hearts+stars

Lottie update

2012-02-11T15:12:00.000-08:00

An adorable card for Lottie by Perry. We visited her this morning, her recovery isn't going especially great. Lots of love in my heart and mind for my puppy!

Poor Lottie

2012-02-10T16:06:00.000-08:00

Our poor baby Lottie is at the pet hospital after having surgery this morning. Last night she hurt her back and was unable to use her back legs. She will most likely recover but this is the tough thing about having dachshunds; the breed is prone to back injuries and the surgeries are very taxing. I am a little distraught at the thought of having to keep Lottie from jumping from chair to couch to ground and back again. She is a spitfire pup who loves chasing her toys. She plays this great game where she wraps her ball in an old blanket and tears it around until the ball flies out- sometimes hitting us unexpectedly! She is such a joy to have around and it will be upsetting to watch her struggle through her recovery. But I'm thankful to have her alive!

Letters from friends

2012-02-07T20:50:00.000-08:00

handmade cards for the holidays

I love handwritten letters, and I am lucky enough to have friends who oblige me with a steady stream of notes in the mail. Of course, this means that they live too far for me to catch up with them in their daily life, but receiving a thoughtful, tangible item from someone you love is a solid substitute.

I received a great letter today from a dear frisbee friend, Staci aka "Stanley." She joined the Air Force and is currently completing basic training. This makes frisbee friend #2 to join the military (the other is Nicole with the National Guard). I am so grateful that Stan is sharing her life with me, and I am so proud of her! Not only is she amazing for committing to the Air Force, but she is also "element leader," which she claims has a lot to do with being in marching band in high school! (I was in marching band, too- go band!)

This letters also affected me so greatly because I am particularly affectionate to my friends today, for many reasons. One reason that I will share with you is that I move on Monday to begin a new job. And I figure, if Stan can be an element leader in her Air Force basic training, I can be an outdoor instructor in Marble Falls!

Thanks Stan, for help me channel the willpower and confidence to make this change in my life!

Votes 4 Women

2012-02-03T17:01:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Well dang! Mere hours after writing this post, Komen reversed their decision! I thought it might end this way, but I didn't think it would happen so soon.

I read a unique article from Austin Culture Map about Komen's decision to pull its Planned Parenthood funding this past week. I could write a few paragraphs about my own opinion, but this op-ed says essentially the same thing and in a much more clever way than I could hope to invent on my own. I will say that it is going to be interesting to see how this all plays out; the most interesting event that has unfolded is New York mayor Bloomberg pledging $250,000 to Planned Parenthood to close the gap created by Komen not renewing its grant.

My final statement: I was disappointed that Komen seemed to choose politics over collective women's health. It will be difficult for Komen to change my opinion here, but I'll still follow coverage to see what happens.

Honk Kong Pt.2

2012-01-28T11:00:00.000-08:00

I was grateful to get back to Hong Kong. Although the hotel was luxurious, the food amazing, and the historical sites excellent, I am so much more comfortable in 70 degree weather! We had a great list of things lined up for my last few days in Hong Kong.

First on our list was a hike; out of all of Hong Kong's featured geoparks, we chose to visit Ssi Kung and hike an 8-mile section of the MacLehose trail. 8 miles definitely turned into 10 miles, and maybe 12... an amazing adventure but goodness! We rode the bus for almost an hour to get to the park, climbing up and out of the city to a more floral area out of Kowloon.

Parks are different in Hong Kong, and Suede says that HK only just began advertising for their parks a few years ago, maybe in 2009. The trails vary from urban to primitive in mere miles, which sounds not all that crazy at first, but from my experience, the contrast to US parks within a single hike was much, much more pronounced. Conservation appears to be a new field to HK, and the trails weren't always up to standards held in the US. I feel qualified to say this since I just got off a year doing trail work for Texas Environmental Corps, so don't think I'm judging unfairly!

The geopark was perhaps the most unusual attraction I visited on my trip to HK. It is mere miles outside the city, but it is a whole other world. Suede couldn't believe the pristine coastline and bays, it was so unlike the Hong Kong she grew up knowing. I suppose residents of HK can truly escape the crowded city in favor or the rugged outdoor experience provided by the geoparks. Pretty cool, actually!

A top attraction on the list was the Tian Tan Buddha, or Big Buddha. The surrounding area has changed a lot over the past few years; an entire village was built at foot of the statue, complete with food and souvenir shops. A gondola lift takes you over Hong Kong to the village; when I spoke to one of Perry's friends about my trip he had no idea what I was talking about, and he had visited HK in 2001. The gondola offered incredible views of the bay; it drizzled on both our rides and it was beautiful. The village was touristy, but it was obvious the Buddha and temple were the real attractions.

Suede and I on our way to Lantau Island, where the buddha is located.

View from our ride

While the Buddha was impressive, my favorite things on Lantau Island were the beautiful flowers outside the monastery and the Wisdom Path, which featured "escalating wooden pillars"(I read that somewhere and thought it was a beautiful way to describe what I saw) inscribed with a Buddhist prayer.

Parting shot from Lantau Island: a stray dog slept among tourists.

My last experience in Hong Kong was the horse races, a real treat courtesy of Suede's dad. My favorite part was when we went down to the track, to see a race up close and personal. Down here, foreigners congregate and booze is everywhere; it's louder, but not necessarily because more people down here are into it. Instead, it's the experience is more social; tickets are very cheap and people come to drink and talk. In the bleachers and boxes above, people are more serious about winning- it's still social, but in a different context. Enjoy the collage from my experience below!

The plane ride back was again another experience without any troubles; I think had some issue when I arrived in Chicago, but that memory is long gone now, and replaced with memories of movies and freecell. I thought I escaped jet lag, but I spent the next five days on crazed sleep habits, including three separate naps on Christmas day. It took me a while to process my trip and sometimes I'm still in disbelief. It was wonderful to experience another culture in another part of the world. As does most of my travel, it made me appreciate my home and family, and in this case American culture. My advice: if you want to go to Asia, do it!

the holidays, belated

2012-01-22T13:53:00.001-08:00

the holidays, texas style, 2011, a little late

2012-01-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

Beijing Welcomes You: remember that song from the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in 2008? Yeah, me, too, and I got to have it stuck in my head for the rest of my trip. Only in another language that I couldn't actually speak. Kind of fun though.

I wasn't sure if I was ready for Beijing; I wasn't sure what to expect. I heard so many different things, but surprisingly most of my experiences were contrary to all that I was told. More than anything else, my impression of China via Beijing is best expressed through this quote: "Just walking on the street, you can see how fast China is growing," found in the Texas Alcalde.

This first image if from our tour bus. Not only was this my first big international trip, but it was also my first time taking a trip with a group tour. I was pleasantly surprised. Everyone in my group spoke Chinese (most spoke both Cantonese and Mandarin), including our tour guide. Before we left HK I bought a guide book specific to Beijing. While she spoke, I would read in my book, Suede would translate a little, and I would sit back and daydream a lot. Being surrounded by people speaking another language actually helped me just experience my surroundings and take everything in, which is something I've been working on. Our first day, we visited The Forbidden City. The hazy horizon and layers of buildings led an eerie aura to the experience.

Our experience at the Forbidden City was followed by a whole new and somewhat overwhelming experience for me- a rickshaw ride through a hutong neighborhoods. Hutongs are characterized by narrow, winding alleys weaving through one-storied buildings occupied by whole families. These homes are traditionally centered around open courtyards where families congregate. In the past 10 or so years, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the hutongs and their destruction by the government to build new structures. A lot of this happened in preparation for the Olympics, and many consider it a destruction of an important facet of history and culture in Beijing. It was a unique experience, to view these hundred-year-old homes and the people who lived in them, riding bikes, walking to the shared bathrooms, doing laundry.

For dinner, I had another brand new experience, this one less overwhelming as it was delicious. We went to this strange shopping mall called "The Place," that had a covered walkway. The ceiling was a huge screen featuring a winter wonderland and also Justin Beiber music videos. Dinner was hot pot, which is a traditional way to serve food. The setup was less than traditional, as each guest had their own pot and coals instead of everyone sharing. Each table got plates of different meats- lamb, beef, fish, chicken- and vegetables. You cook the meat yourself on your steaming bowl. It was awesome, but I found out later that I much prefer the more traditional setup of hot pot. After dinner we walked around the shopping mall and visited the famous Dong'anmen Night Market, where you could buy one of the treats below (live scorpions!) and the vendor would dunk it in boiling water and serve it to you. (Hot pot to go?!)

The next day we went to The New Summer Palace. It was built just for the Empress at the time, and apparently she didn't even walk the beautiful grounds, as we did- she was carried. I'm sure it was beautiful in summer, but it was sure cold when we were there. The palace is next to the man-made Kunming Lake, and features the artificial Longevity Hill (made from the dirt excavated when creating the lake).

Kunming Lake

After we traveled to the old CCTV tower, a tourist attraction we were later made fun of by a friend we met up with in Beijing. But it was actually pretty cool, mostly because of the spectacular view provided of Beijing at the top of the tower. It was another freezing, windy adventure up there!

Beijing from above

Our group then received entrance to the Olympic venues- the Bird's Nest and the Water Cube. Knowing the controversy that surrounded the Olympics and hearing about how much Beijing has changed in the past 10 years provided me with a lot to think about. The unique architecture was incredible, but weighing this against the destruction of people's homes and lifestyles made me less sure of the positive impact of the Olympics in Beijing. Then again, Beijing is much more open to the world now, there are more economic opportunities- but there is still major media censorship, so again, I'm not sure how I feel about the effect of the Olympics.

It was still kind of awesome to see where Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at the Summer 2008 Olympic games.

Suede and I with the mascots of the Bird's nest

The following day was a big one- we were going to the great wall. As Mao said, "You're not a man until you've been to the great wall." And I was ready to become a man. First we had to visit the Ming tombs (I'm not very into seeing where dead people are buried), and a sales pitch for jade. Jade is pretty incredible, but very expensive, so nothing was purchased. Lunch was phenomenal- look at all those dishes! Incredible! Food is spicier in northern China than in Hong Kong and other southern parts of China.

Finally, we set off for the great destination. The closest portion of the Great Wall is about 40 miles away, and it takes about an hour to drive out there. I settled into the ride and enjoyed the beautiful countryside. All of a sudden there it was! And I can personally attest that in person the initial view of the great wall is just as impressive as they say it is.

The wall is very steep, and sometimes a single step is as tall as my feet to my knees. It also provides glorious view of the surrounding landscape, and I could also just see the cityscape of Beijing in the distance, which was a stunning juxtaposition to the rustic countryside.

It was very cold up on the wall, but it was such a hike that Suede and I warmed up quickly and were sweating in our winter coats. At one point, snow flurries began to appear in the sky, which was a real treat for a girl from Texas. Another treat- I did indeed get asked by two young boys if I would take a picture with them, and my tour guide laughed and said "model." That's me- the blonde model. Ha.

The next day our main attraction was Tiananmen Square. I wasn't exactly nervous about visiting the site of the 1988 massacre of student protesters for democracy, but I didn't know what feelings to expect or what information I would be given about the site. To speak of the event is not illegal but it is taboo, and Mao is highly respected in China, even in Hong Kong. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense, but it was something to adjust to and did make me think about and respect my own country more.

This day was also filled with more people trying to sell our tour group stuff- silk and traditional Chinese medicines.

The final great tourist attraction was the Temple of Heaven. By the time we got to the actual temple, the sun was setting. It was so cold, but dusk was a beautiful time to view the temple.

That night we were taken out by a friend of a friend of Suede's who lives in Beijing. We ate traditional Mongolian hot pot, It was a much more rustic experience than the first time I ate hot pot and it was great! Suede told me that not a lot of foreigners like hot pot because everyone eats out of the same pot, everyone's food is altogether. I'm the opposite- I loved it, and loved how social this makes the experience. I ate more meat on my trip to China than I have in probably the last five years, and I tried many new meats, including lamb, beef tongue, duck, chicken joints and legs, turtle jelly. This night was no exception, where I tried the restaurant's specialty, which was some part of an ox that I am refusing to search for on the Internet. Joe (the friend who took us out) said that this restaurant was a typical Chinese eating experience: lots of people crowded in the space, very loud, and lots of food.

After dinner we had a lot of trouble getting a cab to return to the hotel, and while this was an experience I rather would not have had, it showed me how bad traffic is in Beijing and how long it takes to get anywhere in the city. Most estimates I heard were that it pretty much takes an hour to get anywhere in the city.

One last image from Beijing: Tiananmen Square at night, the dark spotlighting the giant portrait of Mao even more than in the day. Beijing was quite an experience; traditional culture contrasted with modern technology and lifestyle, nearly 20 million people competing for space on the roads, and massive shopping arenas next to famous night markets. The food was delicious and the historical sites were incredible, but I don't plan to move to China anytime soon:)

life story in pictures

2012-01-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

1988-2012

2012: A Year of Thanks

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

I read an article in Parade magazine about how increasing your gratuity to those around you increase your own happiness and good fortune. I firmly believe this message. I already love writing letters but will make it a point to increase my number of thank yous in 2012. Although I don't think I'll start counting my thank yous any time soon...

Hong Kong

2011-12-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Okay! It begins. I recently returned from a two-week trip to China: Hong Kong, Macau, and Beijing. I was afforded this opportunity by my dear friend, Suede, who spent a good amount of her youth in Hong Kong. Due to the fact that it's Christmas and I've been sleeping until noon (noon!!!), I've had some trouble getting my thoughts together to blog about my trip. But the longer i wait the harder it will become!

I left Austin Wednesday, Dec 7. I should note here that I had ran a marathon two days before, and was a little worried about my condition on a 14 hour flight. Fortunately, I was recovering well and it really wasn't a big deal. Everything went really smooth.

Our first full day in Hong Kong consisted of lunch in the ICC (International Commerce Center), the tallest building in Hong Kong, second in the world. While there is a taller skyscraper in Taiwan, the elevator at the ICC is faster... so take that Taiwan. We ate at a six-course (I think it was six) meal at a Japanese restaurant, and I was very impressed. It was the beginning of a long list of new foods for me.

We traveled via turbo jet to Macau after only one night in Hong Kong. The trip (turbo jet tickets, driver, hotel, show, dinner) compliments of Suede's friend Daisy, or rather Daisy's boss.

Macau is like the Las Vegas of China. Like Hong Kong, it is an SAR (Special Administrative Region); it is also a former Portuguese colony, and everything is translated in Chinese, Portuguese, and English.

The show was The House of Dancing Water, a remarkable show combining diving, acrobatic, and dancing to a dizzying and dangerous effect. Oh, and motorcycles. I could have done without the wandering plot, but the diving and acrobatics were very impressive.

After the show, we ate at Antonio's, a famous hole-in-the-wall Portuguese restaurant. The best part was when Antonio himself came out to the dining area and prepared his famous crepes.

After dinner, we drank free champagne at Cubic, Macau's newest, hottest club (so I'm told). Then we headed to our free suite at the Wynn Hotel- this was probably the most spontaneous, high-end, FREE vacation I will ever have.

Our return to Hong Kong included a bus ride to the apartment complex Suede grew up in, and winding walk down to Victoria Park. I especially like the central public library and tossing the frisbee in the busy park.

Later that day we stopped by Detour, a massive art installation held at a most unique venue. The show was at the former living quarters for married policemen. Dorm-like rooms featured different artists, each creating a piece around the theme "Use-Less." My favorite exhibits included huge collage/portraits made of film canisters and a Christmas tree made out of old computer parts.

After Detour, we made our way to Clockenflap, a music and arts festival. It was like ACL, but smaller and with more foreigners, and bands singing in multiple languages. We heard this fun band from Beijing, featuring a wild woman wearing a red dress.

That night we went to the famous Temple Street Night Market. After perusing the booths, we ate seafood with Suede's dad. While eating, I had a great view of some souvenir street signs, translated from Chinese to English. Take a closer look at the quotes; my favorite is probably "your my love my angle don't treat me like potato" (and there's no typo).

The next day we checked out Hong Kong's Avenue of the Stars, which follows a very pleasant boardwalk. The highlights were Jackie Chan's handprints, schoolchildren interviewing me to practice their English, and a red bean-flavored soy drink. This day ended early, because we had to prepare for our departure to Beijing early the next morning!

poppers!

2011-11-20T20:18:00.000-08:00

Runnin' the Rock

2011-11-15T20:37:00.000-08:00

I'm running the Dallas White Rock Marathon on Dec.4! If you would like to contribute to the cause of the run, please do so under my name. The marathon benefits the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital- a leader in the treatment of pediatric orthopedic conditions; worthy cause for kids. Thanks! (and wish me luck!)

You can visit this website to donate or use the form below:

2011-11-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

2011-11-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

my lithops are blooming AWESOME

i can do it myself

2011-11-01T19:07:00.000-07:00

friends will be friends

2011-10-29T17:02:00.000-07:00

no pancakes for you

2011-10-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

texas

2011-09-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

Bawston: friends edition

2011-09-18T09:26:00.000-07:00

I miss my ladies already

2011-09-18T09:15:00.000-07:00

one of my favorite family photos

San Antonio Missions

2011-09-03T18:12:00.000-07:00

to the beach!

2011-08-19T19:54:00.001-07:00

Guadalupe Mountains

2011-08-14T13:29:00.000-07:00

I recently had the opportunity to travel to the Guadalupe Mountains for two weeks for work. We removed an invasive called wooly mullein; tedious work but I couldn't ask for a more scenic field site. Sweet! When I returned, it was back to the grind with a new batch of students at AYW...

camp

crew

Guadalupe Peak overlooking El Capitan

Texas madrone

Indian paintbrushes

rain

do work

hike

Top of Texas

2011-08-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Guadalupe Peak

8.4 miles

8, 749 feet

3,000 feet elevation gain

2011-07-17T20:24:00.000-07:00

Women's Ultimate. Community. Competition. Empowerment. Without Limits.

I wrote this article for Michelle's company, Without Limits.

For those of you who haven't heard of Without Limits, see website and mission statement for more details!

2011-07-13T21:44:00.000-07:00

San Marcos

2011-06-30T08:53:00.000-07:00

Stonewall, TX

2011-06-30T08:46:00.000-07:00

take me to the river

2011-06-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

for my mama's birthday we spent the day in Gruene;

not much to say about the relaxing day except it was lovely!

2011-06-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

love my baby

2011-06-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

beautiful flowers from p:) brightened my day last week

2011-06-04T22:48:00.000-07:00

disclaimer.mom or dad took these photos in probably the 80s

2011-06-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

well if this doesn't make you shed a tear then maybe you have no heart!

Seminole Canyon

2011-05-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

ocotillo

2011-05-05T22:35:00.000-07:00

a bad-a desert pant I saw a lot of this past week. I think it's awesome, especially this time of year with the leaves and blooms, but most people are freaked out by the large thorns that also cover the branches... yeah.

2011-05-01T16:59:00.000-07:00

listen

after p's mom died I would listen to this on repeat, trying to channel yoshimi's strength... it sounds silly, and I don't know why I'm thinking of it now, but somehow it helped.

knights of columbus!

2011-04-27T20:05:00.000-07:00

Blanco

2011-04-12T18:18:00.000-07:00

from p

2011-04-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

haiku for my best friend

listen my dearest

please remember our best times

our time is coming

American YouthWorks

2011-04-03T19:00:00.001-07:00

Recently, my place of employment, American YouthWorks, was featured on the front page of the Austin-American Statesman. The article explains the current financial struggles the non-profit charter school is going through and the changes it is making to survive. I hope the school continues to make the necessary improvements, for the sake of all current students, future generations, and specifically the seven members of my crew.

If you are so inclined, American YouthWorks is conducting a fundraising drive through giveplanet.com. It is also possible to make donations through their website. While it would mean so much to me and my students if you donated, all I can really ask is that you at least take time to read about American YouthWorks and all it does for the students struggling to finish high school- this includes teen parent classes and day care services, green job training programs, and a variety of counseling services.

If you want to know more about American-YouthWorks, or my role within the Environmental Corps program, please contact me and I'd love to share. For now, I'll tell you that last Friday we ventured to Urban Roots and helped plant eggplants, mulch tomato plants, and remove Johnson grass from lettuce heads. The following Friday we used chain-saws, loppers, and our own hands to clear a fence-line at a Travis County park.

photo: Taken at the Turkey Creek Trail at Emma Long Metro Park. We completed a 1,000 ft reroute. This photo was taken by an Austin Parks Foundation representative.

disclaimer: the views expressed in this blog in no way represent or reflect the views of Americorps or American YouthWorks. My views and opinions and statements are my own.

Chaco Canyon: it was on my bucket list

2011-03-29T19:57:00.001-07:00

While visiting family in Albuquerque, I had the opportunity to fulfill one of my life's goals and visit Chaco Cultural National Historic Park in northwest New Mexico. It was pretty much awesome and great to see it in person after reading so much about it.

You're able to walk inside the ruins, which is really cool. Some of the wood supports are the originals!- from as long ago as 850AD-1150AD.

The hike to view Pueblo Bonito- the largest and most popular ruin in the park- is pretty crazy. The trail is almost straight up, through the rock, as shown below. My mom is scared of heights so I was really proud of her for doing this hike with us!

This was our reward for our hike:

The ruins of Pueblo Bonito are in a D-shape. It was nice to have an aerial view of the ruins, to gain a different perspective of some features. For example, kivas: circular rooms, often below ground, used for religious ceremonies and as meeting places.

The ruins often blend into the natural surrounding environment... when we first drove into the park we almost didn't see the first ones we came across.

On our 5-mile hike, we saw fossils, pottery shards, Chacoan staircases, as well as many ruins. Some of the most interesting ruins are those that are only partially uncovered. These ruins are the most authentic to me because they are not altered. They require to modern support because they have been mostly left alone. Archaeologists suspect that there are layers of ruins below those we have discovered in the park- SWEET.

On the way back to ALB, we stopped for some Mexican food at a questionable place- Kiva Cafe, which was attached to a gas station. Lucky for us it turned out awesome. I ordered blue corn green chile enchiladas and of course sopapillas for dessert....it was a great way to end the day.

2011-03-24T21:25:00.001-07:00

my favorite

2011-03-23T21:29:00.000-07:00

2011-03-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

this poem is inspired by this song

the apartments where we spent my childhood together

the music you played when you were having a hard time

despite it all, I loved it all, I want you back

the photos I carry of you and dad are all I know

every moment, every memory, I now appreciate

despite it all, I loved it all, I want you back

there are many things I wish I had said

and when I see you after this life is over

I'll have the right questions to ask

despite it all, I loved it all, I want you back

#1s

2011-02-15T17:40:00.000-08:00

2011-02-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

"If you died, I'm going to make a soup out of you, and drink it. We will finally be one body then."

2011-01-29T09:49:00.001-08:00

Perry recently snagged a copy of the Dec2010 issue of Rolling Stone magazine for me, featuring the last and (until recently) lost interview with John Lennon. As an enthusiastic and at times fanatical Beatles fan, I have never held much interest in the John&Yoko relationship; especially not pertaining to the breakup of the Beatles.

But I have always believed John to be a beautiful person with beautiful music and a beautiful message to share. My perception was reiterated while reading this interview and within the context of his relationship with Yoko. Their relationship appears so poetic...but, in most cases, a poetic relationship is rocky, overwhelming, and consuming.

Mostly, I found the interview to be a loving tribute to John. The reverberation of his messages of peace are important to reflect upon during this time, both in the global and national stages. In Egypt, for peaceful revolution; in America, for a re-unification of opposing political parties. This article reminded me that while peace is an ideal easy enough to imagine, to institute it as a lifestyle choice is to make a peace a priority. It is a commitment most are unable to make, but I love John's music because it promotes peace as a plausible, intrinsic standard we all deserve and need.

Photo by Steph

do work

2011-01-22T21:02:00.000-08:00

Wildflower Center

2011-01-22T20:19:00.000-08:00

you know what I like- free in January

Knitted babies

2011-01-21T15:51:00.000-08:00

Last week I took pictures for my sister Jill of the adorable perfectly knitted baby hats she made for recently parent-ed friends. The hats are too cute for me not to share them here! Jill is very talented; if you want something knitted for a friend, I highly recommend that you commission her to do so!

NOLA

2011-01-16T07:16:00.001-08:00

I should have an entire post devoted to food.. mmm

Christmas family pictures because I wish it was still Christmas

2011-01-16T06:46:00.000-08:00

2010-12-28T19:35:00.000-08:00

the moon!

2010-12-22T18:40:00.000-08:00

cranes and coffee

Bastrop and Buescher SPs

2010-12-21T08:16:00.001-08:00

did some work for work here

Good vs. Evil: an embarrassingly long tribute to Harry Potter

2010-12-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

It’s no secret that I am embarrassingly attached to the Harry Potter series. Now that I have finally organized my thoughts and emotions surrounding the series, I decided that I wanted to share my explanation. Hopefully this post clariefies my absolute and ever-increasing fondness for Harry, Ron, and Hermoine, and perhaps it will even justify the fact that I pretty much cry through books 5-7. (I'm not counting on it).

First of all, it’s the ultimate battle of good versus evil! Throughout his journey, Harry remains innocent and pure of heart, although he continually tested by the forces of evil. I have an extremely difficult time understanding why some Christian families choose not to allow their children to read the series. The diction surrounding Voldemort and the Death Eaters in books six and seven directly parallels that in the Bible concerning surmounting mortal sin and the temptations of Satan. In book one, Dumbledore tells Harry that “death is but the next great adventure.” What is this, but a reference to what is to come in the afterlife? In the final book of the series, Harry visits his parents’ grave upon which he finds this quote:” The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” These ideas directly relate to a Christian-based moral standpoint; for those in doubt, it is also a quote from the Bible (1 Cor 15:26). Rowling also creates rigid limits to her magic, emphasizing the virtues of love and friendship over the supernatural.

Relating to the above concepts, I deeply admire the values that Rowling promotes in the series. In my opinion, there isn't enough young adult-focused media that presents good morals (love, friendship, loyalty, and triumph over evil) a priority. A good example of this idea is the Twilight series. It was the most popular mainstream series last year, and disappointingly featured mediocre writing and imagination, oppression of sexuality, and support of patriarchy. There is zero emphasis on values whatsoever (especially disappoint for teenage girls, who are already at risk to let their male counterparts dominate their decision-making capabilities. Last summer I reread the HP series immediately after finishing the Twilight series, and compared to HP, Twilight was bland, empty of moral structure or purpose. In contrast, Ron and Hermoine continually display the utmost loyalty and support for Harry, and Dumbledore repetitively brings Harry’s focus back to the love his parents left for him. A great example of Rowling’s focus on virtues is one of the last scenes in book 7, when Harry sets off to face Voldemort for perhaps the last time. By use of the “resurrection stone,” he is blessed with the half-presence of those he has lost (including his parents, Sirius, Lupin and Tonks). Their reappearance serves the purpose of giving him strength and reminding him of the importance of standing up for what you believe in. Rowling also strongly supports equality for all, as displayed through the conflicting stances on Muggle-borns vs. Muggles vs. Purebloods and the arguments concerning treatments of other magical beings (elves, centaurs, giants, goblins). This is comparable to issues in our own society- racial profiling, hate crimes, and most applicable to kids, treating others equally, even if they are different from you.

But I think the reason Harry Potter stays so very near and dear to my heart is because of how closely he reminds me of Perry. Robbed of both parents and painstakingly loyal, he is also remarkably humble despite his abilities and experiences. I used to daydream of having friends as dedicated as Harry, Ron, and Hermoine, when I finally realized that I have been blessed with one for the past eight years.

Something tells me this realization will not help with the crying-situation…

“It is the unknown we fear when we look upon death and darkness, nothing more.”

-Albus Dumbledore

2010-12-04T08:02:00.001-08:00

bf/website: http://phallphoto.com/

Checkit!

2010-11-29T19:00:00.000-08:00

baby camping trip.

three things made this trip awesome: thanksgiving leftovers, harry potter, and steph of course!

veggie burglar

2010-11-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

Monday night is veggie burger night! This is my own conglomerate recipe, I'm pretty proud of its success. (especially compared to last week's lentil burgers...)

Ingredients:

1 c black beans

1 c garbanzo beans

(cooked or canned)

2 celery stocks

1/2 onion

1 serving of carrots (I used approx. 8 baby carrots)

cilantro (optional)

1 tbsp oil

1/2-1 c oats

1/4-1/2

c cheese

Directions:

Chop and saute veggies with 1 tbsp oil. S

eason. (I only used salt and pepper)

Mash beans.

Mix mashed beans with veggies. Warm over stove.

When thoroughly mixed, add oats. Add cheese.

Form into patties.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Then grill to liking (approx. 3-5 minutes).

SA yall

2010-11-07T20:19:00.001-08:00

"Remember the Alamo!"

we happened upon a tour guide's speech just as he exclaimed these words

Biggest barrel cactus I've ever seen on the Alamo grounds

Outside the "Daughters of the Revolution" research library... we chose not to enter

Colors of the Riverwalk

Casa Rio,

a restaurant of my parents past that deliciously exceeded our expectations

Margs happen!

One last battle cry

...and then this happened!

2010-11-07T20:17:00.000-08:00

playing favorites

2010-11-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

jumping on the cooking bandwagon

2010-11-03T20:06:00.000-07:00

...sort of.

pan dulce con mi amiga loca emilia!

butternut squash and pumpkin soup

2010-11-02T15:35:00.000-07:00

Lithops!

2010-10-30T08:33:00.000-07:00

Lithops! I just read about these the other day, told my mom about them, and she came home from running errands today with one for me! I'm excited! If you couldn't tell by the exclamation points! Also called "stone faces," "pebble plants," or "living stones," these guys have the ability to recede into the ground during droughts, and sometimes sprout pretty little blooms in spring. Coooool.

tiny urban centroid

2010-10-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

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2010-10-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

Back Home

2010-10-16T13:00:00.000-07:00

These three pictures were taken at Butler Park...

And these were taken in my yard...

So pretty much I got back in town and immediately picked up where I left off... hanging out with my dogs and taking pictures of flowers.

Friends on the 4th

2010-09-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

overdue pictures of friends (July 4th 2010)

2010-08-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

These deceptively innocent-looking pups are manipulating me into feeding them two hours early... I must stay firm!

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RAGBRAI

2010-08-08T07:49:00.000-07:00

Missouri River ---> Mississippi River

2010-08-05T19:31:00.000-07:00

let's be real.

Iowa

2010-08-03T19:32:00.000-07:00

in flowers

century plant

2010-07-17T19:03:00.000-07:00

century plant/ agave scabra / maguey / mescal

I have been obsessed with this guy lately! I looked him up in Mom's totally awesome Texas wildflower guide today and it was quite the little information provider. Fibers from the spine of this plant can be used for sewing... groovey.

2010-07-17T19:01:00.000-07:00

these little dudes took over the dill in june.

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top of the world?

2010-07-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

No, just Austin.

2010-06-28T18:37:00.000-07:00

Seattle, last spring

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Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

2010-04-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

Zilker

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sorta kinda having a hard time

2010-04-13T19:51:00.000-07:00

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Wishing I was outside.

2010-03-31T16:04:00.000-07:00

Only two more miserable months of this!

"And I'll be free at last"

2010-03-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

2010-03-14T18:38:00.000-07:00

2010-03-03T18:51:00.000-08:00

2010-03-01T15:52:00.000-08:00

2010-02-28T13:18:00.000-08:00

failure

2010-02-28T12:30:00.000-08:00