VT and brothers

For the past two weeks I've been traveling about visiting, exploring, resting, and learning. Here is the first stop of our trip, Virginia Tech, to visit my brother Carter who attends there and is in the Corps of Cadets. 

Our little friend the bat

Carter's dorm

We don't have very colorful autumns at the beach, so we love traveling in the fall

Beautiful fall colors call for a picture

On Saturday we went to the home football game. I went not interested in football, and I left still uninterested in football. There are way too many confusing rules and too many people get hurt. But obviously, many people disagree with me. 

Somewhere in the sea of blue and white, Carter stands

According to tradition, whenever VT scores a touchdown, the cadets do pushups for however many points they now have. 

Ouch...

I don't believe I've ever seen so much maroon and orange...

The homecoming parade in the morning, that's my handsome brother holding the sign

Married for 22 years, and still hand in hand.

What is there to do when you're waiting for someone? 

Take pictures 

Brothers are very useful things to have around. We were very happy to have ours back for a bit.

Now we countdown the days till Thanksgiving when we'll see him again. 

Lessons from the French

When I went to the Reforming Food and Family conference in July, one of the speakers was a French chef. He talked about the importance of making time to serve food that is both beautiful and delicious. I have summarized some of his points here. Just make sure to read this post with a French accent!

A meal is a rest from the day

Family meals are landmarks in the day

The Giver of the gifts must remain central

Food was the instrument in which sin entered the world

When Jesus was raised, he ate in heaven

Eating on the run is like listening to classical music on speed play

Styrofoam plates are the most disturbing invention of the century

Eating good food on a foam plates is like putting a great painting in an unworthy frame

A dish well presented is already half eaten

Affect your 5 senses in a meal

You don’t want the good to become the enemy of the best

Butter is better

Butter + salt + eggs does not equal death, but hollandaise sauce

Eat a variety of everything in moderation and balance, small proportions

Bigger is not better

~

Recently, I have become somewhat of a foodie. And I really like taking pictures of food. Personally, a good picture can make anything look good. Here are a few of my favorite food blogs with scrumptious recipes and stunning photography. 

Sprouted Kitchen

Seven Spoons

Beyond the Plate

Kitchen Notebook

Sunday Suppers

I'm pretty sure some of these bloggers could boil cardboard and make me want to eat it...

backyard wedding

This weekend we were blessed to witness the beautiful union and our friends Bruce and Maria.

Since Maria has been studying herbalism recently they had tea pouches for favors. Sadly, we forgot to pick one up.

Bridesmaids awaiting the signal

A few years ago we had the pleasure of attending Evangeline's wedding, she was here with her husband and two adorable children.

The three flower girls needed a wee bit of persuading to walk down the aisle. 

They held the wedding in their backyard and so Maria was able emerge from her house. It's a very comforting image; going straight from your home to your new husband. 

Both Maria and Bruce got choked up when they said their vows. It always seems much sweeter when that happens.. 

The yummy, exceptionally moist cake--part chocolate, part key lime. 

A wee bit of bubbly

Lovely light lingering on Lambeth.

This is one popular little flower girl. Must be those black curls.

During dinner they had a Dixie Jazz band.

How many people do you need to take a picture?

Weddings are always nice opportunities to catch up with people. It was fun seeing you Elena!

Still in love after 45 minutes of marriage

Contra dancing!

Side note: Aren't her shoes adorable!

Her dress was perfect for twirling. The dress was her grandmother's and her mother's. Because the dress was getting quite old, she wasn't sure if she could wear it. After a few alterations, she had a beautiful heirloom dress.

Bruce was quoted as saying that he hated Contra Dancing and would avoid it all all costs. But as you see here, he appears to be enjoying himself thoroughly. (That may or may not have something to do with his brand new bride, but we digress). Funny how things change.

Balance and swing.

I must have had a good angle if the photographer used it too

Father daughter dance

The bride and brother

The newlyweds weren't the only couple in love. 

Saying a sad goodbye to her dear brother

I'm not sure quite how they managed it, but they had a beautiful location, gorgeous weather and a lovely breeze. 

Not a bad view, eh?

For their getaway they floated off in a row boat while fireworks went off. Quite dramatic!

You would be hard pressed to plan a lovelier wedding, and the weather really couldn't be beat.