EL GALLO (DAY 7)

Day Seven. I hope you've enjoyed this little foray into my daily days.
Peace out, homie.



p.s. This is Aaron's impression of my artistic-y self-takes:

POSTURE (DAY 6)

This was Aaron's idea.

I JUST LIKE TO EAT THE BREAD (DAY 5)

I made bread last night.

And when I say last night, I actually mean in the middle of the night and into part of this morning.

At about 9:00 p.m. I got really excited about using the bread machine my mother-in-law let me have, and true to form, I could not wait and my brain turned to skittles. I got everything out and put all the ingredients in and pushed Start before I really knew what I was doing. About thirty minutes into the kneading and rising, after reading the instructions thoroughly, (my mom and dad will appreciate that) I discovered the whole process would take a little more than three hours.

So I set my alarm for 12:30 a.m., went to bed and got up a few hours later to take the finished loaf out of the machine. It smelled heavenly and was so warm. My mom had warned me that I'd want to eat the whole thing right when it came out of the oven. She was right. I couldn't resist slathering a little butter on a slice for a midnight snack.

p.s. Sadie's tail is on the mend. And Scoop is back in turbo mode.

HALCYON (DAY 4)

Maybe we don't have four seasons in Texas, but in my book there are always a few days, if not weeks, of transition between hot and cold. On these gloriously crisp, chilly-morning-warm-afternoon-cool-night days in the Spring and Fall I often find myself forgoing a lunch hour for an afternoon stroll. The streets quiet down after the rush of lunch-goers and the sun is lower in the sky creating slow, cool pockets of shade perfect for a siesta.

Today I walked down to Halcyon. I really like this corner coffee shop for several reasons, not the least of which is that they serve S'Mores(!). The shop-owners remodeled the place about two years ago and hit dead-on the funky, eclectic, laid-back vibe of Austin. The side that faces the street has two sets of giant doors designed to stay open on nice days so the inside and outside space become one. The walls serve as a gallery for local artists with the pieces changing regularly. The atmosphere has that special something which makes it easy to enjoy lunch with a group or just hang out by yourself surfing the Internet, people watching, daydreaming or reading a book - or in my case, pretending to read a book while you take self-photos.

Halcyon (Hal-see-yon): adj - Peaceful, Carefree, Untroubled, Golden
self-taken using the timer

SALTY DOG (DAY 3)

Yesterday morning Scott and Gillian called and asked if we wanted to join them at the beach in Port Aransas. An hour later we were in the car on our way! We arrived just in time to take the dogs on a beach walk as the sun set. Scott and Gillian have two labs and all four dogs loved running in the ocean chasing one another and trying to catch seagulls.

This morning, Sadie's tail was mysteriously immobile. Usually it is a curly cue and wags almost constantly, but today it just hangs limp. I remember that this exact thing happened to B,D,A&P's dog, Buck, and his tail came back online after a few days. I don't think she knows her tail is not wagging, so we're in a holding pattern to see how it's doing tomorrow. I miss her waggly tail.

We spent most of today on the beach and the dogs wore themselves out again. As soon as we got in the car to leave they conked out and literally did not move the entire four hour drive home. Not even to sniff a french fry when we stopped at Whataburger.

SPONTANEOUS (DAY 2)

This is me. On the way out the door to the beach! WOO HOO!

p.s. note my new shorter hair do

More tomorrow!

THE DAY I OVERHEARD CRAPPER (DAY 1)

Last night my firm hosted its 9th annual fundraiser. Coordinating and organizing this event is a big part of my job, and every year all of the planning and preparation I have done over the last ten months culminates in a wonderfully enjoyable evening.

We hold the dinner at a swanky downtown venue every year. It's a fancy old club on the top floor of an office building showcasing spectacular views of Austin. It's a place where politicians and high-powered business people negotiate over cocktails and dinner.

Huge J. Harvey originals hang on the walls along side funky abstracts by local artists. Plush arm chairs, rich dark furniture, ornate lighting fixtures and jazzy lounge music add to the ambiance.

I always love primping in the huge bathroom before guests arrive. It's so lavish and makes me feel like I'm in Paris in 1893. The walls are upholstered and there are two seating areas with ladylike chaises. The stalls are in another area and are each very private. And as you can see, there are ample opportunities to view oneself from any angle.



Do you like my pose? I learned that from all those US Weekly magazines - the most flattering position in which to stand and be photographed.

And how 'bout that beautiful string o' pearls? Yesterday morning I was telling my boss how I had tried to channel my sister's accessorizing sense, but in the end I just didn't have a necklace that would do. Luckily my boss happened to have an extra string of pearls with her. Voila! I think this would have Renee's stamp of approval. I was glad because you kind of feel like you must be properly adorned to enter this bathroom.

After dinner, as we bid our guests farewell, two women were entering the lavish lavatory. Mind you, these are two mature women who have just attended a fundraiser where they donated a nice sum of money and are certainly properly adorned. As they pushed the door open, I overheard one of them say exclaim loudly to the other "Well, I've got to see what a $72,000 crapper looks like!" I AM NOT EVEN KIDDING.

REFELCTION

I was recently looking in the mirror at my thirty-year-old self and pondering what I saw. Okay, I was really investigating a new pimple, but it did inspire this post, not the pimple, but my reflection. And "looking in the mirror pondering my reflection" sets the stage much better than "looking in the mirror cursing adult-acne."

So, back to pondering and what I saw:

a woman, who behaves as such only most of the time
a daughter to two of the most wonderful parents to ever walk the planet
a wife to a man who loves her unconditionally
a sister, the luckiest sister alive
an aunt to three children who explode her heart and constantly amaze her
a granddaughter, niece, cousin and in-law who is infinitely thankful for the family with which she's been blessed
a friend inspired by her Lovely friends Every. Single. Day.
a Christian on whom God is still working
a doggie-momma, surprised by her capacity for love for these animals
a smile that I'm proud of
a few laugh lines, which I've earned
a strong and healthy body that I will not take for granted
a seeker who still has much to learn
a bookworm who delights in the weight of a story
an eternal optimist, a glass-half-full kinda gal
a singer, a joyful soul
a person who longs to be gentle with her Earth

What I mostly see, though, are reflections of all the people who love me and make me who I am. (and some frustrating skin issues.)

I've recently been in conversations about the art of a self-take picture, where the photographer is in the photograph - whether it be the hold-the-camera-out-in-front method, with the help of a timer or by capturing a reflection. Jessica is a pro at the self-take - I think she's probably who unintentionally inspired me to start doing more self-takes.

For the next seven days, I'm going to take pictures of myself and post them. I have this grand idea that I will think of interesting instances in which to take the pictures and that they'll be reflections of my daily life and show glimpses of who I am. I think it will be fun and I like doing things like this because it makes me pay uber-attention to my surroundings and what is going on in my life. And because I'm addicted to my new camera.

Of course, you could end up just seeing random pictures of me eating pancakes or standing awkwardly beside what seems to be a topiary but it's hard to know for sure because my teeth are taking up most of the frame.

Oh, and it would be fun if anyone else out there wants to do this too!