KatysBlog

January 12, 2013 · 9:58 pm

Ceramic Tile Floor

The ceramic tile floor on our new porch is done at last – and I am very pleased with it. The combination of the Floral Mural by Fireclay Tile, paver tiles from Gladding McBean (one of the oldest companies in California), and Mexican painted tiles looks good. It has taken much time and effort to get this done (the mural had to be made twice due to color problems – taking six weeks each time). SP Tile & Granite did an excellent job of installation. Despite the still-missing railing and tile breakfast bar, and the winter cold, John and I had breakfast on our porch for the first time this morning.

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Tagged as House Work

January 7, 2013 · 3:29 pm

Tile Floral Mural

Our lovely new tile Floral Mural by Fireclay Tile was left in a box on the front porch today – in preparation for installation starting tomorrow. I put together the 25 six-inch tiles on the dining room table to be sure all was in good order. We are slowly creeping toward completion of the new porch on which we started construction in July 2012. The tile and ironwork are the last major elements still to be installed. We were able to use the space during the holidays – but not since they put down tar waterproofing on the floor. It is blocked off now to keep the dogs from jumping and sliding in the tar.

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January 2, 2013 · 12:43 pm

Salamanders big and small

In the garden disruptions associated with our porch construction, I have uncovered several nests of salamanders, under rocks and buried in the dirt. I have seen two salamander types in our back yard along the Guadalupe River in San Jose, California. From the pictures on the Californiaherps web page, they are:

Aneides lugubris, the Arboreal salamander, a species of climbing salamander native to California, where it is primarily associated with oak and sycamore woodlands, and thick chaparral. About 6″ long – Pictured above.
Batrachoseps attenuatus, California Slender Salamander, a lungless salamander found primarily in Northern California, one of a handful quasi-endemic amphibians in the state. About 4″ long. Pictured below.

The big one pictured above is guarding a nest of eggs. The two species live near each other but not together (the pictures here were taken of salamanders living under different rocks about a foot apart). I have seen as many as seven in one nest underground – large and small but all of one species. I once turned on the water hose and out shot a very surprised large salamander who had been hiding inside. They mostly hold still when uncovered but they can move fast. I try to leave them alone – only moving them to a safer spot if their current location is dangerous.

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Tagged as garden, House Work, San Jose, Willow Glen

December 26, 2012 · 11:56 am

New Home for Van Gilder Glass Panel

Last week, the Van Gilder stained glass panel was finally installed in the wall between our dining room and new porch. The large and elegant stained glass panel was created by Walter Somers Van Gilder for his home (1007 Circle Park Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee) about a hundred years ago. In July, it came home: re-leaded and refreshed by Vincent Taylor Architectural Art Glass. The picture below shows my son Paul D. Goodman, the great-great-grandson of Walter Van Gilder, helping to install the panel in our home in Willow Glen, California. We designed a window enclosure so that the panel could be removed for cleaning. Last night, I enjoyed sitting next to the panel as we celebrated Christmas dinner with family and friends. I think my great-grandfather would be happy to know that his creation continues to bring pleasure to his family.

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Tagged as House Work, Paul, San Jose, Willow Glen

December 22, 2012 · 11:58 pm

Merry Christmas

Best wishes to you and your family for a happy holiday season, from all of us here in the Silicon Valley!

Between trying to get the construction workers finished enough to be out of our house by Christmas, and all of the usual holiday preparations and activities, December 2012 has been particularly busy. There has finally been sufficient progress on the new porch to allow us to have family and guests in the house. The roof and final plastering were finished just before dinner yesterday – barely in time for us to go Christmas caroling on the cable car in San Francisco. Jessica and Matthew were able to get off from work to join us for Christmas – for which we are very joyful!

I went shopping in Chinatown with Sally and Lorene (our tradition for over twenty years). We were sad to see the closed up Sam Wo restaurant where we used to eat raw fish salad for lunch during our annual walking tour of Grant Street stores.
John and I were delighted to hear our young friends Max and Beth perform as part of the Cantabile Youth Singers at the ornate St. Joseph Basilica in San Jose.
My son Paul and I picked out and walked home a Christmas tree – which sat in a bucket of water on the driveway for two weeks until the contractors left and we could move all of the furniture back. Jessica and Matthew and Paul brought the tree inside and decorated it tonight. The decorations are eclectic but cheerful. I still need to put out the nativity figures John bought in Bethlehem.
My EfM class went to see the Bethlehem Christmas story re-enactment, and then went out to dinner together and exchanged gifts.
Last Sunday was the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church children’s pageant.
We have very much enjoyed Willow Glen’s enthusiastic Christmas light displays – which give every street its own twinkly charm as we go about our holiday business.
Today we went to the Dickens Fair at the Cow Palace in San Francisco to enjoy a Victorian Christmas, high tea, and last-minute shopping.
Tomorrow, John starts cooking for our Christmas feast on Tuesday!

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Tagged as Charles Dickens, Education for Ministry, Episcopal church, Jessica, John, Matthew, Paul, San Francisco, San Jose, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Willow Glen

December 20, 2012 · 10:41 am

TechWomen Mentors’ Reunion

The TechWomen mentors gathered for a reunion and evening holiday party at Anar Simpson’s home in Saratoga, California, this week. Anar was a TechWomen mentor in both 2011 and 2012 and is on the TechWomen entrepreneurship advisory committee. At the event, Heather Ramsey (Director for Strategic Partnerships, Institute of International Education) gave us details about the October 2013 TechWomen program (more below), and the February 2013 delegation to Jordan – which I plan to join! I caught up with news from my sister Mentors and told them about my new job as the Vice President for Solutions at the MentorCloud startup.

Carmel Jud from Rising International gave us a presentation about her organization and brought in crafts made by women entrepreneurs – including some delightful lady dolls from Afghanistan. In the picture above, the doll on the lower left was the first one made. The doll on the lower right is the one I purchased for our family doll collection.

TechWomen potential Mentees may now apply for the 2013 program. TechWomen brings emerging women leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) from the Middle East and Africa together with their counterparts in the United States for a professional mentorship and exchange program. TechWomen connects and supports the next generation of women leaders in STEM fields by providing them access and opportunity to advance their careers and pursue their dreams.

During the five-week program, participants engage in project-based mentorships at leading companies in Silicon Valley, participate in workshops and networking events throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and travel to Washington DC, for targeted meetings and special events to conclude the program.

In 2012, 41 TechWomen Emerging Leaders participated from Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, the Palestinian Territories, Tunisia and Yemen. The 2013 TechWomen program has expanded to include women from Cameroon, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Zimbabwe. TechWomen is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). The Mentee Application deadline is February 22nd, 2013.

The Professional Mentor application will be available April 1st, 2013 (deadline is June 1st, 2013). Cultural Mentor application will be available July 1, 2013 (deadline to apply is August 1st, 2013).

Stucco Done

Our new porch got its stucco wall covering yesterday – which will cure for several weeks before we can paint. A stucco finish has many layers, starting with paper, then wire, followed by a smooth base coat, lastly the textured final coat. The original wet grey color is turning pale as it dries. The winter’s damp weather here in Willow Glen will ensure a slow curing and harder result. The final work is also complete on our new brick paths (made of old bricks) – which look wonderful! Still to finish:

Stucco around the final window (the new smaller window was installed today – a surprise late addition because of mis-measurement on where the roof ties in)
Install ceramic roof tiles
Install electrical fixtures – inside and out
Paint inside and out
Decorative iron work
Tile floor

We should be all done by the end of January. Of course, I originally thought we would be done in September… silly me.