Gift giving

 

Gift giving in it's most pure form is when someone gets you something that you want but that you have just barely ever said out loud but more likely just mumbled to yourself. 

This gift showed up in the mail on Christmas Eve from a friend. 

I want to be the kind of person that gives those kinds of gifts! I think the secret is notes and lists. Lots of notes. Like the dentist office does where they remember to ask you about the vacation you took.  Your friend mentions this or that over dinner.... You go home and write it down!!!

2013: Write everything down.

There and back again

Is Gandalf in the HOBBIT? I can't remember. Though I just read the book earlier this year. And I'm reading Fellowship Of the Ring now and my head is all scrambled with elves and hobbits.

But who cares?!?! Tonight, I'll find out when I go see it for myself.

To hell with New Year's Eve.... Cheers to tonight!
 

Ben R. Anderson, Sonnets

 

Was lucky enough to catch a look at these clay pieces by Ben R. Anderson at the La Jolla Athenaeum, Library of Music and Art. Many of the elements are formed using clay molds from objects in nature, but some are done by hand. Really interesting and beautiful work. 

Magic Christmas

With moving and being back and being gone again from our home in Austin... there wasn't  time to get out my 5 crates of Christmas decorations. 

We made do with this little kit we picked up. And after only a few hours, we had a little tree growing in our living room on Christmas day! Magic tree, indeed.

Road Trip

I wanted to share some pictures from our road trip from Austin to San Diego. We stopped in Las Cruces, NM and then Tuscon, AZ which broke the trip up into 3 days of driving -- or in my case, riding. The weather along the way was sunny and pleasant, making early December a great time, in my opinion, for a drive southwest.

The 80MPH speed limit in Texas sure made quick work of the longest stretch. The sunset over the mountains in El Paso was unforgettable. Tuscon is lovely and the saguaro cactus are such a sight to see, scattered across the landscape. I would love to go back there and spend some more time. 

The border stops between states was not something I had ever seen before, as a traveler of the east coast. It's serious business with lots of lights, cameras, and men in uniform. My orange from the hotel in Tuscon was confiscated by the authorities coming into California.

Any time you travel, food can be a challenge with controlling what you want to eat. As you can see, we brought along gourmet meats, snacks and drinks in our little cooler. And after a few stops, we quickly learned which chain convenient stores had the best set up --- like a hot tea and oatmeal station....which I didn't take part in but was happy to see!

All in all... I would say 'yes' to future road trips but hope I won't be moving again soon.
 

Farewell Austin, Texas

I moved to Austin in 1995 back when there was only one sushi restaurant and one coffee shop. My, how Austin has grown up over the years to be a fun, livable city with a lot going for it.

And with that......my husband and I are packing our bags and hitting the open road tomorrow for our new home. San Diego. Time for some new scenery, new places to eat and some cooler weather.

Cheers to you, Austin!