally or psychologically or intellectually better. Not spiritually better, though, because […]
Lady’s Christmas Tree
This is the tree on which Lady honed her lighting technique: two strings (200 lights) for every foot of tree; one light on the very top. As for the ornaments, I miss all the family ornaments that we had accumulated over the years! We had a tradition growing up that every year we’d get a new […]
Raclette!
I love holiday parties (I’ve been to five in the past week). I especially love holiday parties that involve raclette. Raclette is a type of cheese from Switzerland and the Savoy region of France. It’s generally eaten melted over baked potatoes and grilled meats and vegetables. It sometimes takes the form of street food in Strasbourg, but it’s […]
The trials of Saint Katherine
I’m worried about my shamrock. It’s actually an oxalis, not a shamrock, but it’s been in the family since before I was born and we’ve always called it a shamrock. And this shamrock has weathered many a trial: from kids to cats to cross country moves and excessively hard water, this plant has been through it all. […]
A More Gentlemanlike Manner 