recent life in pictures

found this gem from a few years ago on my phone

...and now she's 3 going on 13

few months ago some friends and i did a little bike ride to Austin

a few months before that, half of this stuff returned from England

....and made me feel a little out of sorts. much like this melon.

we've been working on some chair restoration

Steve retired and his colleagues shed tears....he seemed to manage ok though :)

president's club passes put to good use enroute to Ixtapa with Amy

disproportionate

Texas.

progress-ish

Puppy love

First she was found homeless, wandering the streets of Houston by someone I don't know.  Then she was adopted byTammer.  And then, she couldn't go to London....but how to find a home for Freya?  She ate all the plants in the yard, obliterated houseware at random, and was unpredictable.  On the other hand, she was sweet and brimming with personality...and just waiting for her forever home...for someone to love her and not desert her...so she could really give all the love she had to give.  She told me so.

"I like what I see in the depths of your soul."  She says.

How anyone could leave this sweet face on the street....seriously...how?!

"Don't be mad, but I ate the remote control.  Also, the corners on your coffee table...are no longer corners......

So you may want to put a tablecloth on the coffee table. Forever. Please don't be mad."  She says.

And then I had an epiphany....

I will tell anyone who'll listen about the moment I connected Freya and my dear friend Marigold in my mind.  They both love to run like the wind, they are both sweet and loyal, both a balance of calm and energy, they are both beautiful. I can't really explain it, I just had this FEELING about it.   Even though she'd never had a pet and had gotten over the wanting a dog 'phase'.....

So I convinced her to at least meet the dog...they had a trial weekend, and fell into puppy love.  6 months later, almost to the day, that the puppy handoff took place - and Marigold doesn't remember life before sharing the couch with Freya, or sitting on her porch and reading a book with Freya at her feet, or dogparks, or scooping poop... 

 Or distracting Freya from other dog's toys.

So we meet at the dog park around dusk sometimes, and I get to watch Freya running around like a maniac - the fastest dog ever and with more stamina than you'd think possible.  And she has the biggest doggie grin you've ever seen.  I think she knows how lucky she is.  I get this feeling when I'm around the pair of them that it simply was meant to be, and I played my little part in the universe :) It's really the first time I've ever had that feeling, and boy is it great.  

 And also, she remembers me each time I see her, which just makes my heart happy.

To infinity and beyond

What happens when you change your phone number, after 14 years?

You start getting lots of youhavethewrongnumber calls and strange texts, such as....
"Hey dis ur cousin Priscilla my mom n dad say u might want someone to help u out with income tax if u need someone to claim one of ur kids I'm dwn if yu hook me up"

This leads me to a question for you: If I can transfer my old number over, should I?  It's been 6 months since I've used it.  Aside from the sentimental attachment, it's the number I've had since college, and everyone has it.  I'm at a point where I could hypothetically still transfer it to my new phone, since the new number hasn't been spread far and wide yet...the drawback is...my old number is long distance in Houston.  Does that matter anymore, to anyone besides my grandparents?  I await your thoughts in the comments.

As you may have noticed (or maybe you haven't), I've been something of a deadbeat blogger lately....this is due to the pictures being stuck on the phone (having left the parts to transfer them the back in London) and also feeling like maybe what I have to say isn't that interesting at this particular juncture....so bear with me....

Now that I have the photos to share: The Deluge begins.

Tintern Abbey in Wales

I think I'd enjoy barefeet in the grass during church.

Can you tell where these were these taken?  England vs. Texas

London (Hi Tania!) and the show was great.

I have a really bad habit of taking pictures of hair.

Aaawwwww

An aisle for gravy?  It is east Texas, y'all.

Windsor Castle (England, right?)

London:)

Richmond Park, London

I came back to discover that British TV is HUGE in the States.  Silly me, I'd spent the last 4 months avoiding everything on British TV, with the exception of David Attenborough.  Have I mentioned the hero worship I have for David?  Oh yes.  I would like him to narrate my every move, thought, GPS, voicemail, etc.

Met Mom for lunch during work and this was around the corner.  Look familiar?  Many hours spent here at Pasadena's Stadium.

Starry nights and lights in the ourskirts of London at Christmas parties.

Aside from David's narration, another life dream is viewing space from a humongeous high power telescope at a real life observatory.  To infinity and beyond! 

Been a long time coming....

 

The ocean....how I've missed you.

 

Mom + Maggie

 

MAGGIE is the BEST DOG of ALL TIME &  she is my hero.  

We chased through the surf, we got sand in our paws,and then she rolled in a dead fish.  

  

Old boat parts from all over the world.

  

I'm seeing these hanging from my hypothetical beach house porch, thoughts?

And some extras I just found....cause I've missed you....

I'll leave you with some Italy

home on the range

Dance with me?

A slow and sweet one to wind down your Friday.

I'm feeling Adele's take on that little diddy.

Holidays are over - and I get the feeling that most of us are happy for it.  Home is sunny and warmish, pretty much everything is bigger (for better or worse) and there's more sky than you can shake a stick at, people are smiley and quick to say Hi.  It's all the same, but somehow it feels just a little different...not better or worse....just different.  Even if I moved away forever, and despite the loathing and apprehension I have for July-September heat, Texas is always where my heart will be.