Yumminess

"There is no love sincerer than the love of food" - George Bernard Shaw

I had forgotten about this pastry shop... I had forgotten about the yumminess that I drooled over one afternoon in Gertrude Stein's neighborhood of Paris. The smells were so inviting outside the door of the shop that I dared not venture in... I would have been more than tempted. I would have been convinced. But I did take some pictures. And this is one of those pastries, a work of art really, much too good looking to eat. But so so so so drool worthy.

Christmas Card

"My father carries around the picture of the kid who came with his wallet." - Rodney Dangerfield

As promised, here is the picture I used of Sandy for my Christmas card. I printed it in sepia so the colors didn't overwhelm the card. I liked it. Hope those who received it did too.

Our Christmas was fun and too quick and filled with pictures. For as long as i can remember, there have been no pictures of me as a baby or toddler around. For years, my sisters teased me about being adopted... as only sisters can do. And my parents claimed they went through a slide phase... all the pictures taken were on slides and we needed a projector to see them, blah blah blah. As the second child, I take every opportunity to show how I was neglected... teasing my parents about my pictures. So, my younger sister pulled out all the slides and we went through all of them. Found some great pictures of our family and trips and proof I was once a baby in their household... pictures of me crawling and Leah holding me as a baby. We're taking them to preserve them digitally so we'll have prints and copies to share soon. I'll share a little timeline when I have the pictures in hand.

I'm Baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!!!

I know, I know.

It's been too long... life's been too crazy: work, food poisoning, classes, friends, traveling, soccer games, breakups and new goals. All has happened in the past 28 days which has eaten up my personal computer time. But I'm working on my schedule, taking control, gaining some perspective, getting my positive attitude back, and focusing on a healthier lifestyle. So bare with me.

Plus I have pictures. Of babies, friends, William, rivers, oceans, skies, etc. I promise to post some of them soon. But here's a tease:









Oh! And for those concerned, I didn't have food poisoning but my bosses AKA my parents did so I was doing some triple duty there for about a week. They had some bad oysters while at the coast and all has not been well since. They are slowly getting better but I was treading water there for a while just making sure major things were falling through the cracks. I know my parents do alot on a daily basis but I forget just how much until I have to cover or explain to that many people what's going on.

So life it busy but fun. I definitely had a funk last week but I'm over the hump and I'm gaining some perspective. Here are some reasons why I am happy:

1. I'm Healthy - I have several friends who are ill and/or have very ill family members.

2. I'm Employed - In the worst recession/depression of my lifetime, I have a job I love.

3. I'm Independent - Sometimes I'm lonely but I'm always free to make choices for myself. I don't have any obligations other than to make myself happy & fulfilled.

4. I'm Excited - Life interests me and I'm still learning about myself in a completely different way than I was 10 years ago in college.

5. I'm Challenged - I have a business which can go as far as I want to take it, anything I want to accomplish, I can. All I have to do is work for it.

6. I'm Engaged - Not with a finance but engaged in life. I've gained some new hobbies and I'm learning new skills.

7. I'm Maturing - Owning responsbility, making hard choices, doing what's 'right' is getting easier and easier... and it feels good. Weird but good.

Cousin Barry

"The Family - that dear octopus from whose tentacles we never quite escape, nor, in our most inner hearts, ever quite wish to." - Dodie Smith

A couple of weeks ago, we traveled south to Jacksonville Beach, Florida for a clan gathering like no other. My cousin, Barry was getting married and we were all invited.

I took several pictures of the wedding and I was fascinated with the hotel location of the wedding. Fitting to that coast, it was spanish influenced and the wedding was held in the

courtyard overlooking the ocean. Add in a rooftop bar and you had the best of both worlds.

Not the best picture but I'm still learning... and I don't have a nighttime lens... But it kind of adds to the old world feel, right? I know, I know... I'm working on it. How about this one?

And of course, I took pictures of William during the ceremony. He sat still for about 2.5 seconds before he was in the flower bed with the fans... Not bad for 18 months old. He wasn't making any loud noises so we left him alone.

This little girl, on the other hand, was completely enthralled by the whole ceremony. And I'm sure there will be hours upon hours of playing 'wedding' and dressing up as a bride. I'm sure to someone her age, a bride is about as close to a real live princess as you get... and a little less scary than the characters at theme parks.

And then of course, here's the reason I go to weddings at all... Champagne...

Afternoon on the Farm

If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant; if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome. ~Anne Bradstreet

I had the pleasure of going to a friends' farm the other afternoon and enjoying the sunshine. It was such a nice break from my normal day of offices, phones, and hospital hallways. I wore flipflops and jeans, soaked in the sunshine and took pictures of everything. My friend was transplanting daffodils and I was riding shotgun. At the time, it was my version of heaven.

A Shadow and Her Dog

"I don't need a friend who changes when I change and who nods when I nod; my shadow does that much better." - Plutarch


Getting my pup to sit beside me while I took this picture was the challenge. She's pretty well behaved other than the "stay" command so when I shifted to take the picture, she would start to move around. But after 3 or 4 tries, I got quicker.

It was such a gorgeous weekend. I enjoyed the sun and the life that comes with spring. There is nothing like the southland in the springtime.* I remember driving home from Utah late April and coming into Georgia late in the night, my windows rolled down as I could smell the spring. The lush green trees around the roads, the dampness in the air, and the sounds of spring. Nothing better and nothing that makes me feel more at home.


*Yes, I know I'm stealing from the Indigo Girls