Retrospective

Just one year ago I was celebrating my friend Emily’s birthday in a cabin among the hills of West Virginia, with a conglomeration of her eclectic friends and ever-sweet family.  It was one of those perfect weekends; great old friends, making new friends, (way) too much food, games of Mafia, perfect Fall weather & impossibly colored trees, heated bathroom floors, decks covered in leaves, Jacuzzi tubs, and still I could go on but you get the idea.

       

A number of the high school band bunch were there, including our other friend Emily.  Emily’s husband Andy (with whom I became mildly…obsessed is such a strong word so let us say, enchanted in a non-romantic way, once I learned he was a fighter pilot) had come along too.  Why am I rambling on about old friends?  Well, because they are awesome, and also because that weekend I found (sort of accidentally) out that Emily & Andy were going to have a baby.  That was a year ago!  Now they are proud parents.

The Emily on the left is the proud parent I speak of

What were you doing a year ago?  I know some of you reading this had just changed/landed jobs or positions, maybe you got engaged, maybe you got disengaged, decided to build something, decided to change something about yourself, or maybe you didn’t decide at all and life changed something on your behalf, etc.  Or maybe it has not been one of those years for you at all.  In which case just ignore the soap box moment and accept my sincere apologies.

What I’m getting at IS; it’s amazing what can happen in one year.  And for me, it’s helpful and important to pause every now and again, look all around and upside down, and hopefully gain some sense of perspective in doing so...which is handy in those tough moments that sneak up on you, even in exciting times.  Can I get an AMEN!?!  How about a Hallelujah!?! Sorry, it’s the Ray Charles playing in the background…it gets to me.

Certain times just feel more prolific, don’t they?  And this prolific year did start for me that wonderful cabin weekend…because you see that was also the week I’d meet this guy…

I keep telling him to trade in his engineering job for modelling, but he just rolls his pretty eyes.

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                                      Crazy #1                                              Crazy #2

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The kind of wrinkles I like.  

Please don't barf or refuse to come back.  Next post will include (G rated) photos from the (lingerie) Fashion Show! I attended last night, lots of pictures and a lot less copy (words) :)