Safety may mean a lot of things but in football it is both a way to score and a position. First, as a way to score: it is the only way a team without the football can score, and it results in two points. It is rare, but when a safety occurs, it is typically when the defense sacks the quarterback in his own endzone.

Second, the position: a player that is on defense and plays behind the line of scrimmage (in the backfield). This kind of safety has a bigger impact on the game. Safeties are a key players, and typically pretty high profile. Odds are if you know a few names of football players, some of they are safties. Below are my predictions for the week as well as the names of safeties to keep an eye on this weekend.

Farve hasn’t lived up to his career this year and each week is looking more and more like an old man. I predict the Bills will be able to roll on the Jets this weekend. Safety: New York Jet Kerry Rhodes (#25)

This is becoming quite the year for Browns fans. Their team is looking halfway decent. This would be good win for the Browns to put under their belts and the Ravens have improved since last year. I would love to see the Browns win this game, but it is going to be a close one. Safety: Baltimore Raven Ed Reed (#20)

Will the Titans go 8-0 and have the best record in the NFL? That is a lot of pressure for this organization, but the Packers have lack the ability to threaten teams this year. I am pulling for the Titans. (because where on earth did they come from?) Safety: Green Bay Packer Atari Bigby (#20)

The rams are probably the most unpredictable team in the NFL this season. Week after week they stump me. I am guessing they will beat the Cardinals, but my guess on this one isn’t worth much. Safeties: Arizona Cardinal Adrian Wilson (#24) and St. Louis Ram Corey Chavous (#20)

The Giants need to win this one; it is a HUGE NFC East rivalry. Heck, being an Eagles fan, I would like to see Dallas lose every game. The Cowboys have a bunch of lose cannons on their team. They can only win if they all get firing together. But the Giants should be able to squeek this one out. Safeties: Dallas Cowboy Roy Williams (#11) will be out of the game this week due to injury but New York Giant James Butler (#37) will be ready to play

Once Coach Holgren announced this would be his last year, his season fell apart. Then again, the Seahawks were never poised to be great. Please Philadelphia, do not disappoint me! The Eagles should win this game with confidence. Safeties: Philadelphia Eagle Brian Dawkins (#20) and Seattle Seahawk


This is probably the city where the Steelers will have the most fans at an away game, but they are battered and bruised. They have faced every defensive powerhouse in the NFL this season and have the injury report to prove it. Safeties: Pittsburgh Steeler Troy Polamalu (#43) and Washington Redskin LaRon Landry (#30)

It is getting to be that time of year, your skin is dry, your hair goes flat and blah, you lose your summer glow, and working out loses its appeal. Unlike in the summer, when you can rely on the warm weather and the sun to make you feel and look great, the winter is always a struggle. In order to cope, I often rely on the following "10" products. I love them. I buy them frantically and they help me maintain my low-maintenance approach even on the ugliest of days.


1. Natural Ice Spf 15 Chapstick - this is by far my favorite chapstick, it heels cracked lips fast 2. Mac Blush, my color choice varies, but it always stays put and gives a beautiful glow 3. C. O. Bigelow Mentha Vitamin Body Wash #1411 - you''ve never felt so clean or smelled so fresh! 4. C. O. Bigelow Mentha Tingling Foot Cream - it may sound crazy, but this literally makes my feet feel good enough to wear my highest heels all day long (or flip flops which is more often the case) 5. Bumble and Bumble's Creme de Coco Shampoo and Conditioner - makes my hair have the smooth shine that is normal during the summer 6. Bumble and Bumble's Bb Thickening Spray - gives my hair just enough texture without making it stiff or weighing it down 7. Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer - helps my skin stay looking fresh and photo ready all day long 8. O.P.I. Nail Color in either Kennebunk-PORT or Edin-Burgundy - the best reds to ever grace my toes 9. Essie Mademoiselle Nail Color - my go to neutral polish 10. Nivea Intensive Moisturizing Lotion and basically all Nivea lotion because they are fantastic!

We have had quite the whirlwind of activities this October. It is hard to believe the month is almost over, the election is less than a week away, and we managed to pack so much into the past 20+ days!

The craziness started with Mark flying to Boston for an Alumni Board meeting for our Alma Mater. While he was up north, I drove to PA, with a stop to visit my friend Shannon on the way. Mark met me in PA where we got to see Noah and Faith. Noah has gotten so big in the past 4 months, it is hard to believe. We wish we could see them more often so we could see Noah grow each step of the way. Faith and Kyle make such wonderful parents - it is truly awesome!

Later that day, we celebrated Mark's mom's birthday with a surprise party at one of her favorite restaurants, The William Penn Inn. It was a fun night with lots of family. We stayed over with Mark's Aunt and Uncle so we could wake up early and help get ready for a brunch for the whole crew! We got to see a bunch of the cousins and spend more time with family we don't see often enough. It was great to have Columbus Day off from work so that we could pack in more family time over the three day weekend and still feel rested for the work week.

The second weekend of October was tons of fun! Mike and Kelsey drove to DC to visit us. It was great to spend time with them and stroll around DC. We went everywhere from the Supreme Court and the Capitol Building, to the Botanical Gardens and the Constitution Gardens where we hung on on the island for a while. They are an awesome couple! We love entertaining and having people over so it was great to show Mike and Kelsey where we live and what our neighborhood is like. It was such a blast, we can't wait until they visit again! Here is a picture of us on the North side of the Capitol Building.

The next weekend, things got crazy and our apartment turned into a zoo! Karlene, Katie, and Julie came down for a girls weekend like no other! We hadn't all been able to hang out for an extended period of time since my sophmore year of college. It was nuts! We explored the typical tourist sites and spend afternoons in Old Town and Georgetown.

We did a whole lot of catching up and even more laughing. Julie brought her VitaMix to make whole fruit margaritas and Mark went out and bought us a firepit so we could sit outside in the cool evening. We had so much fun, there is really no way to explain it! We ate a lot of food, took over 300 pictures, and created memories that are still making us laugh, even while we are apart. These are great girls, and I am so blessed to have them as friends.

We drove back to PA with the girls to attend the Easter Seals Golf Outting my parents run. This year was the 12th Annual, and their last year. We couldn't miss the opportunity to share in the fun. Mike and Kelsey were able to attend the outting as well - Mark and Mike were golf partners. Here is a picture of us (with my brother too!)

The guys didn't win, but it sounded like they had a good time. Kelsey and I enjoyed hanging out in the sun and catching up on life. She is a great girl, and I am so happy that she is dating Mike.

And just when you thought we had a crazy month, we spend this past weekend driving over 20 hour, corssing the 100,000 mile marker on our car to visit Cape Cod for Sara's wedding. We stayed with friends in Connecticut who graciously open their house for us every time we drive up North. All in all it was a great weekend and an incredible wedding, but you will have to check out my calligraphy blog to hear more about it!

And now, with Halloween and the end of October around the corner, I am looking forward to hibernating for the month of November.

It is no secret that I am a Philadelphia sports fan. Philadelphia had an incredible weekend for sports. There is so much I want to write about, but I will spare you and limit my excitement to a Top 10:

1. Three Home Games in one weekend! What could be more beautiful?

2. Eagles’ wide receiver, Kevin Curtis is back on the field. This weekend he played in his first game of the season (Curtis was injured in the preseason).

3. Philadelphia Pitcher Jamie Moyer makes his first World Series appearance at age 45 and proved to baseball fans everywhere that he is still young at heart. Pitching 6+ incredible innings and making a diving play in an effort to get an out at 1st. Unfortunately the play wasn’t called in his favor, but who else knows a 45 year old that can dive on the ground like that? (PS the Umpire later admitted that he was wrong when he called the Ray’s Crawford safe)

4. Run McNabb, Run! Donovan proved he still knew how to move on the field!

5. Howard got his groove back. During the 4th game, Ryan Howard finally started hitting the ball to left field, and succeeded in getting two out of the park! This was a long time coming after a relative hitting draught for Howard this post season.

6. The odd infield single hit by Carlos Ruiz World Series game 3 that scored Philly the win!

7. Andy Reid celebrated his 100th win with the Philadelphia Eagles

8. Heeled Ribs for Wizard Westbrook! This weekend, he certainly played like he was healthy with a career-best 167 yards rushing, 22 carries, and 6 catches for 42 more yards leading the Eagles to their win over Atlanta.

9. Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton hit a Homerun: his first ever and in the World Series to boot. This was only Blanton’s 2nd hit of the season, and the first World Series Homerun from a pitcher since 1974, talk about unexpected! Oh yeah, and he also pitched a heck of a game.

10. Philadelphia has a chance to get its first major title in more than 25 years!

Yeah...I am excited!

This week’s games are all about the QB and the QB pressure. Here are a few terms and definitions that announcers frequently use when talking about this topic:

Audible – when the play is changed at the line of scrimmage (before the snap) by calling out (hence audible) a set of signals. You can usually tell this is going on because there is a lot of commotion around the football

Blitz – when someone from the defensive team pressures the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage to force a tackle or to hurry the pass

False Start – when someone of offense moves before the ball is snapped – this results in a 5 yard penalty

Pass Protection – the blocking scheme used by offensive players to keep the defense from getting to the quarterback on passing plays

Pitch - when the quarterback tosses the ball to a running back who is moving laterally (horizontally) away from him

Pocket – the area of protection around the quarterback created by his offensive line when he drops back to pass

Pump Fake - the quarterback fakes a throw in an effort to move the defense away from the ultimate receiver

Quarterback Sneak – when the quarterback receives the snap from center and immediately runs or jumps forward

Roughing the Passer - flagrantly running into or hitting the quarterback after the ball has been passed or thrown, often called when the quarterback is hit in the head – this results in a 15 yard penalty

On paper the cowboys look like the better team, but the Cowboys have suffered big losses this season. Dallas needs to win this game if it wants to stay alive in the NFC East.

Washington is certainly the stronger team, but they need to come out and play hard. Detroit has maintained a losing record, but their past few games have come down to the last possession.

This game will be held across the pond at London's Wembley Stadium in an effort to expand the NFL following throughout the world. Either team could win this game, and no one has an advantage considering the game location. This game is likely to be high scoring and fun to watch.

The Atlanta rookie QB, Matt Ryan, has been having a great year so far, but this will be his first game against a defense as strong as Philadelphia. If the Eagles are healthy (Westbrook and Curtis back on the field) they should not only win, but dominate this game. The Eagles are coming off a bye week, and have won every game coming of a bye week in Head Coach Andy Reid's 9 years with the franchise.

This is going to be a close game, and likely the most interesting game of the weekend. Both quarterbacks, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning were picked up in the first round of the 2004 Draft and both have Super Bowl titles under their belt (first time this has happened in NFL history). They both understand pressure and how to win big. The Steelers are suffering a few injuries and the Giants tend to play well on the road, so I am going to give this game to the Giants and Eli Manning.

There will be no Sunday Night football this week due to the World Series - Go Phillies!!!

Peyton Manning and the Colts used to be a powerhouse in the NFL; unfortunately they are having a rocky season this year. The Titans have a winning record and have surprised quite a few football fans. This game could really go either way depending on how the wind blows, but I am guessing the Titans will continue their string of wins – if they win, this will make them 7-0 for the first time in franchise history!

Mmmm...this week in my CSA we got Brussels sprouts. While Mark loves these little green sprouts, I tend to not care for them. However, I was determined to find a recipe that I could enjoy that used Brussels sprouts without needed to go out and buy a bunch of fancy ingredients. Well, CookThink helped my find just the right dish and boy was it scrumptious!

This was hearty, sweet, spicy and would make a great sunday afternoon meal, especially during football season! And it was so easy!

Ingredients:

- 1 medium sweet potato, cubed (I used extra because I love sweet potato and I was worried about the Brussels sprouts ruining them!)
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons curry powder (I only used one Tbs.)
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced (I substituted shallots)
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can light coconut milk
(I skipped the next four ingredients because it smelled so good, and then I tasted it and it was even better and I was so excited that I dished it up before I ever got to step 3!)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Prep the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts. Leave them alone to brown, 2-4 minutes.

2. Add the curry powder and green onions to the pan and stir. Cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and coconut milk, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the Brussels sprouts are almost tender, 10-15 minutes.

3. Add the ginger and garlic, and stir. Cook 2 more minutes. Add the lime juice and cilantro.

In case you haven't picked up on it, I LOVE coffee! Meaghan has this great contest running on her blog Get The Bean to celebrate and promote the launch of her coffee shop! Check her blog and website out and order coffee while you are at it!

If you are following the World Series (which starts tonight!) and want my breakdown about who I think will win...I defer to a fellow Philadelphian: All Things Philly Sports.

All games will air on FOX - which is great because Mark and I don't have cable.

Here is the schedule:

Game	Matchup	Day	Date	Time ET
Gm 1	PHI @ TB	Wed	Oct. 22	8:00 PM
Gm 2	PHI @ TB	Thu	Oct. 23	8:00 PM
Gm 3	TB @ PHI	Sat	Oct. 25	8:00 PM
Gm 4	TB @ PHI	Sun	Oct. 26	8:00 PM
Gm 5*	TB @ PHI	Mon	Oct. 27	8:00 PM
Gm 6*	PHI @ TB	Wed	Oct. 29	8:00 PM
Gm 7*	PHI @ TB	Thu	Oct. 30	8:00 PM

In case you missed Part 3, visit my calligraphy blog here: Calligraphy by Shannon. To read the whole story, go here: 2nd Anniversary)

Well, here is our 4th and final segment of our 2nd Anniversary! Our last day was a bit of an unknown. We woke up in the Shenandoah Valley surrounded by a thick thick fog. We pursued our plans to travel Skyline Drive despite the poor visibility, hoping the fog would lift by the time we got there!

As we approached the National Park, we stopped at a visitor's center to pick up information and learned that it was National Land Day so Skyline Drive was FREE! (instead of the standard $15 park entrance fee). This sealed the deal. We were going to move forward with caution into the fog that blanketed the mountain region.

It was a blast. For the first hour I think we stopped at EVERY SINGLE overlook to see what we could through the fog. As the weather lifted, we didn't need to stop as frequently as we realized that an incredible view was around each bend (and after a while they all started to look the same). This didn't stop us from taking over 100 pictures during the 100+ mile drive. Due to the frequent stops, switchback turns, and fog, the trek took about 3 hours, but it was well worth it. It was a relaxing drive. Mark and I were able to share quality uninterrupted (limited cell service) time. It was a flashback to our college road trips when driving wasn't about getting to our destination, but enjoying the ride and time together. It was wonderful!

Some of the highlights and funny moments include see the first signs of fall foliage, crisscrossing the Appalachian Trail and were reminded to pray for our friends that are hiking it, we passed a flock of wild turkeys, overlook Old Rag, a hike we did in the Spring, and stop at a ranger station in fog so dense we couldn't see the parking spot we parked in! All in all we made some great memories. Maybe some day we will drive it again. If you are passing through the area and have time on your hands, I encourage you to take the drive!

After that hike we had worked up an appetite! We washed off the Virginia Red Clay that stuck to our shoes as we plodded through the woods in the rain. We changed in to relatively dry clothes. We drove down the road to Historic Michie Tavern for some hearty midday fare. Man oh man, food never tasted so good! We quickly ate up all the food we could fit in our bellies with southern food served buffet style. It hit the spot!

After lunch we went back up the hill of Monticello for a tour of Jefferson's home. While the grounds and home are absolutely stunning Mark and I couldn't help but notice that the Jefferson's lived quite modestly. Their home was large, but by no means over the top. There was just enough room. (unfortunately we were not allowed to take pictures inside so we only have exterior pictures.) We loved learning about all the different interests of Jefferson including his love of gardening and all thing horticultural. Here are a few photos from the grounds:

So this year I told Mark that I wanted to plan our anniversary getaway and surprise him. Partly because I truly wanted to surprise him (and partly because I like to control things). Seeing that Mark and I both love history and being outdoors I decided to take us to Southern Virginia on a historic tour. I planned everything and packed our bags and some snacks for the road. We hopped in the car and Mark said, "Where to?" This is where the fun began. I wrote out clues for him for each leg of the trip. There were some roadway signs that provided some clues as to what the surprise was, but the roundabout trip we took kept it a surprise.

We pulled up to a charming bed and breakfast outside of Charlottesville (it was nice, but not one I would recommend, so I won't name it), check in, and I filled Mark in on the details. We were going to spend the weekend visiting and touring the homes of Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe.

But first things first, we had just driven for a while and needed food. We went to a local Pizza Shop to grab a bite to eat. Then, back and the B&B we exchanged gifts. The Traditional/Modern Second Anniversary gifts are China and Cotton. I went with china and got Mark BBQ tools from Crate and Barrell. (we don't actually eat off China, but we do grill a whole lot!) Mark chose cotton and picked out an adorable jacket from Lands End that I am sure I will wear a ton this fall!















Saturday morning we woke up bright and early for a 2 hour (more like 3 hour) nature hike through the woods on Jefferson's Monticello, "Little Mountain." We learned everything we could imagine about why Jefferson liked certain plants, where he transplanted many species from, and how he enjoyed his property over his lifetime. It was a rainy/foggy/dreary morning but the air was warm. Throughout the hike, there were moments with great lighting so I was able to take some incredible photos. Here are some:

To understand football, you have to understand rivalries. There are natural geographic rivalries for example the Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings will always be a big game because of their relatively close proximity. But then there are conference rivalries that tend to matter a whole lot more as they determine how teams will be ranked going into the playoff season. To see the conference breakdown visit: www.nfl.com/teams

This year the NY Football Giants are considered to be the top ranked team in football. They are the defending Superbowl Champions and their opponent in the Superbowl, the New England Patriots has lost their starting quarterback for the Season.

After the Giants, critics would say that the Dallas Cowboys have the best chance to make a Superbowl appearance this year. They have the talent and depth on their team to be the Champions. However they just lost to the Washington Redskins who face the Philadelphia Eagles this week (all NFC East Teams). This is an excellent example of conference rivalries! This game is HUGE this weekend.


Week 5 of the Regular Season:

4 teams have byes: Browns, Jets, Raiders, & Rams – they will not have games this week.

Big games or close match ups:

Tennessee Titans at Baltimore Ravens: Both of these teams are a bit of an unknown this year. The Ravens had a horrible season last year and the Titans weren’t much better. Both have had close games so far this season. The verdict is still out on these two teams.

Atlanta Falcons at Green Bay Packers: This should be a good game. Green Bay is likely to win, especially if their quarterback Aaron Rodgers is fully healthy. (He had a sprained shoulder). The Atlanta quarterback is a rookie and has been doing a good job so far, but he still hasn’t proved he can win on the road.

Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans: Both are AFC South teams making this a bigger game and the fact that the Colts have been rocky so far this season. Peyton Manning (Colts quarterback) has not been playing as well as he can this season. The Colts were able to rest with a bye last week, so they should win this game. The Colts need to win this game and reassure their fan base that they still have what it takes.

Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles: Big Game of the Day! (Disclaimer: I am a diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan) I want Philly to win this game. The odds are good if they have running back Brian Westbrook healthy and back in the game. The Eagles should be able to win if all the pieces fall into place. Eagles rookie DeSean Jackson has a lot of talent but made two big mistakes last week leading to a loss to the Chicago Bears. Hopefully these mistakes didn’t shake him up too badly and he can perform and continue to prove himself this week. The advantage should go to Philadelphia because they are the home team and have had an incredible year of physical defense so far.

However, the Redskins have proven that they can’t be overlooked. They have done a tremendous job of causing turnovers and quarterback Jason Campbell hasn't thrown an interception yet this year. The Redskings walked into Texas Stadium last week and taught the Cowboys and T.O. a lesson. This game is extra big because Redskins’ first time Head Coach Jim Zorn still needs to prove that he knows how to win and the Eagles need this game to still be contenders in the Beast of the NFC East (meaning all 4 teams in the NFC East are strong this year). The Redskins’ weakness may be: the absence of defensive end Jason Taylor do to a calf injury two weeks ago (compartment syndrome) & too much excitement getting to their head after the Dallas win. Go Eagles!

Buffalo Bills at Arizona Cardinals: Currently Buffalo is undefeated. This makes them the team to beat. The Bills are in the same conference as the Jets and traditional powerhouse NE Patriots. This may be their year to have a strong season (maybe).

New England Patriots at San Francisco 49ers: The Patriots need to prove they can win without quarterback Tom Brady. They might be a bit sluggish from flying across the country.

Sunday Night: Pittsburg Steelers at Jacksonville Jaguars: The Steelers have gotten physically beaten up the last two games against the Ravens and the Eagles. They have a lot of injured players but they are the better team. The Steelers should win, but this will be an interesting game.

Monday Night: Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints: I am actually not sure why these teams get a prime time Monday night football spot. Neither team has a very exciting offense.

Please let me know if you have any questions about this post or topics you would like included in future Football 101 posts!

There is so much I want to share with you about how we celebrated our anniversary over the weekend, gifts we gave, restaurants we tried, that I am going to have to do this in installments. It was a weekend planned by me for Mark and he loved it! Lots of time outdoors and exploring our nation's history! This one of the many (200+) pictures we took. Look out for more next week!

This past summer, my friend Carrie decided to join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture). After reading about her positive experience, I decided to visit the website of the farm in which she buys a share. Much to my surprise and excitement, Orchard Country Farm offers three 8 week sessions (spring, summer, and fall) and I still had time to join!

When we first moved to DC, I didn't think about joining a CSA because we live a short walk from Eastern Market, and there was a Friday farmers market near my work. But with busy summer weekends and a new job no longer near a farmers market, getting fresh produce was more difficult.

Typically CSAs run March-October, having three sessions allowed me to participate even though I was very late in deciding to do this! I paid a one time upfront fee and each Tuesday I get to pick up a cooler (this way we don't waste bags) of fruits and veggies from a farmers market at the Department of Transportation. The cost is just over $20 a week. It fits into a budget, and because we get so many fruits and veggies that we have to use before the next week's share arrives, we now buy less junk at the grocery store. We are also eating less meat (something I have been working on for a few months). I think our grocery expenses may have actually gone down, but I need to wait to see if this is a consistent pattern.

Aside from the general good it is doing for Mark and me, it is also great to know exactly where my money is going and support a small business. (Can you see the conservative principles coming through?) I have come to enjoy my Tuesday errand where I get to see what's in season, start planning out our meals, and enjoy conversation with Gregg the owner of Orchard Country. I cannot wait to sign up for the full season next year!

Here are some pictures I have taken over the past few weeks of my share: