Moved by Music

Do you remember when Grey's Anatomy did their musical episode about a year ago? I loved it. And the high point of the show was the featured vocals of Sara Ramirez who plays Callie Torres. She has performed on Broadway in Spamalot, and WOW did she ROCK it on this episode of Grey's. 


In this episode, Callie is on the brink of death after being in a terrible car accident. She was pregnant at the time, and her baby had to be delivered via emergency c-section, and the baby is also in critical condition. In this song, Callie's spirit is willing her body to live. I've seen this episode three times now, and I cry like a baby every time she sings this song. It's just so good.



It's not often that I am so moved by music, so I've been pondering why this song so speaks to me. I especially love these lyrics:

All of these lines across my face,
Tell you the story of who I am.
So many stories of where I've been,
And how I got to where I am.
But these stories don't mean anything,
If you've got no one to tell them to.
It's true. I was made for you.


The lyrics made me think about my husband so much, and what a blessing it is to have someone who walks through life with me, and who (God willing) will be with me for the great majority of my journey on earth. We spend a lot of time telling our life stories to one another, and of course we are also writing part of our story together. As I talked about it with Brian, he told me about a fabulous quote spoken by Susan Sarandon in the movie Dance with Me:

We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things, all of it, all of the time, every day. You're saying 'Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness.

I'm so thankful to have a wonderful husband bearing witness to my life, as well as my family members, and some dear friends. We all need witnesses, because all of us matter.

Return to Friendship

This morning, I attended a moms' group at my church, and it was really fun! About 80 mothers of young children were there. After the big group time, we broke into smaller groups of about 10, and they asked us why we decided to join. I said my biggest reason was for friendships. I still feel new to my community, and making friends is so much harder when you're home with little ones most of the time. Several of the other moms said the same thing and agreed that motherhood can be isolating at times.

I'm just really excited about what the upcoming year will hold in terms of getting to know some of these women better. I actually already know a few of the women in my small group, and three of us had lunch together this afternoon, which was really nice!

I'm encouraged!

A Return to September 11, 2001

I was in San Antonio getting ready to attend a funeral, ironically enough. Little did I know that our entire nation was on the verge of experiencing a grief unlike any we'd ever known before. As my Mom and I were getting ourselves ready for the day, we were watching Good Morning America when they reported an airplane crashing into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. An accident, I thought. But when the second plane crashed, I thought it must be an act of terrorism. Soon, more news of an airplane crashing into the Pentagon. And finally, news of an airplane that went down in a field in Pennsylvania.

I was worried we'd spend the entire day wondering which city would be next.

It didn't take long for the news agencies to announce that America was under attack.

I had moved back to Texas from New York City just two years before the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. I still had a lot of friends living there, and as I flipped through the rolodex in my brain of all my friends who might have worked in the twin towers, I couldn't think of any one. As it turned out, I had two friends who worked there. One of them was working in the New Jersey office that day, and my other friend had a doctor appointment that day, so she didn't go into work. Miracles worth counting on a day when so much was just so terrible.

Late in the day, it dawned on me that my former boss, "J", worked near the WTC, and I got all teary-eyed at the thought of the possibility that he might be gone. I called him for days and never heard anything back. Finally one day my phone rang and it was him...alive and well. Phone lines had been down in New York City, and it took him and his wife several days to get back to their rural home outside the city to get my message and call me back. He worked across the street from the WTC in the World Financial Center. He felt his building shake when the first plane hit. He went outside to see what was going on, and when he saw people jumping from the towers, he had to turn around and just walk away. He walked and walked all the way home (which was no short distance).

One of the strange feelings I had in the days following September 11th was the distinct feeling that I wanted to be back in New York. I wanted to be there to grieve with my former city. It took me two years, though, before I made it back to NYC, and I was there on the two year anniversary of September 11. I went with my friend to Ground Zero and saw people reading bios of those who perished in that very place two years before.

It was all so much to process. I walked to the nearest pay phone and called "J" at work. I got his voice mail. I just wanted to tell him that I was thinking of him because he was the person I was so worried about that day two years ago. As I began talking on his voicemail, I started to cry, and I was so embarrassed because I couldn't pull myself together. Finally, two years after the attacks on the WTC, I was grieving. Several months later, "J" called me and told me that he was out of the country when I called, but he wanted me to know that he so appreciated my message. I was so relieved because I thought maybe my tearful message was too much for him. He assured me that he didn't mind my tears at all. In fact, he said he saved the message and replayed it when he was having a bad day.

I call him every year on September 11th, just to tell him that I'm so glad he's my friend, and I'm so glad he's alive.

Return: To Spain

Today Rebeca is getting on a plane and flying back to Spain. We'll all miss her so much! We've so enjoyed having her as a part of our family for the past two months. I so appreciate what a huge help she's been with the boys, but mostly I have appreciated her friendship. If you hear someone crying over at our house today, it's me...I'll miss you, "Beca"!

Return: Volver

On Thursday, Rebeca (our summer nanny) will be returning to Spain to continue her university studies. What a fun summer we've had with her here! We took advantage of overcast skies and cooler temperatures today to do a photo shoot with her and the boys. Rebeca, thank you so much for all you've done for us this summer! You were wonderful with the boys and a great friend to me! We love you and will miss you so much!!!

Visit with Lexi = Fun! (not to mention new software tutorials!)

Well, my visit with Lexi was far too short, but so much fun! I feel so grateful to have had this reunion.  Here's Lexi hanging with J and Z!

Lexi works at the Genius Bar in an Apple store, and when she came to visit, she gifted me with a wonderful photo editing software program I've been wanting called "Aperture". And since she's a genius and all, she gave me a tutorial! YEA! Here is a photo I took of Jeremy before school a month or two ago:

In Aperture, I was able to go in and darken the edges, which draws the eye even more toward my handsome boy's cute face!

And here, I tried lightening around the edges, and I really liked the effect:

I can't wait to learn more about this cool program and see how it will transform my photos!

Thank you, Lexi, for coming to visit, for you friendship, and for this awesome gift!

Lexi, Lexer, Lexikins

All names/nicknames for my bestest college roommate who is en route to come visit me AS I TYPE THIS!

Lexi and I lived across the hall from one another freshman year in the dorms and we forged a great friendship. We decided to be roommates sophomore year and that worked out so well, we decided "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" and roomed together for the following two years after that!

She has been a faithful friend, and someone who I know will be there for me throughout the rest of my life. Even if we don't live in the same city, I know that if I need her, she'll be there for me. Thanks, Lexi!

We haven't seen each other since Brian's and my wedding, so it's been 3.5 years! I can't wait to spend the next couple days together and for her to meet my sweet boys!

Girl Meets Flat Iron

I've been meaning to do this silly post since my South Carolina girls' weekend in early May. My bestie Anne has these naturally curly locks. They're gorgeous and so is she!

Before:

When we were in S.C., our other friend May and I were flat ironing our hair, and Anne commented that she had never straightened her hair (and after all, why would you when you have locks like hers!) Well, May and I took turns with the flat iron (curls like Anne's are a group effort to tame), and--drum roll please..........

After:

It took all of us (including Anne) a little while to get used to the change. She could totally have an alter ego, huh?

TMI? I say, "Share on!"

So I just read this article about "Oversharing in the Workplace", which regales the reader with such horror stories as one worker having to hear his office buddy share a story about shaving his legs before a bicycle race, or another woman blurting out that her 16 year old son was conceived on her first date with her husband in high school.

All I can think in response to the article is, "Really? Have we as a society become so isolated that we can't handle hearing a male coworker talk about shaving his legs for a bicycle race?"

I'm not saying that appropriate boundaries aren't important, because they are. However, I think it's sad that we live our lives behind such well constructed walls that we find it hard to hear even such benign things as shaving ones legs for a race.

Okay, so admitting that you had sex on the first date with your husband might be inappropriate work conversation. I get that. But what I also get is that we are human beings with quirks and frailties, and I'm not sure that what we classify as "oversharing" really is "Too Much Information".

Maybe it's just a way to say, "Hi. I'm alive, and I fail, and I have joys and I cry sometimes. Am I the only one?"

What if instead of looking the other way while shouting "T-M-I!", we could look that person in the eye and say, "Dude! Did you have to borrow your wife's razor for that?"

At worst, we might feel uncomfortable. At best, we might make a new friend!

Para Mis Chicas...

I’m writing this post as I fly home from a week spent with two of my dearest friends. We had a fabulous week together in Charleston, South Carolina. It continues to be one of my favorite American cities.

As wonderful a place as Charleston is--and we went to so many cool places--my favorite moments of the trip were our evenings together at home when we just sat around talking, drinking wine and having dinner together. These dinners were Spanish style, of course, which means they included a big salad, a baguette, and a plate of sliced salami and strong cheese! In true Spanish fashion, these dinners usually got going around 9 or 10 pm and then lasted a couple of hours.

The three of us met in 2002/3 working for the same organization in Zaragoza. We became super close friends then and that closeness continues to this day. (And I really have no doubt that it will continue forever!)

As we parted at the airport, we hugged and cried and said our goodbyes. I’m blessed to have such special friends.

!Chicas, gracias por pintar mi vida de mil colores!

Charleston: Day 6 -- Isle of Palms

Today has been my favorite day of the trip so far. After a leisurely morning of sleeping in, coffee and breakfast, we went for a walk on the beach at Isle of Palms.

Tonight, we made predictions (and wrote them down!) about what our lives will be like three years from now when we hope to meet up again. May calls it "Three by Three"--every three years the three of us will endeavor to get together. We stayed up late talking. It was a rich time of friendship. I was a little sad this morning realizing that in two more days we'll all go back to our separate corners of the world (one of us in TX, one in the Carolinas, and the other in Spain), but I am so thankful and so content to have these women as my dear, dear friends. I love them.

I hope you all have a very Happy Easter!

Day 4: Angel Oak and Kiawah Island

Thursday, we drove out to Kiawah Island. On the way, we stopped to visit "Angel Oak". It is gigantic and beautiful!

Kiawah Island has a lovely resort where we had lunch...

And then we walked down to the beach.

May and I enjoyed a lovely walk 'n' talk together on the beach while Anne took a little nap on her beach towel. Doesn't she look like Audrey Hepburn in her little black dress?!

Charleston: Day 2 -- A Walk Through I'on

I'on is a new development, but the architecture is full of Old Charleston charm. Pure architectural eye candy.

Day 1: Arrive in Charleston!

The fun started right away when Anne greeted me at the airport with cachirulos for each of us! ¡Olé!We grabbed some lunch, dropped my stuff off at her house and then headed back to the airport to pick up May. On the way to the airport, we saw a rainbow that was 180 degrees!

Then we met our Spanish friend May who came all the way from Zaragoza. We're having a blast!

Semana Santa

I’m on an airplane as I type this en route to Charleston, SC, where my best friend Anne lives. We’re going to spend Easter Week together with our dear friend, May, who is flying in from Spain for a girls’ week! I’m so excited to see them--to have a whole week together feels like friendship decadence! The three of us met back in 2002/3 when we were all working together in Spain. We became fast friends, and I’m so thankful that we have maintained our friendships over the past seven years!

In thinking about this trip, it occurred to me that Anne and I have have spent one other Easter week together. It was Holy Week (or Semana Santa, as they say in Spain) of 2003. I was living in Zaragoza, and a group of my American friends/co-workers and I decided to take a trip down to Seville where Semana Santa is celebrated in grand style.

There are processions through the streets with giant floats depicting scenes from the original Holy Week:

Photo found here.

Operatic songs are sung in the open air:

Photo found here.

Women are dressed in their traditional headdresses:

Photo found here.

And then there is the most striking sight of all: the throngs of people walking through the streets in these hooded garments that look to my American eyes precisely like those worn by the Ku Klux Klan.

Photo found here.

It is a most disconcerting thing to see. I never could get used to it. After associating such an image with the most heinous and unsavory of aspect of American culture, it was hard to see it as having any other meaning, regardless of what country I was in.

As I came to learn, Spaniards have worn such garments during Holy Week for centuries. The hooded cloaks are symbols of repentance. I tried to get comfortable with that and to dissociate what I saw around me in the streets of Seville from the symbol of hate that hooded cloaks symbolize here in America.

But it was impossible.

I have always tended to diffuse uncomfortable moments with humor, and Anne still gets the giggles when we reminisce about one particular day of our trip to Seville when I leaned over to her and said, “Hey, Annie, purple Kluxer at six o’clock”.

I am now arrived safely in Charleston, and perched on Anne's kitchen countertop to greet me was this little trinket she bought in Seville those many years ago.

Nothing like a little purple-clad penitent to bring back memories!

Adorable Birthday Cuteness!

This photo is just a teaser. Click here to see more birthday cake fun from the party I shot this weekend! It will make you smile. You won't be able to resist his adorableness!

Photo by Starshine Photography.

Precious Baby Girl

One of my good friends is adopting this sweet baby girl. It was so fun to meet her today, to hold all eight pounds of her, and of course, to take her pictures. I think she's a beautiful model!

Click here to see my photography website.