20 Essential English Idioms

http://www.fluentu.com/english/blog/essential-english-idioms/

Music

That moment when Pandora plays a song that you heard on a TV show - and it's a real, downloadable song! 

http://www.pandora.com/decemberists/crane-wife/sons-daughters

Esparramar

Esparramar = to disperse

Joy

joy
noun
\ˈjȯi\

: a feeling of great happiness
: a source or cause of great happiness : something or someone that gives joy to someone
: success in doing, finding, or getting something

Full definition:

1
a :  the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires :  delight
b :  the expression or exhibition of such emotion :  gaiety

2 :  a state of happiness or felicity :  bliss
3 :  a source or cause of delight

Delightful

de•light•ful 
adjective
 \di-ˈlīt-fəl, dē-\

: very pleasant : giving or causing delight
:  highly pleasing {a delightful surprise}

{It has been delightful meeting you.}
{That was a delightful party.}

First known use: circa 1530

[source]

Balcony Update

It is only July, and the mums are starting to bloom! 

The birds have always enjoyed dining on my balcony, especially now that I've been providing a new kind of bird seed. It contains bits of fruit and sunflower seeds which end up scattered all over the balcony and in the potted plants. Months and one new pot later, I have 2 beautiful sunflower plants about to bloom!

My dad gave me something called a Flower Rocket for my birthday. It's a rolled up material full of seeds that you plant and water every day. Soon, you end up with several types of flowers in one spot. They start out pretty small:

And then they really get going! (Note: the petunias were planted separately and are not part of the flower rocket.)

Here are a couple of the mystery flowers that have bloomed from the Flower Rocket so far:

This blue one is one of my favorites! It grows in the countryside along country roads, but I have no idea what its name is. 

Then there's this dainty little plant whose bloom is less than an inch across. 

Dashing

The first of a series I'd like to start called: "Words to Revive".

dash·ing
adjective
of a man or a man's appearance : attractive and impressive in a way that shows confidence

1 :  marked by vigorous action :  spirited {a dashing young horse}
2 :  marked by smartness especially in dress and manners

[source]

Whenever Photo 7.8.2014

Huron River & Kayak
Taken 7/8/2014

Whenever Photo 7.6.2014

Can you find the caterpillar? 

Simpson Garden Park, Bowling Green, Ohio
Taken 7/5/2014

This angle may help you see him!

Simpson Garden Park, Bowling Green, Ohio
Taken 7/5/2014

4th of July Ohio Road Trip

4th of July weekend this year meant a mini road trip into Ohio. First up, fireworks in Bowling Green, Ohio. 

Then, a car ride with a friend's pup, Bandit, to the town of Celina, Ohio. 

Lake St. Mary

(click to see larger photo)

The World's Largest Man-Made Bass

Our friend's chickens...

Then, a trip around the farm on a Gator. 

Got to spend some quality time with the pup. 

Then played outside on the swing set and trampoline!

Balcony Garden Update

Yard sale finds summer of 2014

In May, I ran across a large yard sale offering plastic outdoor tables for free (above left). I decided to give it a try since we were looking for a table for our balcony. It turns out that plastic tables on a second floor balcony aren't such a great idea during a windy thunderstorm. Plus, the table is the wrong size to really be functional on a shallow balcony.
In June, I came across another yard sale around the corner from our apartment building which had a beautiful iron baking rack shelf on display. It just happened to be the perfect, last item we needed for our balcony. It not only looks nice against the brick wall, but serves a purpose: It's a great place to store extra pots, potting soil, and the little broom I use to sweep up after the birds sprinkle the balcony with birdseed.

First Convolvulus bloom (dwarf morning glory), June 2014

Petunias blooming in June 2014, seeds planted indoors in April

Ann Arbor

2013 presented me with an opportunity to move to a new city with a great guy. We arrived with our things in mid-July and settled into our spacious and centrally located apartment in Ann Arbor. Immediately, I latched on to the Portuguese Meetup group in the area and started to have some regular hang-out-and-speak-Portuguese outings. Through Meetup (the Portuguese group and others), I've made some good friends in the area. They've shown me around quite a bit and introduced me to the neat things there are in town!

Sticker on a bridge railing in Ann Arbor

We had a beautiful (however short) fall season, complete with beautiful shades of yellows, oranges, and reds on every horizon. A friend, her daughter, and I took a day trip through small towns to visit the Frankenmuth area to find an apple orchard, pumpkin patch, and corn maze. The temperatures were great for walking to work and around town.

When I first arrived in Ann Arbor, Michigan from southeastern Ohio last summer, many Michiganders joked with me that the winters here last 9 months and they are worse than what I've experienced. I had arrived with little-to-no expectations regarding the winter, and decided to expect the worse based on the jokes. However, by the time January and February rolled around and we had experienced two polar vortexes, even the Michiganders started to complain about the worst winter they have ever seen. We had quite a bit of snowfall. So much, that we had to keep snow shovels in our cars so we could dig ourselves out of our apartment's parking lot if we needed to go anywhere. One day, the snow between the cars was all the way up to the top of my thighs! Temperatures stayed in the single digits and the teens for what seemed like forever, with those polar vortexes kicking it up a notch (-40ºF at their worst!), making the walking plus public transit commute into work interesting. There was so much ice on the sidewalks for a while that you couldn't even SEE the pavement underneath! Let's just say, I had to walk much slower and with smaller steps for a few weeks. I feel like I should personally thank those who actually kept their sidewalks clear and safe!

Kayaking on the Huron River

Before I knew it, winter started to fade away as we had less and less nights with temperatures below freezing. I bought some pots, dirt, and seeds to start my balcony planters inside in April (even though at that time it was still much too cold to keep them outside). Finally, in June, we had our first warm, sunny, Saturday and a group of friends decided to kayak on the Huron River. Great fun! In addition to sporty outdoor activities, there are also quite a bit of live music shows all summer long. I can't wait to see what else this summer has in store!

First Blooms of the Season

First tomato bloom of the season
mid-June 2014

Alyssum blooms
mid-June 2014

Scented Geranium (aka Citronella)
mid-June 2014

Coffee Brews: RoosRoast Coffee's Rich French Neighbor

Balcony Garden 2014

2014 5k Race #1: Shamrocks and Shenanigans

On a Sunday in March 2014, I completed my first 5k race of the year. It was a cold morning, but I had the company of a friend to distract me along the way.

2014:
Bib: #1305
Category: Ages 25-29
Net Time: 51:30
Overall Position: 1812
Category Position: 170
Gender Position: 1086

Whenever Photo 3.17.2014

Frost on Leaves in the Morning Light

Whenever Photo 3.4.2014

Hay peeking up through the frozen snow; December 2013; Martins Ferry, Ohio

Whenever Photo 3.4.2014

It's almost hard to believe that we haven't seen the grass since December.