Texas in springtime

Dragon Mood? -- tired by the trip, intoxicated by the beauty

We're just back from a trip to Texas. My dad would love his portion of the farm to look like 'Post Oak Savannah'. Here's one example of how beautiful it can be in the spring.

This photo was taken by Eric Pronske on Flickr.

the color of oh-so-kissable LIPS

Dragon Mood? -- a bit schizoid?

Lina and Yosh, my two chicks, my progeny, dearest to my heart, are at the farm in Texas this weekend. ~sigh~ Sadly, I chose not to go, so I'm experiencing these weird here/there feelings about it all. I've called them, hmm, let's see ... uh, five times in the past 24 hours? Yeah, I'm sort of a combination stalker and wistful, empty-nest mother.

SO-o-ooo, what can I do? What's with this photo over here?

This is the front door of the farmhouse. This is the door painted the color of some classy, sexy dame's LIPS. This is the door with a paint color selected by a MALE(!). This is the door that Paul and Aaron sanded, oh so lovingly, propped up against a tree trunk. This is the door I painted, oh so pleasurably, under a tree in the backyard. This is the door with the cool, soaring-swallows screen on it that Aunt Doris bought for her mama and daddy back in the day when money was tight, mama longed for nice things and daddy was too practical to spring for it. This is the door NEXT to the post that brought out the cursing, yelling part of me, all aimed at Aaron (another story that you'll never read here).

Isn't it pretty? Don't you wanna just KISS IT?

Happy Birthday, Aunt Doris!

Dragon Mood? -- cozy & warm on the internet

Saturday morning, once again home amongst the pine trees, now covered in soft, fluffy snow. We had a storm blow through all of lower Michigan yesterday that dumped various amounts of snow: Detroit less, mid-Michigan more. Thankfully, we didn't get hit with the worst of it and I was able to go to work yesterday and drive back here last night.

Today is my Aunt Doris's 84th birthday. So here's a BIG internet-ish, cyber-ific HAPPY BIRTHDAY to her! On a more 'grounded' level, I called her on my cell phone, sang "Happy Birthday" to her and we chatted for 30 minutes or so. It was a good conversation. What a woman! At 84, I'd love to have her spunk, her get-up-and-go, her optimism!

A returned slacker blogger

Dragon Mood? -- sleepily stunned at my long absence


Wow, have I ever been a slacker blogger! My last post was -- how long ago? -- three weeks ago? Hard to believe! I guess I've been a bit preoccupied.

One of the things I've been busy with is job hunting. Since my last post, I've applied for eight to ten jobs. At least. The good news is that I have a phone interview today for a job in northern Indiana. The bad news is that I have insomnia, it's 3:20 a.m. right now and I'm not sleeping. ArrrghH!

I think the even larger thing that has occupied my psychic space, so to speak, is my flying trip to Texas, to the family farm, weekend before last. Seven of us (everyone except S and Luke) flew down to the farm for the sheer joy of it, just to be with our extended family, aging aunts and uncles, and of course, to see our dad/grandpa.

It was an accelerated trip, and yet, the time down there felt like just the right amount of time, given the HIGH intensity of the gathering and all the attendant emotional drama that went with it.

What emotional drama you may ask? Angst over what airport to fly into; a stuck cow; tachycardia attacks from emotional anxiety; a swirling, spiraling toilet problem that ended in complete and utter sewer failure; misplaced cheddar cheese -- the list goes on.

But, in the same breath, I can cite lovely, enjoyable moments like sitting in the farmhouse kitchen on the old wooden bench, watching sleepy-eyed adults stumble into the tender morning bonhomie like they were five-year olds again, hearing Aunt Doris's, "Well, good MORNING!" greeting, smelling the tantalizing fragrance of Uncle Hemie's venison sausage, feeling the oh-so-familiar good energy as people scrambled about the house, walking down to the pond dodging the cow pies, seeing the blue, blue Texas sky, listening to people laugh and laugh and laugh with one another -- well, there were many, many moments like that, moments that thankfully far outweighed the 'problem' ones.

I must confess that I had entered the weekend with my own emotional trepidation, feelings that, for the most part, evaporated once I was with my family members. The weekend was lovely, just the kind of experience that I had hoped for even though I couldn't imagine nor visualize in the days preceding the weekend.