Several unrelated notes

1) In the last 3 hours, this has already become over-discussed, but how about that East-coast earthquake?!?  We definitely felt it up here in Ithaca.  (Well, Justin somehow missed it, although the people he was working with at the time also noticed).  I thought I was about to pass out ~ although I've never fainted before, that seemed to be my first explanation for the room swaying.  Turns out, the room was actually swaying.  After I realized I was physically OK, my biggest concern was for all of our canned tomatoes sitting in their pretty glass jars on our folding table in the kitchen.  Gladly, they were still there, just fine!  :)

2) You may have noticed that as we slowly spiff up the house, I'm also working on the blog.  For example, I just added a search feature over here to the right ------>
So, in the event that you are trying to remember something that I said, or settle a debate about what color we painted a certain room (for those of you whose dinner table conversation revolves around my house - ha!), you can search the blog.  I will admit, however, that it's really for my benefit.  I have found the need several times recently to search the content, like when I add links back to previous posts, and this will certainly make it easier for me!  Furthermore, I will admit that I use my own blog as a research tool.  Last Friday, I couldn't find my mom's fruit salad recipe (shocking, given the state of our kitchen storage), but luckily I had posted about that here.  If you didn't try it back in December when I first shared it, I encourage you to do so now.  It's (still) delicious.  And just today, I searched for the hutch I originally wanted for our living room (the idea of which was replaced by the reality cool old sewing machine table made for us by a family friend) because now I think it something similar would be nice in the kitchen.

(Visual interlude - here's the table (photographed several months ago with my elementary decorating techniques)

and here's the link to the hutch (although cherry wood wouldn't look right in my burnt orange kitchen!)

All this looking back on old posts has made me thankful that I've kept up with the blog as long as I have.  I'm getting better in the routine of writing, and enjoying it a lot!  I enjoy providing this glimpse into our lives for our family and friends (with which we get to spend far too little quality time), and the unexpected benefit has been a diary of sorts, chronically not just what we did to the house, but when, sometimes how - and how we've felt about it.

So, there we go.  Two totally miscellaneous thoughts.  I guess earthquakes make me sentimental.  Now I'm off to do something computer-unrelated since I've already exceeded my evening quota of screen time, and I haven't even changed from my (real) work clothes into my (house/"play") work clothes.  Sheesh.

What's up with you?