It has begun

Monsoon season is finally here.

I woke up last night to flashes of light in my room. Now this is usually due to airplanes, but then I heard something. Thunder.

YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!

Open the blinds. "Oh my gosh, dog, it's raining." We both stood in the window and watched it rain, lightening, and thunder with a fury that no one has seen in 81 days.

That's right! 81 DAYS SINCE IT'S RAINED.

The last day it rained was Saturday, April 9th. It was a very cold day - only 45 degrees outside.
And while yesterday was in no way cold, it was so beautiful to just sit there and listen to the rain and thunder, and watch the lightening through the curtains.

Did you wake up at 4:30 AM and hear the storms?
If not, here's a video I shot in the dark. You can hear the rain as constant fuzz in the background, sometimes hearing the gusts, and then comes the lightening and thunder.

I also tried to take some photos but my camera wasn't really cooperating...

Post lightening

And here's my room being lit up by the lightening

And then from our walk this morning to survey...

Meet Darcy

You may have met her under a different name (Genevieve, Emma, Emmylou, Indiana)...yes, I'm indecisive with names.

I prayed - A LOT - about getting a dog. And God has answered my prayers and unexpectedly given me a lovely creature to live life with :)

It is the dog Susan Park's work found. She's chill (except when you first come to the door because she's only 6 months old), sleeps a lot, and doesn't like to run or walk too much :) Heck yes! Were working on training her right now, which is not my forte, but she's doing alright with it.

As far as the name, there were several constraints. I really wanted to settle on something either Jane Austen, winter, or astronomy related, but it needed to be something pronounceable in both English and Spanish. And after calling her the prior names for a while, I settled on Darcy because of how her appearance reminds me of the outfits he wears. Also, I have a boy's name, so she might as well too :)

very typical of her

She loves her toys

the UK, I mean Great Britain, errr...England!

Another video by the same guy - and yes, he still talks fast. But I found this FASCINATING. And, it's a hint/teaser to the other new addition to my house...

On coffee

Careful - he talks kinda fast

New additions to the house

New additions to the house this summer...

So the mail/bills/papers can be "out" and visible, but not everywhere

In the bathroom I used growing up, we had a medicine cabinet behind you, in addition to the mirror above the sink. It was very convenient for see what the back of your hair looked like, so I put a hinge on this mirror so it can help me with such items.

Some herbs! Mint, Cinnamon basil, and Lemon thyme (with the little statue my great-aunt Joan gave me-cute!)

And Rosemary - in it's own pot so it doesn't take over

And one more new addition coming soon...

Happy Summer

In all of my not-craziness of laying around watching Jane Austen movies, I forget to wish everyone an official "Happy Summer!" Yesterday was June 21st, the official summer solstice.

Sol + stice derives from a combination of Latin words meaning "sun" + "to stand still". As the days lengthen, the sun rises higher and higher until it seems to stand still in the sky. As a major celestial event, the Summer Solstice results in the longest day and the shortest night of the year. The Northern Hemisphere celebrates in June, but the people on the Southern half of the earth have their longest summer day in December.

In the spirit of things, here's a picture from Stonehenge which was designed to align with the sun on the summer solstice.

Here's what's happening from space:

Those in the Northern Hemisphere, who are tilted toward the sun during the day, are experiencing their summer solstice. Those in the Southern Hemisphere are experiencing their winter solstice.

We are in the position of the first Earth from the left.

HAPPY SUMMER! In case you doubt it, go outside. It's a whopping 107 today here in Tucson :/

Cafe Aqui - Closest coffee shop to the south side

In fact, it actually is closer to "South Tucson" than I am. South Tucson is actually a small little village inside of Tucson - like the Vatican is a separate city inside of Rome. I, in fact, do not live in South Tucson, though people always think I do. I am much farther south than South Tucson.

...just to clarify that...

I've been thinking about coffee shops, because it's not exactly a part of south side culture, and I found this coffee shop that's much closer to here near of 6th Ave and 22nd.

It was a very random experience...

They put on a record when I got there

Met this random, awesome lady who wanted to trade clothes with me

Dang good espresso

Beisbol en el verano

One of my students plays baseball games on Sunday mornings at the park across the street from my house. It's been fun watching him - he's the catcher.

Also, I'm working on having more control over the layout of my blog...ie-pictures bigger and put exactly where I want them...so fyi things may be a little random...

current love of my life: Bon Iver

As far as music goes, rather than listening to lots of different artists all the time, I tend to get obsessed with a few people, listening to them for months on end.

Well for the past while, it's been Bon Iver...aka Justin Vernon.

His first album "For Emma, Forever Ago" (along with Joshua James) has been the soundtrack to my life for a while now. To add to the awesomeness, his new album, "Bon Iver" is coming out on June 21 - YEAHHHHH! But! The double awesomeness of NPR released a preview of the whole album - DOUBLE YEAHHHHH!!!!!

Here are some teasers from his first album...

He wrote this album at his family's hunting cabin in Wisconsin, to make sense of the video

On summer and iced beverages...

I've decided instead of spending money I don't have on iced lattes and gasoline to reach coffee shops, I'm going to get creative with iced drinks at the house this summer.

Working at the Sage has helped to know how to make iced tea, but it's also extracted some creativity that I didn't know I had (it gets REALLY boring making the same 10 coffee drinks all the time, so every barista begins inventing drinks after a month or so of working). Let the experimenting begin...

When we were in Mexico, Tia Mari served us this AMAZING grapefruit drink, and I HAD TO HAVE IT. We went down the tienda, and I bought 9 packs of Toronja Zuko mix.

Right now I'm currently drinking that, with mint leaves and lime juice - yyyyyuuuuuuuuuummmmmm.

The fridge with iced coffee (a basic and must-have), iced tea, and toronja Zuko.



As far as tea, I bought this Hopi tea, and turns out it's a great iced tea. Tastes kind of like chamomile. Boiled 3 bundles and added 1/2 c of sugar....yum x2.


This is the package if you are around 3061 N. Campbell Avenue.



And here's what the tea ends up looking like. Quite the lovely color and great with mint.

La casa finalmente

The house God has so generously given me

View from the back glass door of the main room


From the middle of the room


My mom brought these bomb chairs from indiana - i love the rivets!





I'm such a details person so the rug with the curtains above it makes me ever so happy


Coffee bags will go here


Awesome chest from Indo and a painting my great-grandmother bought here in Tucson in the 60's


From the living room into the kitchen


My mom wanted me to feel at home (if you didn't know I grew up in an Amish town)


The kitchen from the bar


Kitchen and laundry room


Got these fun knobs instead of boring white ones


Dishtowel from Anthropologie


The awesome tile by Jose! and view to the bedrooms


1st bathroom, which I may wash over with a more sage color


Guest bedroom - that turquoise door will eventually be over the bed


Multi-purpose room. For kids to play, studying, playing music, grading, etc.


My room! I was very stoked because it turned out exactly like I wanted it :)


My grandma made the lamps and the comforter, and my great grandpa actually made the table on the right


Antique dresser, plant from Emily, and "commissioning towel"


My bathroom

Card from store in Vermont ironically named because it's what the kids and friends have often called me

We had doorknobs like these at my house in Indiana

And to match

Well, that's the photo tour! I've loved being here, but I would also love more visitors! Feel free to stop by :)