here we go again...

i think this is the longest i have ever gone without posting.  ever.  so, since there is way too much catching up to do, let's just hit the highlights and lowlights of 2015 so far, shall we?

january:

knowing that i will be (if all goes according to plan), moving to north carolina at the end of july, california bucket list items have taken on a new urgency.  for the first time, i joined my donahoo cousins in visiting the post-showing of the rose parade floats.  amazing! it was particularly enjoyable to experience it with my cousins, who've also never done it, and whom i'm going to miss terribly when i leave!

with three months to design and build a brand new booth, as a part of the parent company's strategy to align all of their umbrella companies to "one-brand", the 20X30 launches at the north american veterinary conference and wins the booth of the year award. (february, multiple articles would be published about it in various exhibit trade publications). i'm particularly proud as the design concept was entirely my idea, and we were fortunate to be paired with the perfect exhibit house to execute it.  the booth features a life-size tree stump that doubles as a phone charger, a convertible meeting space in the interior of the doghouse, as well as astro-turf carpet and ambient "yard" sounds, giving visitors a break from the hectic conference pace.

extended the navc work trip to spend some time with melissa (n.) at universal studios florida, primarily to indulge our inner wizards and check out the new(ish) wizarding world of harry potter.  exhaustion was a prominent feature, but, so was spell-casting! there is something truly magical ( i know, i know) about the harry potter world and the way it has become such a cultural phenomenon.  i still remember being in high school reading my dragonlance books about wizards and warriors, and fearing that i would be made fun of as a result.  the times, they have-a-change-ed.

capping off the month was the (ahem)th birthday celebration for my good friend larysa.  it's fair to say that the circle of those who i would truly consider friends, here in california is very small, but i have known and liked larysa for almost my entire eight years here.  it was a privilege to participate in honoring her (mumble) years on the planet, and while i won't reveal her age, i will say that it was a big one, and celebrating at the huntington library & gardens (truly one of my favorite places in cali) with an afternoon tea, was quite perfect.

february:

the month kicks off with an unexpected sleepover not too far from home.  my friend and co-worker (who i rarely get to see anymore), melissa (r.) was in anaheim at the grand californian for a company training.  she invited me to come for a slumber party, so, why not!  we met up with another friend and co-worker for late night girl talk and spent some lovely post-training afternoon time at the pool the following day before returning to 'real life'.

i take a work trip to vegas where the new booth continues to impress. i get to spend my off-time with melissa (n.), as well as visiting with my old roommate, heather. this time the visit with heather includes five more dogs!  and while the puppy energy is a little nutty, i especially appreciate fur babies when i'm away from my own.  i also get a chance to spend some time with my freeman cousins.  i loathe vegas, but now that i have "people' there, it makes my frequent visits much more enjoyable.

march:

the month begins with a trip to williamsburg, va for work.  originally, julie and kids had planned to meet me there for a day at busch gardens. until we realize that it's not open yet!  instead, i drive to raleigh to spend a day with them, and to get a bearing on the place that will serve as my temporary home when i arrive in nc.  then it's time for some actual work... but my co-worker greg and i did find a little bit of time to explore the historic town.

from williamsburg, i'm headed directly on to the next event in tampa, fl. but before i get there, i get some terrible news.  my old roommate calls (i send her to voicemail, as i'm boarding a plane), she calls again. voicemail again. then she texts.  a mutual friend of ours has passed away.  she had been living with heather in las vegas, and heather's husband had found her that morning.  initially, they didn't know exactly how long she had been gone or what had happened, but we would eventually learn that, at age 41, holly jarvinen died unexpectedly from congenital heart failure.  it was devastating news, and though my first response was to try and be strong for heather - her closest friend - i went through my own kind of shock.  it would take a couple of weeks before it felt real all the time, as opposed to that weird ptsd mode of feeling real one moment and not real the next, where your brain just can't process.  holly is the third friend of mine to pass in the last five years, and i still can't quite wrap my head around it.

but i had to get on the plane.  it's been about fifteen years since my last visit to tampa, and i had been excited to see a relatively 'new' city.  maybe that was just what i needed to avoid falling down the rabbit hole of sudden loss.  instead, i made myself readily available to heather and other friends via phone, while i tried to get my job done, and see what tampa had to offer.  i remember thinking that it was the only city in florida i had ever really liked, and it turned out, my memory was correct.  the food was amazing, and i was incredibly impressed with the consistently good service.  i also got a chance to spend some time with melissa (n.) as we took in a spring training baseball game (braves v. yankees) and explore the ybor city area via trolley and foot.

shortly after returning home from tampa, things went even more sideways.  still emotionally wounded from the loss of a friend,  i'm in a car accident, the victim of a red-light runner.  while my body and health are fine (for which i'm grateful!), my car is totaled.  my 2004 saturn was meant to last another year or so, giving me a chance to make the big move and get settled in before investing in a new car and committing (for the first time in years) to a car payment.  but the universe had other plans, and i found myself wading through the soul-crushing bureaucracy of insurance company rules, rental car restrictions, payouts, and loan-getting.  it's an overwhelming week as i began to feel the weight of all the change and loss that seems to be coming at once.  i want to just wallow for awhile, but i don't have the luxury of time.  the one thing (aside from my physical health) that i have going for me in regards to the car, is that i have driven A LOT of rental cars.  so many, in fact, that i've known for years what i wanted the 'next car' to be.  which, since i had a really limited amount of time to make decision and act on it, was a huge blessing.  i go look at a couple of cars, knowing i've found "the one" before i even see it in person, so after the test drive confirming it, i put a deposit down, sign a contract, and leave - without the car - hoping that they will honor the contract until the loan check arrives and clears.

still driving a rental car, which i am now paying for out of pocket (since it turns out that the insurance company will only cover three days if your car is totaled), i head to ontario to finally meet up with my friend vicki for an evening out. we've been trying to get together for a year, and were finally able to make it work.  i'm feeling particularly grateful for the timing as it now seems so much more important than it did a week before to spend quality time with people you care about.  vicki has season tickets for the local hockey team, and before heading there, we enjoyed breaking some bread and getting caught up.  perfect girls night!

not long after, i'm headed to salt lake city.   i planned the trip in february when the world was all sunshine and daisies. on one hand, the timing seems semi-inconvenient since i'm still in car-limbo, but i have a sense that the trip is an unexpected tender mercy -- a time, when most needed, to take advantage of the natural healing power that comes from being with people you love.  it's been several years since my last visit, and i know that it will be harder to do from the east coast, so i take full advantage of every opportunity. my visit includes some really phenomenal time with cousins, catch-up time with my old friend scott, a visit with brandon,  a friend who used to live in california (which includes an epic haircut and shave -- his, not mine), attending the general women's session at the conference center, spending time with corey & jill, checking out a salt lake real game, and reconnecting with a high school friend.  sadly, this trip was also supposed to consist of a reunion with houston, my ex-boyfriend's son, to whom i played mom for several years, but a family health emergency arose and he had to leave town.  all in all though, it was exactly what i needed.  i continue to be so grateful for my family and good friends. i adore them, and they have no idea how much peace came from spending time with them.

originally scheduled to fly home late monday evening, i maneuver my way onto an earlier flight so that i can (finally) go pick up the new car!  while in utah, i was driving a version of my car, another equinox, but a more basic model.  my four day "test-drive" left me feeling like the car was ok. it was fine.  it was an improvement on my last one, for sure.  and then, upon concluding the final details, when i finally got into MY car, it was so much better than ok.  it was perfect.  though it is a 2012 model, it feels like new.  there are so many bells and whistles and it was clearly well taken care of.  i just love everything about it!  which will make it a little easier to swallow the car payment thing.  and, of course, it's probably a blessing in disguise having a safer, more comfortable car to drive cross country in.  that's what i keep telling myself anyway.

there you have it, 2015, so far, in a nutshell. there has been good, bad, and ugly, and i have to confess, i'm holding my breath a little about what the near future has in store...

facelift

if you've been catching up on the blog using a feed reader, it might be worth taking a look at the actual blog for  a minute.  it's got a new look and i think it's super great and want you to see it :D

a little premature

yeah, when i mentioned thursday thanks, i wasn't taking account that i'd be in another hotel room doing another show. my feet are too tired to be eloquent, (i know that doesn't make sense to most of you, but it is what it is) so next week will be the official launch :D

and for the one of you (lara) who i know enjoy dog shows, this one is friggin' awesome. i have seen some of the most gorgeous well behaved dogs in my life, and the akc show hasn't even started yet!

introducing: thursday thanks

there are many ways in which i fall short, and i miss the mark more often than i care to acknowledge. but if nothing else, there is one thing i am pretty good at: gratitude.

i don't know where it comes from or when it began, but i'm certain that i had a remarkable example somewhere who instilled in me the importance of this principle. i'm also certain i didn't recognize it at the time.

but as i've grown older, and every now and again, wiser, the principle of gratitude has on more than one occasion, been my saving grace. it keeps me sane, balanced, faithful, and hopeful.

there are always comparisons to be made with those who seem to have more or better, but i often find myself focused on those who have less and worse. they are everywhere. they are at work, at home, at school, in the grocery store. and there are those with less than them, those who don't go to work, have a home, get an education, or shop at a store. i am constantly amazed at how much i have been given, despite all of my shortfalls and missed marks.

with that said, i'm making my gratitude a little more public. i'm going to attempt to dedicate a post a week to the things/people i am particularly grateful for that week. we (and by 'we', i mean 'me') are gonna call it 'thursday thanks'. i've got a list already in, so now you have something to look forward to!

can you see my background?

i updated the blog look last night, but checking it out on my work computer, there is no design, no background, just content. so tell me, can you or can you not see snowflakes (give it a minute to load)? wait until it's 'done' before you respond. thanks!

christmas music, the playlist, the past, and starting over

seriously. christmas music? already? i was in a popular clothing store yesterday that i won't name, but starts with 'forever' and ends with '21', and there was christmas music playing. i know better than most that christmas here is different than in a lot of other places. it's tough to get in the mood when it's 80 degrees and the christmas lights are strung on palm trees. but does that really mean we need to start listening to the music at the beginning of november? is that really going to help?

*****

there's a new playlist up. sorry this one took soooooo long. i've been enjoying it for over a month now, but have been too busy, sick, inaccessible (insert other excuses here) to update. the first song is my new theme song, but the whole playlist is pretty awesome.

*****

so, the past is a funny thing. it's pretty good at finding it's way into the present. sneaky little bugger.

most of the time a present visit from the past wreaks havoc and leaves destruction in it's wake. over the last couple of weeks however, i have had three 'visits' which have been both surprising, and pleasing.

the first would be the return of an old(ish) friend who, i suspect, keeps hoping for a cameo/reintroduction here. i can assure both you and him that in a couple of weeks, when there accompanying photos, a proper reintroduction will be made.

the second was an even older friend, who i lost when he was forced to choose between his bride-to-be, and me. just for the record, i wasn't the one issuing the ultimatum, but as self-inflated as my ego is, i think the choice was and is obvious. that being said, it seems enough time may have passed, and he recently made contact. i have often wondered about and prayed for this friend, and couldn't be more excited to hear that he is doing well, straight from the horses mouth. i've also never been so glad to have been wrong about something.

the last appeals to my sick and twisted side. i learned yesterday that an ex from a couple years ago (the one that ripped my heart out, caused me to lose 10 pounds and spend months crying, whose name starts with jer and ends with emy) is still single. what is so gratifying about this news is that the last time i heard (over a year and a half ago), he was engaged. i know it's evil, but the fact that he didn't 'beat' me, that there is still one ex there who hasn't started a happy little family, and that it's him, just makes me think 'HA!! there IS justice in the world!'

*****

big, exciting, wonderful news! i found a place to live. not just a place to live, actually, but a place i feel great and peaceful and excited about! after months of misery, i feel like a burden has been lifted. i'll be moving this week ( i know, it's been crazy!) about a mile from where i currently live. and though i'll be adjusting to a smaller space (i've been completely spoiled by this house) i'll have my own bathroom, be saving a good deal in rent, and most importantly, be living in a place with really nice girls and no alcohol, or...other stuff. starting over is a wonderful wonderful thing.

ps

1. new playlist is up

2. i've been called to teach gospel doctrine. again. this will make the third time.

the difficult thing about having a life is blogging about having a life! as a result, you are going to have to make do with summaries instead of novellas.

1. the visit (sounds like a weird horror movie title, doesn’t it?)
it’s safe to say that the visit did not go exactly as planned. i plan for perfection after all, and perfection isn’t reality. between lack of sleep, actual physical illness (his), timing issues (mine), and too serious conversations, the weekend was slightly challenging. that being said, it was also really great. we visited the wild animal park in san diego

had dinner with my old bishop and his wife,

gave the cousins a chance to grill him at sunday dinner, rode awesome rides at magic mountain,

and enjoyed the beach.

on a sidenote: emily, trish, amy, and the few others i’m sure i’m forgetting at this very moment – rich and billye send their love. i gave them all the updates i could!)

i feel lucky to have met such a great guy, and am excited to see what the future holds! it was hard to say goodbye, but i should be in portland again at the end of the month, so somehow, i’ll make due.

2. the shower
last night was my boss’ baby shower, so after work i headed to holly and charity’s for the shindig. they live out on balboa island, which though close to me, is unexplored territory. it was absolutely darling, and i will definitely have to go back one of these weekends to pop into all of the cute little shops. there is so much adventuring i have yet to do and hopefully some exciting news (see #3) may motivate me a little (or a lot) more.

being completely honest here, i kind of hate showers of any sort, but there were great people and great food. it was a pleasant surprise to have such a good time! i genuinely enjoy my co-workers and it was fun to interact with them in a different environment.

on top of that, i saw something at the house that i must have. it’s a sign similar to the one below:

so so true.

3. import friends
a couple of months ago deb was seriously talking about moving to california. i had to keep that on the dl as she worked through things, and ultimately, for the moment, she has decided to stay put in ny :( but, while she was processing and planning, she tried to talk one of her new york friends, into moving out here.

i’ve known mehaela for many years through deb, and through some other common acquaintances , and she is absolutely fantastic. well, unbeknownst to me, she is originally from the area (well originally from romania, but whatever), and though she never anticipated or planned on leaving new york, deb was so persuasive (she’s regretting it now!), that mehaela is moving here in july. and not just ‘here’, but huntington. we’ll be in the same ward, and i will finally have someone to go explore with! i actually feel really badly for deb. this means her two closest friends will not just be living on the other side of the country, but in the same city as one another. life is both strange and wonderful sometimes!

4. ticket to ride
i finally bought tickets for ‘pageant of the masters’ and i couldn’t be more excited. if you are already wondering (i’m sure you are) what i would be doing for my birthday, on august 27, now you know. i will be watching people pretend to be art through binoculars in laguna beach. how seriously cool is that?

i also bought tickets for joshua radin, and i will be celebrating my pre-birthday weekend (august 23rd) with him. though i’ve been obsessed for a long long time, i managed to miss him every time he played baltimore (which for some reason, was a lot). unfortunately, he doesn't play here as frequently (this is the first time that i know of), so i have been vigilant in watching and waiting. i will finally see him live, and i have a couple months to figure out how to kidnap him, and put him in a box where every time i open the lid, he sings lovely tonight, or sky, or fear you won’t fall. he doesn't even have to spin in place while he sings. aren't i generous?


5. anniebean...
...will be here in just over a week. ‘nuff said!

i can't share the details yet...

but i know there are some of you here on guest accounts, and i don't want to force you to sign up for gmail. ultimately, i think i am going to 'restart' my blogging experience with a blog name that doesn't involve my actual name.

for those that have asked, i am fine...there are no safety issues at hand in the increased security-just professional ones. as such i will hold off on sharing details for a bit.

i'm open to suggestions on a new blog name, but i'd like to get it up before i head out on the road.

once it's up, just use a little discretion in who you share it with, and continue not linking to me. i should also mention that what has happened is not a result of that, but as i am now on the job hunt, and employer's seem to have taken to googling potential employees, i am being extra cautious!

memory monday

in light of all the blog trends out there (self-portrait tuesday, wordless wednesday, to name a couple) i thought i would institute my own. there is no rhyme or reason to when or why i will or won't hop on someone else's bandwagon, but in this case i just haven't been able to bring myself to do it...maybe because i don't want to be limited to posting self-portraits only once a week, or because i am rarely, if ever, wordless.

so i thought i would take a stab at implementing a blog trend that suits me a little better. as such, i bring you...memory monday...a day in which, i take a few moments to reflect on the past. i will caveat this up front to say that my memory is not perfect. i will attempt to retell these stories with accuracy, but in some cases, the retelling will include secondhand accounts, and minor embellishments that have taken place in my own head over the years.

in considering what the first installment should be, i started perusing through old photos. i'm sure you will see quite a few of them, but let's start with this one:

pictured (l to r): me, aunt ?shannon or candy?, grandma howells, dylan

many of you do not know this about me, but i nearly grew up without a mother.

in 1979 my father accepted a position writing for jack anderson, well known muckraker and journalistic troublemaker, and my family (mom, dad, me, and dylan) left utah for the washington d.c. area.

it wasn't long after that move that my mother was diagnosed with a severe case of skin cancer. skin cancer, as it turns out is prevalent in my family. and though now it is virtually unheard of to die from skin cancer, at the time, it was possible. medical treatment not being then what it is now, the doctors did not give her an optimistic prognosis for survival.

i don't remember much about the experience, truth be told. i was all of three years old. what i remember is knowing that mom was sick. i didn't understand cancer, and i didn't understand why she had to stay at the hospital for so long. i had been sick too, but cough medicine and sleep usually cleared it right up. i didn't understand why this was different.

i remember one of my aunts (i can't remember if it was shannon or candy) and my grandma howells came to live with us, i think for a couple weeks each, and i remember that at first it felt kind of like a vacation--dylan and i were a bit spoiled as a result of the circumstances--but like all vacations, eventually, we were ready to have life return to normal, and have our mom back again.

i remember going to the hospital when we picked her up to bring her home. she was in a wheelchair. she looked fragile, but seemed so happy to see us, and to be coming home. and i remember that night, i had a dream, so vivid and terrifying that i remember it to this day.

in the dream, mom was in her wheelchair, and dad, dylan, and i were in the car. the car started moving before mom could get in, and dad couldn't stop it. the brakes weren't working and we were picking up speed. mom was holding on to the car, and she too was picking up speed (i'm trying not to laugh as i type this!). we were going downhill, and going fast...mom holding on for dear life, and dylan and i screaming while dad tried to do something, anything to stop the car. i woke up before the dream ended, but the way it was going, it wouldn't have had a happy conclusion.

strange isn't it? that i can remember the way i felt having that dream nearly 28 years ago? i may not have understood exactly what was going on with my mom, but in my 3 year old little brain, i knew something was very wrong.

fortunately for all of us, she recovered.

she lost a large chunk of skin and tissue on the inside of her left elbow, and you will never catch her wearing short sleeves. today, i'm sure they would have done a skin graft and no one would ever be the wiser, but it just wasn't done then. instead she is left with an arm that looks like someone cut a chunk out of it...which is exactly what happened.

in a way, i'm actually glad about that. i'm sure she would prefer otherwise, but every time i catch a glimpse of that scar, it reminds me what i almost lost, and how grateful i am that i didn't.

i sort of feel famous

it's no secret that i subscribe to several shopping and geek related sites.. among them are gizmodo, engadget, popgadget, etc. one of my favorites however is 'shefinds'. i get daily updates on where to get this, or cute new styles, must have makeups and the like. so, when i was frantically searching the web for a similar version of something i saw in a recent movie, i turned to trusty shefinds, got myself an actual account, and posted my question.

from time to time, the site will select a question from among the slew of those asked (fergie's hoody? jessica alba's red carpet manolo's? etc.), and post a response for all their readers. and i would be lying if i said there wasn't some tiny little part of me hoped that my question would be selected. that was about three weeks ago and no one seemed to have an answer. i can't really explain why, although a big part is that i really wanted an answer. of course, the selection of one's question also somehow indicates a 'with-it' ness that i (sadly) crave. i admit it. i like fashion, i can't afford the fashion i really like, so i make due, but i like it. a lot.

with all that being said, imagine my glee when this came across my bloglines today! now, i'm not cited, so you are just going to have to trust me, but i don't believe in taking credit from other people, so you CAN trust me.

unfortunately, the crack team at shefinds didn't have any more luck than i did finding the item, but i still sort of feel famous. it's almost as good as the time i appeared on the front page of a major turkish newspaper:)

*****

in other news, jesse's trip dates are nearly confirmed. i will be heading to north carolina on the 17th to meet up with him and spend some time with julie and colby before coming back here on the 18th.

the 19th is museum day, starting with the washington monument, then on to the natural history museum, national art gallery, national archives, and international spy museum. (sorry aaron, i'm not a fan of the sackler, though i will make an attempt at dumbarton oaks.) we may stick around and do a night tour of the monuments, or postpone that for later in the trip. i realize even without that, this is an ambitious day, but the spy museum is open late, and i will be pre-ordering tix for that and the washington monument, which makes it possible.

the 20th, we will be heading to harper's ferry where we will spend the morning tubing the potomac, and enjoying lunch on the river, before heading in to town for the historical goodness. then, after getting home and cleaning up, we will hopefully head for the local imax to see harry potter.

the 21st is lara and nick's wedding!! the timing of j's trip is not ideal because of this, but we will make it work. between the sealing and the reception, we are going to visit the udvar-hazy center. this was the big question in my mind.. air & space or udvar-hazy. ultimately i decided on the latter, for two reasons. one, the location makes it ideal for saturday afternoon when it might be hard to tackle anything else. and two, even though there is more at air & space, the pieces at udvar-hazy or more interesting to me. not too mention that he heard all about my party!

the 22nd after church, we will either head back to dc to do the monument/memorial tour--lincoln, jefferson, fdr, korean, vietnam wall (if we've not already done it), or we will head up to gettysburg for the afternoon.

on the 23rd, jesse will head back to california :(

so, that's the general idea. it covers a lot of ground, has a lot of diversity, and is going to be a really fantastic time!

*****

also, i just installed a nice little tool on this site called snap shots that enhances links with visual previews of the destination site, and displays inline video, rss, mo3s, photos, etc.

the idea is that you get a preview of what the link is taking you to, before you actually click on it and leave. it's a way to 'look ahead.'

should you decide this is not for you, just click the options icon in the upper right corner of the snap shot and opt-out.

the blog gets a facelift

of the many talents i wish i had, right behind playing the piano & guitar, and speaking at least two foreign languages fluently, comes my desire to write html code.

sure, i can find something i like, and play with it until i get it where i want it, but sometimes there are tricks that elude me. as such, when it is time to update the blog, an extensive search is conducted to find an appealing template. lately, that search has been drier than i would like.

however, i finally landed on one yesterday. though it required a fairly major overhaul, i am remarkably pleased. you'll notice that the menu bar to the left is far simpler and less overwhelming than it once once. moving links and archives to their own sub pages helped with that. you will also notice that the music does not automatically play anymore, and this is one of those things for which i cannot find a solution. so, for those of you who still want to listen to the new music i post....when i am motivated enough to post new music...you can access it through the 'playlist' link at the left.

this is a complete 180 from what the website has been in the past, so i'll be curious to hear your thoughts!

unsent letters

okay kids, maybe you remember my talking about launching a new blog that would house a collection of unsent letters. letters written for catharsis, or problem solving, or whatever, that were never sent.

well, we are off and running. check it out, and feel free to contribute. anonymous submissions will absolutely be respected.

programing note

i realize this playlist has been up forever, and i'm sorry. i'm sick of it too. but with the vacation, then the event, then trying to get caught up on everything else (i still haven't begun unboxing my office), i just haven't gotten around to it. bear with me.

unsent letters

i am onsite at an event today, which has me working for the rest of the weekend, and i'm already bored. there is only so much you can do when you aren't in your office.

i started clearing out my email, and happened upon my drafts folder. then i had a brainstorm.

i find i am most comfortable expressing myself through the written word, so sometimes, when there's something i really want to say, i write a letter. sometimes those letters get sent, and sometimes they don't. in fact, more often than not, i find that the excercise is cathartic enough, that the follow through is less important.

but as i was reading some of these unsent letters in my draft folder (some of them up to 5 years old), i realized that some of it is pretty good stuff. it caused me to wonder how many others do what i do. do you write letters you never send?

i think there are a few of you--which gave me this wacky idea. wouldn't it be fun to have a blog consisting solely of unsent letters??

i certainly think so, and you are all here for my amusement afterall;)

so, this is the request, send them to me!! everything will be posted anonymously unless otherwise specified. make sure you change the names where appropriate--i will assume you have already done so.

when i've got a couple, i'll post the link.

covers

this whole covers thing got a little out of hand. please don't be offended if i didn't use yours. i had to stop myself.

nonetheless, i think this is a pretty killer playlist. hope you enjoy.

a call for covers

i'm working on a playlist of covers only. if you have a favorite, or a few, leave them in the comments section. if i can't find them, i will hunt you down.

new look

it was time that the blog got a facelift. i'm only posting this for those of you using bl that won't otherwise know:)

why am i blogging?

it's the day before an event, and any sane event planner would not be blogging. but see, here's the thing: give me a hundred things to do and a month to do them, and maybe 75 will get done. give me a hundred things to do and a week to do them, and 150 will get done. consider this #121.

i won't be blogging over the course of the next few days as i will be incommunicado tomorrow, and then it's on to nashville with the girls early friday morning, and i simply could not wait to post these pics.

kendyl went with nana and papa to ny for new year's, and aunt diane (my aunt, not kendyl's, 'cause that woud be me) took some fabulous photos of her. incidentally, diane is also helping me out with a little 'project' which many of you will soon be beneficiaries of. that's all i'm sayin'.

okay, so here are the pics. (p.s. nova-ers, isn't this one of the most beautiful snows we've ever had!)

anonymous posting...

k folks, i have disabled anonymous posting. not because i don't want those of you who prefer being anonymous to stop posting comments--in fact, i really hope you don't, but because there have been a lot of lurkers lately, and there is no need to be shy. we're all friends here!

so come on...you can do it...nothin but smiles and open arms...