little bits

Taco Deli Portobello fundido taco.  wandering downtown Austin.  the farmer's market.  a man dressed up complete with festive stilts and a santa hat.  $5 sunglasses from Progress Coffee.  dining out with the husband.  last day of house arrest for Noah.  sweating in December and anxiously awaiting the arrival of the cold front. 

 

I've missed documenting little bits of my life.  There was just a discussion last night among friends about how easily we forget the little things in our life.  So every now and then, I'm making the effort to take note.  Every little moment means something to me, and each time I go back to those moments.

Whether it makes me laugh or cry.  I'll have something to reflect on and a collection of moments to remember and embrace.  xoxo

 

 

Joni's Lucky Saturday Out in Downtown Austin

Noah spies on the neighbors...

Two Down, Thirty Eight To Go

Woohoo!  Day 2 of my 40 day yoga challenge was a sweaty success!  Yoga by candlelight in a heated room  is the great way to end a Monday.  It was definitely a harder class tonight, I can already tell I'll be sore in the morning.  I'm not sure if I'll post every day on the ole' blog or change it up and just put a blurb on facebook.  SO I'm just providing my disclaimer for all those keeping me in check.

 I wore a sweater with thumb holes today while on my morning walk with Noah - Yup, it's definitely the little things that keep me happy.

A look back to last year, around this time - sunlight captured on experimental b/w polaroid film.

Something New

I'm challenging myself to 40 days of yoga.  There is a studio that actually has this challenge starting next week - but I figured I should just start one of my own, just for me.  I've been hesitant to post anything on this matter, but I decided if I want to hold myself accountable, I have to put it in writing.  Honestly, I suck at sticking to these type of challenges... anyone remember my photo a day projects... yup, plural for I tried three times and failed each time to finish.  My reasons for this challenge are fairly simple really.  I feel better after I attend a yoga class - I need the outlet - I hope to deepen my practice - for the past two weeks I've been working on getting back into my work out routine so this will help keep me going - it really does help with stress - and well, I'd like my butt to look better in my stretchy pants.

Day 1 of my Yoga Challenge was a success.  I met at Black Swan Yoga Studio with Kara, after a movie and Amy's Ice Cream with Lisa - who declined the offer of sweaty yoga.  (if you work out after ice cream it cancels out the calories...)  I have thus determined that working out right after ice cream isn't the best idea... but damn chocolate and reese's pb cups were calling my name today.  

So Day 1 complete.  Yay!  hehe

On a different note, fall is in the air!  We were greeted with a cool, low 60s this morning and low humidity - so refreshing.

I leave you with two recent photos of some sunshine, a messy bed, and a sneak peek of slipper season!!  

Three Seven Four Six

how do you say goodbye to a home?
a place where the majority of your memories live.

my grandparents first purchased 3746 Highcliff in 1966.
it was the model home - purchase price, $18,000.

recently on the market for one day and now under contract for $140,000.
scheduled to close - September 24, 2012.

so how do you say goodbye?

 

 

we played basketball in this driveway - shot "three pointers" from back behind that huge tree - while listening to my boom box set out on the porch.

my grandparents lived here forever it seems.

I remember after school cartoons and snacks set out waiting.

when my grandparents moved to Corpus Christi - we moved in.

rented out our house just a block over...

because this house had the pool.

we lived here at least seven years before my grandparents moved back in.

and painted over the murals my mom painted in the hallway and dining room.

 

Papa built the back house by himself.

at one point I thought I could live out there...  but with no a/c... yeah, that didn't happen.

we were always warned to be careful with the mesquite trees all around the pool - thorns and barefeet don't mix well. 

that never stopped us from running barefoot in the grass.

racoons would come visit from the creek below and would scamper around the pool waiting for dinner scraps.

I remember a coyote came up to the back fence once - and just stared towards the house - still scares me to this day.

a turkey vulture met his untimely demise on a power line while we were in the pool once... snap, crackle, pop and feathers... it was amusing.



the old door that I wish I could take with me from the house that Papa built.

we had pool parties on this porch.

my cat, Suki, had four little kittens in here.

Papa always made sure my grandma had fresh roses in the house.

I don't think I ever got a chance to eat a fig from this tree.

the birds always got to them first.

but the fragrance of those leaves - I need to get a fig tree.



 

so many of my memories revolve around this pool.

the countless parties.

the floating turtle.

the "cheese board" that we put the kittens on and set them out to sea...

Papa bringing out a year's worth of soda cans so my cousin and I can fill them all and line them around the edge of the pool - I'll have to find a photo to share.

my sister tipping over in her floatie when she was little - legs in the air - and my grandma diving in to the rescue - clothes and all.

standing on my dad's shoulders while he walked to the deep end and back.

our dog, Callie, barking every time we splashed.

marco.

polo.

basketball in the pool.

my grandma and her countless video recordings - if only we could find them and watch them again - she would always try to get us on film while we were in the pool.

the sound of the pool motor and cicadas.

hoping a turkey vulture wouldn't swoop down and eat me.

the smell of chlorine.

spending so much time in the pool your toes go raw - and not even caring.

 

 

 

so I don't know how to say goodbye to 3746 Highcliff.

because when I say goodbye

this home becomes a memory as well.

no longer a place to go home to.

 

so long summer romance

i fell asleep under an old oak tree, swaying in the breeze on a wooden swing.  a down pillow to cradle my head, soft rustle of leaves and chimes of nearby laughter to help me drift away.  rays of sunshine and fantastic blue skies peeked through branches.  a little dizzy - drunk off of the mindless ecstasy of complete relaxation.

it has become a tradition to visit mason, a small country town on the llano river at the beginning of each august.  a farewell to summer and a vacation - the true essence of the word - no worries, no cares - good food and company.  

unfortunately i only took one snapshot this year - i just wasn't feeling well (still recovering from a cold).  but the time spent out there will always be a retreat to look back upon and to look forward to each year.

Wandering through an antique store in Mason.

vacation on my mind

enjoying a bit of sunshine after a series of grey days.  the countdown has officially begun for me - early friday morning i'll be leaving on a jet (blue) plane to NYC.  first trip to the east coast.  i can tell my vacation attitude has definitely started to sink in - concentration on anything is lacking.  case in point - i made specific plans to meet up with a friend to let her borrow a dress - well i got halfway to our meet up and realized i forgot the dress...  also, i can't even begin to count the times today i walked into a room with a purpose and walked out shaking my head not knowing what that purpose was.  i'm hoping to spend lots of time just strolling around central park, eating, shopping, eating, visiting one of the impossible project polaroid galleries and oh did i mention eating?.  i'm sure all the walking we plan on doing should offset the eating...  looking forward to getting some fun polo shots of a different view for a change.  i can't wait to share when i return!  

don't bright colored polos + sunshine make you smile?!  sending some brightness your way!

dark & stormy

my dentist sends out an insane amount of reminders for your next appointment.  i guess it makes sense because you schedule it six months out, but really - we get a fridge magnet, at least two paper reminder cards, and countless email reminders as the time gets closer.  well - i forgot to go this morning.  i got a phone call 10 minutes after asking where I was and when i wanted to reschedule... yeah - i felt like an idiot.  still do.  i don't know where my brain is these days, but i think it went on vacation without me.  on a different note.  i got caught in the rainstorm of the summer last night while on my way to meet up with friends for dinner.  i could barely see through the windshield the rain was coming down so hard - and of course i don't carry my umbrella around.  so when i finally did arrive at the restaurant, well, i got another shower...  i was soaked... a drowned rat... hey at least i was in all black - could have been quite the show in a lighter ensemble.  a margarita, queso and good company helped warm my spirits.  well enough random ramblings.  i part on a polaroid - taken in extremely low light just before the storm - obviously bad camera shake - but i like the tones - moody, blurred & not quite there - just like i feel these days.