Corner View : Four-legged

I can't help but be excited about today's topic! I've had pets my whole life- one black lab (Lucky), two chocolate labs (Ceaux Ceaux and Rusty), and one cat (Socks), all outside animals. Now there's little Rufus, the smallest and most social dog of them all, who cannot possibly ever get enough of people and is very friendly with other dogs of all sizes. He's always excited to see you, and I wish I could get half as jazzed about anything as he does about going outside. He loves ice, minty things (is especially good at finding already-been-chewed gum!), or snacks... the latter two of these he finds on his own when we go walking. He's about the most loving ball of fluff you'll ever meet!

Holiday Recap!

Happy New Year!

I went home after finals to enjoy a couple of weeks with family and friends. While I don't have any desire to return there for my own career/life any time soon, I love being from a small town in a region of its own, distinct culture. I love visiting periodically (hadn't been back since May) and seeing everyone I miss the rest of the year. I love eating, seeing what new things have popped up as well as the familiar.

Left: With the Amandas :)
Right: Jordan and Taylor with Nanny, who brought presents!

I spent a few days in Houston and one of the best parts of that trip was that I took my 3-year old godchild to her first movie (Tangled), and she sat on the edge of her seat the entire time. I ate at Armadillo Palace, which had a giant rodent out front. Back home I saw old co-workers and high school and college friends. I went to the shooting range and managed to avoid the mall. My dad even watched the pooch for a couple of days while I visited Baton Rouge, and if you know anything about my dad or his stance on inside animals, this is a pretty big deal. Overall, I had a really nice time and while I wasn't ready to return to DC, it was a pretty fulfilling time in the South. I even did pretty well for Christmas, which isn't the norm once you're past adolescent years it seems. I may've been most excited about my new gumbo pot (or stock pot, as is the non-Cajun name for it ;), but there were some other goodies to love as well. Now I need to make a gumbo!!!

With one of several first cousins, Garrett

And here it is, 2011. A year that begins with 1/1/11 has to be lucky, right? With graduation and hopefully a new job not far away, I'm planning on just that! One more semester to go, plenty to get done in it, and hopefully a lot of enjoyment to accompany the undoubted onslaught of work. I will sit down at some point this week and rework my flowchart of life and probably make some resolutions to fit it.

What was the best part of your holiday? Do you have resolutions or plans for 2011?

Corner View : Traditions

Hello hello! I was on a blogging break in favor of finals, but am now back in my hometown and about to head out to see some friends... But not before I share with you my favorite Christmas tradition. As long as I can remember, we have gone over to my dad's best friend's house on Christmas Eve. My dad and Uncle Mike (who isn't really my uncle) have been best friends since they were little boys. Uncle Mike has 4 children, three of whom have their own children, and lives next door to his sister, who has three children, one of which has children. Most of the original group of kids are around my age, all of them a lot of fun. Neighbors stop in, as do other friends. It's always such a nice time to catch up with folks (especially as I don't make it home often and certainly don't have an opportunity to see all of these people in the same room unless it's at a wedding or a funeral), relive memories, get updates, share news, enjoy delicious Cajun food, and so on. This year is a little more special because my friend Katie, Uncle Mike's daughter, whom I have baby photos with, just had her own little girl I'll get to meet. I used to start looking forward to the occasion around July! It's also a good time for reflection and how much things have changed since last year, and how long ago, yet not, that seems.

I look forward to seeing how you spend the holiday... or other traditions you share!


For other traditions, check out:

jane - ian - bonnie - joyce - kim - trinsch - ritva - francesca - state of bliss - cabrizette - isabelle - janis - kari - jgy - lise - cate - otli - dorte - b - sophie - mcgillicutty - sunnymama - daan - ibb - pienduzz - kelleyn - ninja - sammi - theresa - cherry b - shokoofeh - cole - grey lemon - lucylaine - lynn - skywriting - anna - dorit - conny - l´atelier - rosamaría - victoria - tikjewit - juniper - annabel - valerie - merel - mlle paradis - wander chow - tally - nadine - don - flowtops - susanna - tania - dana - tzivia - mari - mezza - hinke - susan - guusje

Corner View : Miniature Worlds

The first thing I thought of when I read Cate's suggestion for this week's topic was the little people I know. This past weekend we traveled several hours south for the 6th birthday of my sweet niece, Mollie, and our first time to meet her brother Liam; it's always entertaining to be around the middle child, Lucy. Mollie's birthday party included decorating bags to hold all the treasures she and a friend would find in their fairy treasure hunt, painting and gluing wings on little wooden fairies, princess cake and ice cream, and an Italian dinner. Observing the thought processes and enjoyments of small people is really like being in a miniature world... not quite the land of Lilliputians, but you get the idea ;)

Liam, Mollie, Lucy

To check out miniature worlds around the globe, click:

jane, ladybug-zen, ian, bonnie, esti, sophie, cele, modsquad,

caitlin, joyce, ani, kim, natsumi, epe, kaylovesvintage, trinsch, c.t., jeannette, outi, ritva, francesca, state of bliss, jennifer, dana, denise, cabrizette, bohemia girl, isabelle, amber, a girl in the yellow shoes, mister e, janis, kari, jgy, skymring, elizabeth, allison, lise, cate, crescent moon, erin, otli, ida, caroline, lisa, dorte, kimmie, nicola, vanessa, britta, april, b, kyndale, samantha, kristina, goldensunfamily, sophie, janet, mcgillicutty, aimee, sunnymama, britta, juanita, inna, daan, myrtille, cris, ibb, jodi, gillian, travelingmama

athena, pienduzz, kelleyn, demara, mus, ninja, guusje, di, sammi, theresa, cherry b, victoria, kathryn , lisa, liza, juliette, mulot, anne, lucy, leonor, elizabeth, helene, dominique, shokoofeh, cole, jenna, podane, grey-lemon, line, nihal, urbaNiche, inner toddler, puna, lucylaine, adrienne, emily, lynn, skywriting, eliane, the wanderer´s daughter, carole, anna, dorit, kenza, sherry, conny, susan, l´atelier, elis, kamana, anne, rosamaría, marinik, elisabelle, victoria, malo, the yellow door paperie, tikjewit, juniper, ocean girl, emily, monica, marcie, annabel, andrea, valerie, karin, michelle, merel, pia, soisses, angie, adèle, latisha