Moving on...

What does one do when the house has been remodeled, updated, beautified, and completed? Why, sell it, of course! (Or at least try, given this uncertain economic and housing climate.)

We have had our purchase offer accepted on a dream property. Perhaps it is more like someone else's nightmare, but we are very excited about it!

We have a unique opportunity to simultaneously downsize, get great loan terms, maximize our location, and renovate another old house. We have discussed all of those desirable goals in the past, and this complete package just sort of fell into our laps. If it's really an open door, then we know things will work out with our current home. If not, then we probably have our answer!

So, to that end, we have been wrapping up all the finish details here at home. We've interviewed a few realtors and selected a great team to represent us. It should be an interesting process, regardless of the results! More on the new opportunity later...

Better the devil you know...

There is nothing better to make you appreciate what you have than to experience the opposite. I've heard it said that if everyone threw their problems into a pile to pick from, you would always choose your own back again after you saw the options.

I had that moment Friday when I rode a different horse in my morning training. Where Flame is light, sensitive, and hot-tempered, this horse is heavy, dense, and rather dull. Someone joked that he is a cross between a draft horse and a cow. It was an exhausting workout and I never could get him truly round and forward. But it was a good experience since I will now approach Flame with new appreciation and patience!

Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do...

Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. - Newt Gingrich

Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. - Josh Billings

Fall seven times, stand up eight. - Japanese Proverb

Most people never run far enough on their first wind to find out they’ve got a second. - William James

How long should you try? Until. - Jim Rohn

Why do we pursue the thing we do? I was asking myself that this weekend as I hobbled around with a painful blister (from my riding boots), a twisted knee (from being thrown), and a bit of a sunburn (from the unexpectedly warm weather during my ride). Aren't hobbies suppose to be enjoyable?

I have reached several points in my riding where I felt like quitting. Maybe it was no longer fun, or it consumed so much time, or it was just plain hard work. Maybe I plateaued and wasn't making any progress. But I've tried to stick with it and come out the other side.

I think one strong motivator for me is that I always regret giving up gymnastics when I was 12. I had taken lessons for years, but I had reached the point of needing to commit more to it (to move into competition level). For whatever childish reasons, I preferred to quit and spend time playing with the neighborhood kids instead. Of course, I quickly lost my flexibility and upper body strength, and by the time I realized I wanted to get back to gymnastics, it was too late to regain lost ground.

Perhaps I learned a lesson of childhood in spite of myself. Teaching dedication, perseverance, and tenacity in the face of difficulty is one of the chief aims of parents, teachers, and coaches. Maybe someone could have encouraged or pushed me to continue my training. But no one did, so when the regret of quitting hit, I realized I would have to be self-motivated in the future. So when I fall off the horse, I get back on. Not because someone is making me, but because I don't want to ever regret not giving it my all. Not because I want to be a great equestrian one day, but because I want to be the best Sarah I can be.

Work in Progress

I think it's pretty clear that one principle holds true in training any living thing: ask once, then correct if obedience does not follow. We used the technique to the best of our ability in training DaVinci, the dog, and we've had good fruits in all areas where we were diligent.

I'm finding my limits with Flame, the horse, though. Though a beautiful animal, he is too smart for his own good; or, at least, for my good. He spends far too much time and energy figuring out ways to avoid work and difficult situations instead of just cooperating as most horses do.

Dressage and hunter/jumper disciplines are dependent on using the body to communicate with the horse, rarely the voice. So I have to rely on my calves, thighs, seat, upper body, and hands to ask/tell him what to do. Trying to get all those parts doing the right thing at the right time without sending confusing or contradictory signals is quite a challenge, especially then flying along at rather swift speeds around and over obstacles. So, if Flame doesn't do the right thing, is it him or me? Is he being disobedient or did I not ask clearly? Do I correct his mistake or apologize for mine? In the end, we always finish on a good note (even if it's only minor) and then he gets his sugars, but it's all the exercises leading up to the happy ending that stretch us both.

Through all of this, though, I am learning to see how an obedient spirit and a willing heart, even one that makes many mistakes, would be priceless. That is the attitude that can be shaped into anything, molded with unlimited potential.

That must be the mount Shakespeare's King Richard III was desperate for when he exclaimed "A horse, a horse! My kingdom for a horse!"

My new favorite shade

I've had a variety of favorite colors in my three decades. My first was blue, which persisted for many years and slowly transitioned into aqua, turquoise, and finally settled on greens. To my knowledge, I was never a fan of pink or purple or other "girly" colors. Now, I'm finding that I am really attracted to the many shades of orange, particularly the brown and red based ones! Anything cinnamon, russet, deep pumpkin, rust, copper, terra cotta, etc. They just make me feel happy and cozy. I love that it is autumn, as these shades are really popular and readily available in this season.

Happy Anniversary

A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person. ~Mignon McLaughlin



I know Jeff checks this blog from time to time, so happy ninth anniversary darling!

It's hard to believe it's been almost a decade of marriage. As an unknown author stated, "An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow". We have certainly had our joyous and memorable present and past, and the future is bright with hope, so I can wholeheartedly agree.

What exactly is "American"?

I have to remark on an oddity here in Europe. We have encountered a number of items that are referred to as "American...". So, for example, there is American hotdog sauce in the grocery store. Now, I'm an American, but I'm not sure what "hotdog sauce" is. It turned out to be something like a combination of ketchup and relish. Not a bad idea in itself, but not exactly "American". Then there is the "American kitchen". This means basically an open kitchen, where the floorplan is designed for flow into the main living space. Certainly something we have and enjoy in American, but not so exclusively that I feel it must be designated as "American".

And then there were the "American potatoes" I was served this evening with my Argentinian beef. I felt silly asking the Czech waiter what "American potatoes" were. Are they mashed? No. Are they steak fries? No. Is it whole, baked in the skin? No. In the end, I was served fat wedges that had been fried. It was close enough to fries that I requested some ketchup to enjoy them. But the funny thing is that they do have fries (called pommes frites through most of Europe); this restaurant served those with other menu items, so I'm curious what the difference is.

But all this makes me think about the things in American which we have named for other nationalities. French fries. Dutch oven. Belgian waffles. Swedish massage. Canadian bacon. White Russian. French braid. Polish sausage. German measles. The list goes on and on. It makes one wonder, how many of these things would be recognized by citizens of the very country for which they are named? Judging from my experience with "American" items in Europe, not very many!

My 'Psalm 37:4' moment

Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE my husband's job? My dear, intelligent, entrepreneurial Jeff has been offered a guest scientist position in Germany for two months. And, just like with Seattle, he has (of course) invited me along! What an incredible blessing this unexpected opportunity is!

This has been in the works for a few months, since we knew he was presenting at a conference in Prague and I was going to accompany him there. What began as a week in the Czech Republic has expanded to an additional seven weeks in Berlin at their federal institute to do research and form collaborations. It's all paid for and we get to pick the dates, set the agenda, everything!

They're putting us up in an adorable historic villa that's been converted to self-catering apartments.It's right near all the public transportation lines and shopping districts, so it will be super convenient to come and go. I've even found a riding stable less than 3 miles away on the edge of the Grunewald Forest, so I'm hoping to partake of some of the authentic German classical riding instruction while there.

While Jeff is playing in the well-equipped labs and networking with international scientists, I'll be taking an intensive German course in the mornings and then experiencing the sites of Berlin.

This feels like the realization of a dream from years ago. I always wanted to study abroad or work as an au pair or backpack through Europe, but I put those pursuits aside to push forward the fulfillment of other goals. I could never have imagined during those poor student days of cramming German and working in the stables to pay for riding lessons that I would one day be able to "summer in Europe" with my amazing husband and enjoy the language and culture of Germany!

Delight thyself also in the LORD: and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. -Psalm 37:4

What are we to be called?

Evans' Family Crest

We had someone ask us recently whether, in referring to multiple of us in the Evans family, it should be "Evans" or "Evanses". I know the rule for possessive; since it is a two syllable word and ends in an "s", you just add an apostrophe if speaking of the Evans' house, the Evans' dog, etc. But what if someone isn't talking about our things, but about the plural us? As in, "those wonderful Evans(es)"? I did some research and found this:

When a family name (a proper noun) is pluralized, we almost always simply add an "s." So we go to visit the Smiths, the Kennedys, the Grays, etc.When a family name ends in s, x, ch, sh, or z, however, we form the plural by added -es, as in the Marches, the Maddoxes, the Bushes, the Rodriguezes. Do not form a family name plural by using an apostrophe; that device is reserved for creating possessive forms.

When a proper noun ends in an "s" with a hard "z" sound, we don't add any ending to form the plural: "The Chambers are coming to dinner" (not the Chamberses); "The Hodges used to live here" (not the Hodgeses). There are exceptions even to this: we say "The Joneses are coming over," and we'd probably write "The Stevenses are coming, too." A modest proposal: women whose last names end in "s" (pronounced "z") should marry and take the names of men whose last names do not end with that sound, and eventually this problem will disappear.

Since I failed to follow their suggestion and instead went from a rather simple last name with no troublesome s's at all to one with various rules and too many exceptions, I must now pay the price and try to resolve this. So we Evans(es) end in an "s", but with the "z" sound, so we fit the second rule; but the exception examples of Jones and Stevens sound an awful lot like Evans, so we're back to square one. I think, after this inconclusive research, either way would probably be correct! I will defer to my husband on his preference for the additional "es", since he's had the name longer and has a greater vested interest ;-)

Looking up

We returned home well after dark last night following a late dance class, and the full moon was already quite high in the sky. This gave Jeff a perfect opportunity to try out his new telescope, since any astronomical object must be well above the horizon to be seen from our yard with the forest of pine trees sheltering the neighborhood. He strategically parked the pickup truck and used the roof of the cab to steady his new Celestron. So there we were last night, standing in the bed of the truck observing the brilliant moon, and wondering how long it had been since we last had a good long upward look at the sky.

To keep or not to keep - that is the question

I’ve decided it's time to part with one of my vintage china sets. It was the inspiration for my first kitchen remodel in our last historic house. I came to the conclusion that we should go our separate ways after letting the china sit in the dishpack box the movers wrapped and stored it in for almost a year. I only just unpacked and cleaned it yesterday, reliving all the dinners and special events we had been through together. I have other china still in boxes, but it’s waiting for the new floor in the dining room before taking its place in the china cabinet.

But the black and white ironstone set really won’t have a place in the new home. I’m a rather thrifty sort, so I’m torn at the idea of getting rid of something pretty and useful just because I don’t have a good place for it. But on the other hand, I see the escalating problem that mindset causes. Particularly in the rural South, you encounter homes, yards, and outbuildings filled with things the homeowners don’t use but can’t or won’t part with.

Is it resourcefulness? Laziness? Frugality? Selfishness? I’m curious why we cling to material items that no longer serve a purpose in our lives. Now that my house is so much larger, I have to really think about the possessions I put and keep in it. Just because I have more room in which to accumulate and store belongings, should I? I’d love to hear how others deal with this balancing act of what to keep and what to pass on.