tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54255852011-07-30T16:30:52.590-04:00Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.comBlogger2321100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-33621522713696680412010-07-14T21:46:00.000-04:002010-07-14T21:46:26.464-04:00

Hello all!  Darby O'Shea has moved on to prettier pastures!  Find us (as always) by typing www.darbyoshea.com or by going to www.darbyoshea.wordpress.com.  There you'll find new RSS links and an email subscription option! 

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-36814848015277942822010-07-07T17:18:00.001-04:002010-07-07T17:18:54.531-04:00

Hey there.  It's Ms. Late to the Party telling you to do That Thing Everyone Else Was Already Doing Anyway. But seriously, on the off chance that one of my fair readers hasn't heard of garlic scapes yet (despite their recent media saturation), go forth and find some!  They're just going out of season now (in New England) but if you can still find some at the markets, they're quite surprising and

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-47873350171091622542010-07-01T21:20:00.000-04:002010-07-01T21:20:43.108-04:00

You may know that I'm teaching this summer.  To reward myself for being so productive I've been planning for months to buy myself my very first Digital SLR.  I love shooting film and this won't be the end of that habit, but it'll be nice to add some slightly better photos to the blog.  And one can't underestimate the power of instant gratification, which one gets less of with film.  (In fact, the

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-75946009706482198152010-06-30T07:54:00.000-04:002010-06-30T07:54:03.498-04:00

In which the talented Mr. takes a photo of mine and writes a bit of story to go with it.  This week’s post is part of a larger story, previous chapters of which you can read here and here. Faber is in Germany investigating the final years in the life of Charles D. Thornton, an American ex-pat detective author. *        *        * He moved slowly along the cobbled street. The scrap of paper in

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-46871533059505518202010-06-28T15:46:00.000-04:002010-06-28T15:46:38.812-04:00

It's a little late in the month, I know, but it's time for our June Cake Craze.  If you're my Facebook friend (or real life friend, for that matter), you know that my mom and dad have gone into business baking and selling cupcakes at a couple of local farmers' markets (in Indiana, alas, or I would be getting in on that action).  Anyway, seeing the gorgeous things they've been turning out has

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-43751642664022331482010-06-16T14:53:00.002-04:002010-06-16T15:29:46.093-04:00

I'm terribly afraid that we're nearing the end of strawberry season around here and I'm still hoping to find myself a cheap and tasty flat of berries out of which to make preserves, but just in case, here's what happened at the beginning of strawberry season. When I high-tailed it to the first farmers markets of the season a few weeks ago and saw beautiful strawberries mounded up and just

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-27888465206001382412010-06-12T09:00:00.000-04:002010-06-12T09:00:00.293-04:00

Just a few photos today from another cross-processed roll.  Fig. 1. Lilies of the Valley. Fig. 2. Dress form. Fig. 3. Bar Stool.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-47747473440458377572010-06-11T12:55:00.001-04:002010-06-16T15:30:19.983-04:00

Apparently I've been on hiatus for a while.  That was unintentional.  Anyway I'm back now and have a little news! As you know, I'm pretty crazy about dogs, especially a little fluffy white one named Lucy.  She's been the pride and joy of my little domestic sphere since she joined my family in December of 2006.  Now she's getting ready to turn four and acting more like an adult dog than a puppy

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-22882648358174345082010-05-28T08:44:00.001-04:002010-05-28T08:45:17.946-04:00

In which the talented Mr. writes a brief story based on one of my photos.  This week’s story is taken from the diaries of Charles D. Thornton, American expat detective author living in Berlin. I first met Albert ten years ago. His shop was on Oranienstrasse, a street which at that time was little more than a Turkish residential neighbourhood with the occasional bar full of artistically attired

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-69451517446831457322010-05-27T11:27:00.002-04:002010-06-16T15:30:47.423-04:00

Most mornings I wake up with fuzzy eyes and a slightly aching head, both of which nasty symptoms disappear within about a half hour of my first cup of coffee.  Needless to say, I don't accomplish much in that first, oh, forty-five minutes of the day.  Some mornings, though, I wake up hungry but patient and a little inspired. Such was the case on one of the early brilliant spring mornings a few

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-35939694356685522722010-05-26T10:20:00.000-04:002010-05-26T10:20:00.634-04:00

It's summer and the weather makes me feel disinclined to cook or write or do anything of use.  So today I'll give you a self-indulgent photo post.  These are from a trip I took with the Whole Family back in 2006.  We were on a cruise and spent a day in Barbados, which I found poetic.  Hope you enjoy.  Back soon with food. Fig. 1. Ragged Point Light. Fig. 2. Doorways and windows, Ragged Point

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-19728899648698498522010-05-20T18:04:00.002-04:002010-06-16T15:31:19.795-04:00

As you may know, I'm a grad student at a large university in the Boston Area (names obscured to protect the innocent and guilty).  As such, my income comes from teaching an array of classes, some language classes, some literature classes. This past semester I was the head teaching assistant for a very large class about Childhood Literature.  My responsibilities in this role involved wrangling

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-5096103885838166002010-05-18T20:53:00.001-04:002010-06-16T15:32:52.258-04:00

Last weekend we were invited to a bourbon tasting at our friends Sam and Andrea's house.  We're in a bit of a bourbon phase - delicious stuff, that - so we were really excited to go.  When I asked Andrea (that's her below, with all those little cups of bourbon) what I should bring, she requested something bready and filling to sop up some of the four different bourbons we tried that night.  I had

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-32741622216333860032010-05-15T15:39:00.000-04:002010-05-15T15:39:59.022-04:00

Fig 1.  Strawberry season.  In this case, strawberries with piping hot oatmeal and brown sugar. Fig 2.  Bright bright bright morning sun. Back soon with many many new recipes.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-33131092979636667382010-05-10T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-16T15:34:00.148-04:00

Last fall, as you know, I picked a bumper crop of Concord Grapes (with my friend Christine's help) from my back yard.  We made a big big batch of grape jelly out of about 1/3 of that crop and I stuck the rest of them in the freezer.  Last week, I started getting fed up with having the freezer full of grapes and so I decided to make some grape sorbet. It turns out it was really really easy to do

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-38967763023032014512010-05-07T10:43:00.001-04:002010-06-16T15:34:17.246-04:00

I'm not much of a bread baker.  Not for lack of interest or desire, but because of an insurmountable laziness (I know the 5-minute books are meant to be great, but really?  Five minutes a day?).  It seems like I would have to really overcome inertia to get some starter started.  And I'm probably never going to get it together enough to get up in the morning and bake the bread I started the night

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-90220545879988056472010-05-06T20:50:00.002-04:002010-05-06T20:53:04.932-04:00

In a new feature, we collaborate with Daniel Le Ray. I'll pick one of my photographs for the talented Mr. to be inspired by and to write on.  The tectonic rumble of tracks against wheels complemented the music beating against Alice's eardrums. The sky was reddening a little, ready to break out into sunshine once the typical Berlin morning haze abated. But for now it was content, as was she,

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-6647823677140946172010-05-06T20:38:00.001-04:002010-05-06T20:39:36.254-04:00

Over Christmas last year, my mom made these amazing potato cinnamon rolls.  I ate something like five of them in a day.  They were light, cinnamon-y, and luxurious. I mean, cinnamon rolls are one of my favorite things - you all know how I feel about spice in baked goods; I even like those Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (you know the ones that have an almost marbled-looking crust of cinnamon on top?),

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-29405914701073259492010-05-05T22:17:00.000-04:002010-05-05T22:17:28.563-04:00

It's always nerve-wracking to meet the significant other of a close friend.  So many questions: Will I like her?  Will she like me?  How will this change my friendship with my close friend?  What on earth will happen if we don't get along? It's very easy at times like these to jump to a variety of worst case scenarios, but in my experience, it all works out for the best. I've had a lot of

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-26687254350401599622010-04-30T08:20:00.000-04:002010-04-30T08:20:16.483-04:00

This post has been a long time coming, I realize, but better late than never, right?  As you all know, a few weeks ago, Dan and I went to the Cape for a little getaway.  On the way back, we stopped in Chatham (whoa, that's a rich town) at a friend's suggestion (thanks Jess P.!).  She tipped us off about a LOVELY little pie shop that, really, might be worth the drive from Boston all on its own. 

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-73145971281423004262010-04-29T22:40:00.000-04:002010-04-29T22:40:53.786-04:00

In a new feature, we collaborate with Daniel Le Ray. I'll pick one of my photographs for the talented Mr. to be inspired by and to write on.  It hadn’t been the pain that he liked, but the sympathy. Even as a child. Crawling beneath the splintered oak table in his parents’ kitchen and emitting a howl more befitting mortal injury than a scratched kneecap or stubbed toe. He was the boy who cried

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-12508147325225483622010-04-28T09:00:00.001-04:002010-05-18T21:10:28.878-04:00

Anyone who's ever been in the Jones household during one of my and my sister's visits home knows that my mom loses all sense of proportion in the kitchen, cooking every one of our requests, old favorites, and new recipes that she can cram into a usually already-crammed schedule.  As luck would have it, I have a similar disregard for common sense in cooking and baking and whenever I'm home I join

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-26898055431556865032010-04-26T09:56:00.002-04:002010-04-26T14:28:43.764-04:00

Please pardon the inclusion of approximately forty-two photos in this post.  It may seem excessive, but just assume that the number of photos is directly proportional to the absurd happiness this restaurant made me feel. Fig. 1. Very, very happy. Last week, I had to travel to Lexington, KY for an academic conference (Riveting! Thrilling! Hold on to your hats!) and had the distinct pleasure of my

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-16554036322340918612010-04-21T21:35:00.000-04:002010-04-21T21:35:16.427-04:00

Occasionally you find yourself (by which I mean I find myself) arrested by an outfit, a magazine, a dish, a piece of cake or some other thing that you simply must own. This happened with me several weeks ago when, browsing in a bookstore, I found Barbara Lynch's Stir:Mixing It Up in the Italian Tradition. It's a very pretty book - not fluffy or silly in any way, but also not willfully plain.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-82647651224650354342010-04-19T22:12:00.001-04:002010-04-19T22:12:42.495-04:00

I love those days in early spring when the nascent leaves compensate for their small size and fragility with an aggressive, almost toxic, saturated yellow-green. Against that green the white and pink of little blooms also take on a greenish hue, almost as if trying to fit in with the leaves that will, soon, replace them.Of course, all of a sudden early spring seems to have passed us by! A few

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-16067746550391214432010-03-30T21:19:00.005-04:002010-03-30T22:37:17.636-04:00

This week (and yes, I know it's only Tuesday) has been one of the funkiest (i.e. funk-inducing) in a very long time and I could write something really cutesy and blah blah creativity and cooking blah blah journey of rebirth and discovery blah blah about how these muffins just made everything better.Instead, sometimes you have to remind yourself that we can't all have a pony, pull yourself up by

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-40119848306078406132010-03-28T12:48:00.006-04:002010-04-21T21:40:54.321-04:00

There's something you may not know about me. I am a very selfish sleeper. I hog the covers. I flail around and sprawl diagonally across the bed. I throw elbows and kick randomly in my sleep. Also, I snore and I drool and I sometimes talk in my sleep. I always said that if I ever got married, (which was such an improbability that surely I needn't even worry about it) I would want my own

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-72361625746828644852010-03-26T22:17:00.000-04:002010-03-26T22:17:39.278-04:00

Last week was my spring break and Dan's birthday (cake to come), so we ran away to Cape Cod. This is what we saw there. Slatted fences nestled in between dunes towering over steep beaches and crashing waves.Sine waves appearing in crossing sea waves.Blowing grass and orange light with blue water in the background.Sundog and jetstreams in the waning light of the afternoon. Local teens

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-32768815127876542412010-03-16T14:37:00.005-04:002010-04-21T21:42:04.986-04:00

I'm always reluctant to accept compliments on my cooking if I've cooked from a recipe. I mean, It's one thing to be able to follow a recipe and another entirely to be able to make a recipe or to cook entirely without one. Right? Usually when I wholly depart from recipes, it's while cooking something like a stew or a dish that resembles something I've made before. When it comes to baking? Oh,

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-30193652035853293272010-03-15T11:50:00.002-04:002010-03-15T12:00:52.858-04:00

I've been trying to catch up with film processing and scanning - I had amassed a pile of a dozen or so undeveloped rolls and I'm working my way through. Last night I uncovered some very happy shots from August and October. The August roll almost fell victim to an accidental exposure situation (owing to a camera's dead battery) but luckily I salvaged the shots that were already exposed. They

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-19375483472635048802010-03-14T17:13:00.000-04:002010-03-14T17:14:57.715-04:00

I grew up going to church ice cream socials, eating casseroles, cakes, and ice creams from generations-old recipes. Some of those things weren't too tasty (I have a particularly strong memory of some dis-GUST-ing meatballs), but some flavors from those rambling dinners stay with me. One that comes to mind (and one I'm going to try very soon) is a particular kind of ice cream that was made by one

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-39791904728583761272010-03-07T18:06:00.212-05:002010-03-08T00:02:59.452-05:00

12:02: Well, that wraps it up. On to the after parties, which I will not be liveblogging.12:00: Also, it's great that it wasn't a big studio picture for once. It had been a while.11:59: With absolutely no fanfare, it's The Hurt Locker! Restoring my faith in the Academy for another year.11:58: Captain Douchey was just shaking his head and frowning at Kathryn Bigelow. Perhaps she should have

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-10272268281402431832010-03-07T10:38:00.004-05:002010-03-07T11:46:34.946-05:00

I'll be back this evening with the official Darby O'Shea liveblog (hooray!), but first, let's get our little brains going about what to expect tonight.The FashionGabourey Sidibe: She's famously plus-sized and doesn't seem to fit into either category of 'flaunt it' or 'self-flagellate because of it,' a fact which is refreshing in and of itself. However however will Hollywood dress a fat girl for

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-8468305776769747902010-03-01T21:31:00.001-05:002010-03-02T21:27:45.008-05:00

Dan and I watched Up a few nights ago. Besides it being an utterly brilliant and moving film, it reminds me of all the reasons I'm so glad I'm in a relationship with such a lovely, talented man. However, it also reminds me of one thing I always thought would be part of my life that has failed to materialize. I'm talking about adventure - and the movie (while the first few minutes do remind you

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-37318395577818995982010-02-22T21:24:00.004-05:002010-02-22T21:50:28.001-05:00

When I was little, there were a few meals that inspired dread in me like nothing else I knew - Stuffed Peppers (which I oddly now crave) and Polynesian Chicken (which I still loathe to think of) come to mind. There were other meals (Spaghetti Casserole, Chili, Pasta) that would, without fail, improve a bad mood or turn a proverbial frown, proverbially, upside-down. Another of those, one that my

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-22107011108198710122010-02-22T11:54:00.004-05:002010-02-22T12:37:28.289-05:00

This week, my dear friend K gave me a whole pile of castoff cookbooks (how could anyone abandon so many cookbooks!) to pick through and keep what I liked. As you all know, I'm a sucker for crusty old cookbooks with odd titles and odder illustrations. The musty smell and crumbly texture of old cookbooks and the pages that have clearly been best-loved make me very, very happy.The books ranged

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-18127923752052823602010-02-11T10:39:00.000-05:002010-02-11T10:41:00.769-05:00

Mr. McQueen, we shall miss ye.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-75755801791545159442010-02-09T23:10:00.002-05:002010-02-09T23:16:42.439-05:00

.......................................................................................It was a takeout night tonight, so I haven't got any recipes to share. Instead, here are some photos. I've been spending a good deal of time developing and tweaking photos the last few days, which is always very satisfying. Most enjoyable was the opportunity to take some adorable baby photos (My friends'

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-16401362641330116932010-02-08T10:33:00.002-05:002010-02-08T10:43:37.957-05:00

Yesterday I developed film for the first time in a LONG time. Here are some shots from a random December roll of film. Kodak TMax 100. Sprint chemistry. Lovely fine grain. I'm going to attempt to make this (developing and photo posting) a regular habit. No point in letting chemistry sit around and go bad. Also, it's a big part of the New Creativity. Fig. 1. Dan at Hi Rise Bakery in

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-77422068489613715292010-02-04T10:43:00.003-05:002010-04-21T21:43:50.231-04:00

"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-77143209869850212792010-01-28T10:09:00.004-05:002010-01-28T10:37:26.303-05:00

Before we start, Happy Birthday to my dear mother! Go read her brand-new baby blog!I got this great present for Christmas - my mom and I both have copies of 660 Curries and I was lamenting just before the holidays that I wanted to cook more things from it, but I never have the right spices on hand (or enough cash in hand to stock up). So my parents made a list of all the spices I could need,

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-37796212650677615952010-01-22T07:00:00.001-05:002010-01-22T07:00:10.848-05:00

Oatmeal.I've always loved breakfast food - pancakes, waffles, scrambled eggs (as a kid, less so as an adult), muffins, bagels, and I've documented my deep love of biscuits and gravy more than once. Oatmeal, however, is a pretty new addition to my breakfast routine, but, oh, it's entrenched. It's not going anywhere.I enjoyed oatmeal for the first time in college - it was one breakfast food that

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-68991772275497820962010-01-21T11:07:00.006-05:002010-01-21T18:43:20.952-05:00

It's cocoon-busting time around here at Darby O'Shea. Sure, January 1 was the beginning of the new year and September is really the beginning of the new School Year, but January 25 is the beginning of the new Semester. I've been holed up for the last few weeks, all but hiding from the world and recharging before things get started next week.The break between semesters has been lovely as just

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-39484731482145033342010-01-17T17:55:00.176-05:002010-01-17T23:02:17.094-05:00

11:01: And with that, good night, lovelies.11:00: The show ends on time for once. All in all VERY bland. No one too excited or too funny or anything. Meh. The Oscars will be better. They have to be.10:58: He's like James May crossed with Mrs. Bates.10:57: I DO NOT LIKE JAMES CAMERON. WHAT A SLIMY SMUG LUMP.10:56: ARE THEY FREAKING KIDDING ME? I thought it was pretty generally accepted

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-1193376884452195022010-01-07T21:08:00.002-05:002010-01-07T21:25:21.982-05:00

My lovely husband bought me a scanner for Christmas. This means that I can finally dive into scanning my old negatives (a project I started back in Summer) at home! It also means that I can take, develop, and scan all my own black and white photos. It's awesome. This means that I've gotten to revisit some delicious old images and I thought I'd share some with you. The image above is one of my

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-43447449473498850582010-01-04T22:14:00.008-05:002010-01-06T10:24:23.392-05:00

Bear with me, this is going to be a long one.Another new year, and so many new projects I want to undertake. Being still in school, the January to January calendar doesn't mean a whole lot to me. However, I like the chance at a second chance, midway through the academic year. As you may have noticed, I like taking stock and making grand plans - regardless of whether I live up to them or

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-32830768816103292622009-12-23T22:52:00.003-05:002009-12-23T22:57:37.769-05:00

We've arrived back home for the holidays, safe and sound after a wrinkle-free travel day. As ever, we hit the ground running when we arrived, heading immediately to the Mexican Restaurant of my dreams, then to finish shopping, then home to BAKE with my mother. The difference this time is that we got up at 3 AM, Eastern Time and haven't stopped moving since. Awesome.It seems she took on a small

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-82068204017169170512009-12-22T20:32:00.002-05:002009-12-22T20:44:02.516-05:00

Today we have another lame post because I've been flitting about present shopping and cleaning the apartment and packing up my little suitcase and getting ready to fly HOME tomorrow.Home is, of course, a relative term these days, but around the holidays, home means Indiana. And the good news about a lame post today is that starting tomorrow, I'll be in the land of outlandish cooking projects and

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-39743618663801556612009-12-21T15:58:00.004-05:002009-12-21T22:57:34.429-05:00

I underestimated the amount of energy this blogging-every-day-thing was going to require. Snow-induced malaise combined with end-of-semester grading (DONE NOW, FINALLY) have dragged me away from the computer. I hope you'll forgive the delinquency of the last couple days, but when the world finds itself covered in a foot thick blanket of powdery white and I'm in the mood to watch Christmas

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-34299696262366845312009-12-20T14:08:00.002-05:002009-12-20T14:12:38.913-05:00

As you all know by now, the WORLD IS ENDING on the East Coast. For people who are "used to snow" they're acting like a bunch of pansies. I mean, a foot is a lot of snow for one night, but this is BOSTON, people. Anyway. I'm holed up and not going out today except to walk Lucy, who enjoys the snow more than most people I know. See the video above for evidence.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-38709528729447874332009-12-19T00:05:00.002-05:002009-12-19T00:07:45.789-05:00

But it's so cold outside...

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-16688040229572182722009-12-17T20:36:00.002-05:002009-12-17T21:12:28.367-05:00

I know, I know, you're all so sick of hearing about the party. But this recipe was SO good I just made another batch of it. So it's not just a party-recipe.I've always had a giant-sized sweet tooth and have traditionally eaten candy of various sorts until I feel very ill every Christmas. My parents always set out dishes of M&M's (both peanut and plain - separately, because everyone's a purist

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-28238355367359290362009-12-16T09:00:00.001-05:002009-12-16T09:00:05.781-05:00

One exciting thing about the little party I hosted on Saturday (and I promise, we can move on to other topics as soon as I've gotten through all the recipes from Saturday!) was that I was trying a LOT of new things.As you all know, following recipes is not my forte and my preferred food is pretty casual. I like foods that come in lumps, and not neat stacks or slices or curls. I like food best

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-58286258193524796752009-12-15T09:47:00.000-05:002009-12-15T09:47:42.830-05:00

On Saturday there was soft golden light, about a dozen lighted candles, the murmur of the Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack filling in the occasional pause in conversation, and piles of sweet (and a few savory) treats. A couple dozen close friends crowded into our warm little house and the memory of that sweet evening will keep me toasty for months, I think.What kept us warm that night was not

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-91868443275775345402009-12-14T19:52:00.004-05:002009-12-14T20:03:41.034-05:00

I hope you're all warm and happy today. It's an unseasonably warm day here and after a long morning catching up with a good friend and a longer afternoon grading essays, all I've got the capacity for is a few photos. Hope you enjoy.Figure 1. Hi Rise Window.Figure 2. Holiday lights in the rain, Harvard Square.Figure 3. State House and holiday lights, Boston Common.Figure 4. Balcony view,

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-60191321875773578722009-12-13T22:56:00.003-05:002009-12-13T23:06:01.053-05:00

I have many, many recipes and stories to share from our lovely little party last night, but right now, I'm too tired and too full of latkes from Jess and Eli's little party to get into all that. One thing I made for the Par-tay was very simple: cheese straws. These little snacks are delicious, look way more impressive than they ought to, and are a snap to make.Here's what you do. Buy some

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-74520889449462821312009-12-11T23:05:00.003-05:002009-12-11T23:13:01.487-05:00

Getting myself and my kitchen ready for guests tomorrow. If you're not coming, now would be the time to start feeling sorry for yourself. Tonight I've...Made Vanilla Caramel - which will be cut into tiny bites and dipped into chocolate tomorrow.Made Cookie Dough for Bowtie Cookies - to be assembled and baked tomorrow.Made Cookie Dough for Ginger Sandwich Cookies - to be baked and assembled

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-68733555399874434942009-12-10T21:00:00.003-05:002009-12-10T21:06:09.050-05:00

Tomorrow begins party prep, so today just a little note. Here's one of my favorite brief passages from literature about cooking, from one of my favorite books EVER.From Possession, By A.S. Byatt:"When he got home that evening he could smell that Val was in a mood. The basement was full of the sharp warmth of frying onions, which meant she was cooking something complicated. When she was not in

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-78106027161313979392009-12-09T22:00:00.047-05:002009-12-09T23:00:10.911-05:00

10:59 PM: When's the next season?10:58 PM: Well, that was obvious. He was obviously really great all the way through. Crazy creative, absurdly talented, but I just don't like him, don't really like the sound of a lot of his food, and think he should have been nicer to his brother. 10:57 PM: Brothers are the last two standing. Bryan is STILL so much nicer.10: 56 PM: Moment of Truth: NO!

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-12608629391751461792009-12-08T19:47:00.004-05:002009-12-08T20:12:49.848-05:00

This post has nothing to do with the holidays, for which I hope you'll forgive me. However, the holidays are always going to be intertwined with thoughts about love and mawiage. You see, I just had my birthday and my Second First Anniversary is coming up in just a few weeks, which is very exciting.(For those not in the know, our First First Anniversary commemorated our first, civil ceremony in

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-23683152319588777262009-12-08T14:45:00.002-05:002009-12-08T14:47:59.936-05:00

I feel the need to share with you all a discovery I made yesterday while re-watching Love Actually (yes, I was supposed to be grading, but I wasn't).The scene where the weedy cater-waiter flies to Wisconsin in the hopes of meeting a cheerful, amenable American girl? Those three sort of slutty girls the cater-waiter meets? One of them is January "Betty Draper" freaking Jones. What?!That is all.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-64459686121092559552009-12-07T14:36:00.002-05:002009-12-07T14:44:45.633-05:00

One of the curious things about shooting film is the delay. The film always comes back a week later and, unless I've shot the whole roll in one go, which doesn't happen often anymore, the beginning is already dated. So, here are a few photos, late, but hopefully you'll enjoy them all the same.1. Montague Book Mill2. Trees3. Footpath4. Thanksgiving: corn souffle5. Thanksgiving: pecan pie6.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-46767296033605973072009-12-06T17:03:00.002-05:002009-12-06T17:11:37.786-05:00

Happy St. Nicholas Day to you all! I hope you found your shoes full of candy and sweets and good things this morning. Today just a photo, because I've been holed up at Hi Rise grading papers and sipping tea instead of skipping around like the manic elf I've been the last few days. As a reward for getting work done, I bought a Christmas tree! Given that we're apartment-dwellers (with a rather

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-52806456012250622482009-12-05T23:33:00.003-05:002009-12-05T23:44:27.091-05:00

As a rule, I don't trust sweet recipes from anyone who is considerably thinner than myself. Giada De Laurentiis falls into this category, and while I think she knows how to cook just fine, I wonder why she doesn't eat a little more, sometimes. Anyway, this is all to explain why I was so surprised to discover one of my favorite cookie recipes is by her! Giada's Apricot and Nut cookies with

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-56243199401899258602009-12-05T20:49:00.002-05:002009-12-05T20:52:10.770-05:00

Hello all - I'm in the process of baking cookies and decorating the apartment. A real post is coming yet tonight, but this should tide you over. As I was hanging lights around the apartment, Lucy was both curious and a little uncertain about them. This is what that emotion looks like on a cute little puppy face.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-69145607063094798202009-12-04T08:01:00.000-05:002009-12-04T08:01:29.908-05:00

Today is my day of birth, as some of you know, and I'm out celebrating. But I thought I'd leave you with a couple of the gifts I'm sending out to the Euorpean contingent - Wiebke, shut your eyes! (Not really. You already know about this one.)While I was home over Thanksgiving, I was struck by a mood. My mom took me to the cake decorating store (!) and I ran into a display of LorAnn Gourmet

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-41052719146884339662009-12-03T12:53:00.003-05:002009-12-03T14:04:16.521-05:00

Positively everyone who's anyone in the blogosphere is doing a Holiday Gift Guide this year. This is great because it makes my shopping easier. These lists are LOADED with great ideas. For men, particularly slightly geeky ones.For food lovers, via Stone Soup.For spice lovers, via The Perfect PantryFor those with good, varied taste via Blue Jean Gourmet.For daring cooks, via The Daring

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-80828329891752684262009-12-02T23:22:00.003-05:002009-12-02T23:45:46.701-05:00

Part IA few weeks ago Christine and I were canning cranberries. In an attempt to make jellied cranberries, we ended up with a few jars of cranberry goop. It's quite delicious, but not of a very useful consistency. Tonight I had the idea of using it to coat the rim of a cocktail glass. I turned to my trusty standbys - apple juice and bourbon - to fill the glass and topped it off with a little

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-23424398358507128812009-12-01T20:22:00.007-05:002009-12-01T20:57:59.100-05:00

I'm having a hard, hard time believing it's December already - not least of all because the ground still hasn't frozen and there are still leaves on some trees. In fact, today I was walking past a poor, confused cherry tree that was bursting into bloom. Has it been warm enough for that? (Mind you, I am not complaining! Viva la warm weather!) Furthermore, this being the week in which I turn

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-52030868655693021222009-11-30T17:12:00.001-05:002009-11-30T17:13:35.537-05:00

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-66751305828349356162009-11-26T11:02:00.013-05:002009-11-26T19:02:45.165-05:00

6:02 PM - Mission accomplished.3:09 PM - First rounds of eights out of the oven. Fluffy and delicious.2:51 PM - Turkey done, stuffing done, corn souffle done, first round of eights in the oven, gravy done.1:56 PM - Beans blanched, ginger grated, bacon being chopped, turkey at 140°, stuffing and corn casserole in oven, potatoes for mashing on the stove. Eights rising.1:11 PM - T-2 hours,

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-19246460291940855232009-11-24T09:16:00.005-05:002009-11-24T09:42:24.881-05:00

Back in October, Dan and I took Lucy on a little road trip out to Northampton (as you know) and, for once, we got to Smith in time to see the last of the golden Valley Light flowing away over the hill. If you've been there in the late afternoon, you know the light I'm talking about - it's as bright and focused as a spotlight, but honey colored and strangely soft at the same time. It's perfect

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-20746943620964610622009-11-20T22:26:00.006-05:002009-12-01T21:51:33.167-05:00

Recipe: Pumpkin Bourbon Spice Cheesecake with Bourbon Mascarpone Whipped CreamLet this be known: I do not buy into the phenomenon of coy female food guilt. I don't feel guilty about feeding myself good things. I don't feel guilty about eating sweets when they're around. If I do happen to binge a little (like the run-in I had with a pack of Oreos earlier this week), I don't make myself feel

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-19952735109627767492009-11-17T21:47:00.008-05:002009-11-18T12:49:06.736-05:00

A few weeks ago, Dan and I went to the Brattle Book Shop in search of cool old books and I hit the Mother Lode. (I mean, the real mother lode was upstairs in the rare book room where they had a first edition of Ulysses among many other drool-worthy items, but I liked my bargain basement find a lot.) I found the 1950 Gourmet Magazine Cookbook and the second Volume, from 1957. Since the magazine

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-35206365469338240702009-11-14T17:35:00.004-05:002009-11-14T17:39:49.238-05:00

1. Santa Maria in Cosmedin, Rome, 2. Cat & Car, 3. Rome, 4. Piazza Navona - Fontana dei quattro fiumiMore here. Also, more to come.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-79843145781427842352009-11-11T13:28:00.004-05:002009-11-11T14:26:55.337-05:00

I'm realizing that a lot of the cooking I do is motivated by a desire to return (at least gastronomically) home, to an earlier time. Most of the recipes that have excited me lately are ones from my childhood, things my mom cooked when we were little and the weather was turning cold.The funny thing is realizing that nostalgic home-time is beginning to extend to include college, a time that I did

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-42965824922597416882009-11-04T20:17:00.003-05:002009-11-04T21:14:14.276-05:00

When it rains, they say, it pours. One raindrop opens a crack and suddenly everything rushes in and you find yourself suddenly inundated. This is true with the Good, but is at least equally as true with the Bad. When you find yourself up to your ankles and sinking fast in late work, missed deadlines, debts piling up, and emails that have long gone unanswered, it's easy to get mired down in

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-63655227268561376592009-11-02T14:02:00.003-05:002009-11-03T16:08:22.573-05:00

Yesterday we did a rather un-November-first activity and went to the beach for one of the last warm days I expect we'll have. We headed up to Manchester-by-the-Sea and chilled out on the beach for a while. My crazy friends went swimming, but Lucy and I stayed safe, dry, and warm on the sand. It was a perfect perfect day. A lovely last-hurrah before Winter.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-34963612990346798802009-10-31T17:09:00.003-04:002009-10-31T17:10:47.067-04:00

Figure 1. Lucy is susceptible to wind.Figure 2. My baby orchid bloomed!

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-63809877670105978622009-10-30T14:19:00.006-04:002009-10-30T15:49:00.309-04:00

When I saw the Five Star Foodie's challenge to make over Macaroni and Cheese, I knew this was the five star makeover for me. As you all know, I have a deep and abiding love of Mac and Cheese. I toyed with a bunch of different options, including an Indian Mac and Cheese with paneer and spices, and a pimped out Mac and Cheese with brie and cranberry chutney, but when I talked to my mom about it,

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-9637292306060651422009-10-29T11:56:00.004-04:002009-10-29T14:15:01.661-04:00

Yes, it's getting colder and yes, it's getting darker. I fully expect the snow to come down any minute and I fully expect to not see the sun again until April - March, if we're lucky. Last week, however, in a last-minute fit of denial, I decided to make the summeriest, most cheerful dessert I could think of: a lemon tart.What you should know: I have a passionate love of desserts that involve

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-42095852964294616952009-10-27T16:27:00.001-04:002009-10-27T16:28:57.489-04:00

If you're into food and have a naughty sense of humor, click on this.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-59849071402459163142009-10-26T15:08:00.004-04:002009-10-26T16:02:11.350-04:00

Fall has a way of making me think too much - about myself, about my work, about silly things and serious things alike. Today there are many, many thoughts percolating in my head and I'm struggling to put them all into words and onto paper. I've been thinking a lot about decay this Fall and trying to square the end of the year and the coming of cold weather and dead leaves with my growing need

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-73361988957591346972009-10-20T09:20:00.002-04:002009-10-20T09:23:46.476-04:00

"I love wearing high heels, I love wearing silk stockings and I love wearing hot pants. In those three, I feel like a Thirties tough girl. If I didn't look in the mirror, I might just mistake myself for Rita Hayworth or Marlene Dietrich. How great is that?"— Yoko Ono. [Daily Express] via JezebelThat's some chutzpah. I need to find something that makes me feel like Marlene Dietrich. Of course,

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-74421099208814480122009-10-19T09:55:00.001-04:002009-10-19T09:57:44.963-04:00

"When I look at digital, the dark side of it for me is the physicality that's being presented alongside the Internet. I think about that movie The Matrix, and about these bodies that are human batteries that support computers. I met this guy who was creating software where you could watch Mad Men and you could chat with your friend while you're watching it, and things would pop up, and facts

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-6933499455666344382009-10-15T22:04:00.000-04:002009-10-15T10:05:05.015-04:00

Last week I was sick. Fevers, aches, stuffed up head, headache, no energy, etc. I won't go into details because if you're halfway smart, you really don't want to know. On Thursday, though, I started to feel a little better. Well enough, anyway, to start craving lots of good-tasting, healthy-making food. So I dragged myself off of the couch and made for the Crock Pot. Potato Soup it would

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-9914902443237036132009-10-12T23:00:00.006-04:002009-10-13T11:15:41.202-04:00

Yesterday, Dan and I and the Little Dog took our annual Fall trip out West to Northampton and environs. We were out for a little leaf-peeping, a little escapism, and a little taste of the Autumn That I'm Having a Hard Time Getting Used To (TM).Fig. 1. Leaves were peeped. Though I didn't get any really spectacular photos of blazing trees or impressionistic hills, I think this fall is the most

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-28181233126923951432009-10-10T09:15:00.001-04:002009-10-10T15:25:27.343-04:00

When a friend gets married, it's one thing. The preparations are all very exciting and the wedding itself great fun. But when one's only sister gets married -- that's something else entirely.And so it was with my dear sister last weekend. She married a lovely, lovely man and, even though I'm not the kind who "always wanted a brother" (I was fine with just one sister, thank you very much), I'm

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-85808444333093583992009-10-08T16:52:00.003-04:002009-10-08T16:55:39.286-04:00

In my efforts to get back into photography, I've started paying more attention to photographers, both Art Photographers and Fashion Photographers, not that I think there should be such a divide. Isn't it just as big an accomplishment to artistically photograph products for consumption (in this case, clothing) as it is to artistically photograph, say, a leaf?Anyway, we'll miss you, Mr. Penn.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-8307144226621813562009-10-08T10:44:00.004-04:002009-10-08T11:25:37.015-04:00

I have a big, whomping, hardcore, two-part post about my sister's wedding and associated festivities in the pipelines, but I also have a big, burly, mean head cold that is making it very difficult to think or write clearly. So, the big, whomping wedding post will have to wait.Yesterday I felt well enough by the evening to be hungry and had just enough energy to stand up and cook myself some

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-53761116467920758482009-09-22T22:21:00.004-04:002009-09-22T22:53:53.958-04:00

Sometimes something terrible happens and, even when everything resolves itself miraculously well, you can see cracks forming in an edifice you had previously held to be unshakable, unchangeable, permanent. Whether you have any warning or not, this kind of occurrence has the power to shake even the most staunchly positive Pollyanna of us all to the core.When these things happen, as they have of

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-41233040092332534982009-09-08T23:04:00.006-04:002009-09-12T18:37:20.901-04:00

**A lot has happened since I began writing this post. I'm sitting in my mom's hospital room now, as I finish it. She's on the mend, but it's been quite a scary few days. So, this post is for my mom, with whom I look forward to many, many years of canning, cooking, and all those good things.I remember many Augusts of my childhood, especially in those early, pre-preschool days, spent as my

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-51787483148147390122009-09-08T08:45:00.003-04:002009-09-08T08:58:52.209-04:00

This is what I woke up to this morning.Granted, I cheated by buying an orchid from IKEA that already had buds (but no blooms!), but I'm convinced that my influence has saved it from languishing in that grim warehouse. This was the thanks I received for rescuing it.That was the pleasant start to my day. How are all of you?

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-57921377659311933162009-09-04T09:11:00.002-04:002009-09-04T09:20:42.850-04:00

First, the Bad. A friend posted this link on Facebook. A school with no books. They've decided to buy 18 Kindles instead. Unless the school only has an enrollment of 18 students, this horrifies me. The students who can't get their hands on a Kindle are meant to read on the internet (or maybe the school expects everyone else's parents to BUY them one - hello class distinction!). Gross. My

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-31800003606382503762009-09-03T22:08:00.004-04:002009-09-03T22:47:15.169-04:00

Well, it's happened. The sun has started to set earlier, there's a distinct chill in the morning air, the apples and pears are coming in, and I expect pumpkins to start appearing everywhere I look. Also, school has started.As such, I've decided to stop worrying about it getting cold and just embrace all that Fall has to offer. Tomorrow I teach my first class of the semester, so it seems like

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-54566547858943964502009-08-31T23:00:00.002-04:002009-08-31T23:11:41.226-04:00

When I went to K and B's wedding a couple weeks ago, I decided to shoot some color film, which is something I hardly ever do, and have never done in the medium format clunker I was warming up. (My preeeecious Mamiya 645e.) The results? Very, very nice. The scanning does detract a little from the color, but I still think they're quite pretty.Of course, it does help to have pretty things around to

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-81020414694950611172009-08-31T09:26:00.002-04:002009-08-31T09:35:08.412-04:00

Yes, they're scrawny and imperfect, but I grew them myself and I love them.Also, they'd better taste DAMN good, since they're clocking in at, oh, about $4,000 a pound.

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-79720137785728650522009-08-24T22:18:00.002-04:002009-08-24T22:47:59.572-04:00

The last few days of Summer are still ahead of us, but with the semester (and teaching duties and looming research) starting next week, I find myself prematurely nostalgic. It seems like just minutes ago that it got warm and only a couple of weeks ago that I finished grading and put away my teaching persona for the year. But today I went and excavated my desk in preparation for another Fall and

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-12818817549241294532009-08-19T10:14:00.003-04:002009-08-19T10:44:46.066-04:00

Yesterday I found myself (after many failed efforts and near-misses) in the same place as a farmer's market at the right time. I had trekked over to campus to use the computer lab (to scan negatives - very exciting), only to find said lab to be closed for the rest of the summer. However! The Harvard Farmer's Market was just setting up and it seemed that everyone had harvested everything all at

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5425585.post-75496202628094988162009-08-17T13:31:00.008-04:002009-08-17T22:22:44.675-04:00

Sometimes it's really hard not to let the little shit get to you. Whether it's a quibble with a spouse or a sibling, creeping dread about much-procrastinated work, or an ongoing battle with various vermin (in my case: mice), it's just really hard sometimes to keep perspective. What do you do to bring yourself back to earth in these situations?I turn to food in any kind of extreme mood (doesn't

Darby O'Sheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02442916260924443168noreply@blogger.com3