Return: To Childhood!

Yesterday, my sister and I got together with our kids and took them on a carousel ride! I can't really remember the last time I went on a merry-go-round, but it was so much fun to relive the excitement and fun and wonder through the eyes of the kids!

Return to the '70s!

I have an audition this Saturday for a holiday musical that will have a 70s theme. For my audition song, I have to pick a pop, rock or disco song from that decade. I do believe that "I Love the Nightlife"!!!

Return: To Bliss

The day we got engaged!

One of my favorite engagement pictures taken at Laguna Beach!

Our Wedding Day!

Happy Honeymooners!

By the way, today is 9-10-11. Just thought that was fun!

Dirty Little Secret

A couple of months ago, Hubs and I decided to do a little yard work to pretty up our backyard, so we--and by we, I mean he (I gotta give credit where credit is due)--dug a lot of holes in our yard and planted a bunch of crape myrtles. They do really well here in the extreme Texas heat.

I thought that while we were at the nursery, it would be fun to buy a hanging plant to suspend from our bird feeder. They were gorgeous hot pink petunias that lasted about one week, and then they were completely dead. I wasn't sure if I over or under watered, but they were gone. And rather than heed my Mom's advice and return the plant to the nursery and ask for a new one, I decided to cut all of the shriveled blooms and leaves out of the hanging basket and replace them with some flowers that would never die. That's right, people, I bought fake ones and stuck them right in the same soil as the others!

Aren't they pretty? Even my mom told me they were beautiful, though, as soon as she found out they were fake, she rescinded her compliment. She doesn't do fake flowers. I, on the other hand, love looking at their loveliness when I wash dishes, and I feel smug knowing that it really doesn't matter if I remember to water them or not! It's a win-win.

Well, the other evening, as I was washing dishes and admiring my fake fleurs, I thought, "Wow! Those leaves look SO lifelike! And then this morning (while doing more dishes), I noticed some hot pink buds popping up through the falsies!

Dirty secret EXPOSED! Now what? Do I pull out the fakes and let the real ones live, or should fakery and reality live together in perfect harmony?

Uncle and Nephew

Sam came over to our house on Saturday. He and Brian were dressed alike, and they didn't even plan it! I guess great men have great fashion sense and that's all there is to it!

It was so adorable seeing the two of them swinging next to each other on the swing set. I'm not sure who had the most fun!

Based on the smiles on their faces, I think it was a tie!

She's an "E" on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

Last week was my sister's birthday. Happy Birthday, Jilly!

These are the only three photos I took of her on her birthday, and if they aren't proof of her extroverted personality, I'm not sure what more evidence I can provide. Also? She's halfway through her pregnancy, which means that not only is she the life of the party, but she's also adorably petite as she wins friends and influences people!

I think it's time for some therapy, because I'm starting to have that jealous feeling I did in high school when she was the head cheerleader, and I had to quit the tennis team because I wasn't good enough to make the varsity team my senior year. ;)

Seriously, though, sometimes I just have to laugh because I am the tallest person in my immediate family. My Mom, Dad and sister? All of them are tiny little pocket people! And I'm the Amazon Queen of the family. In case you need proof of this, I went to my sister's house yesterday after an audition to hang out with her and Sam. All I had with me was the dress and high heels I was wearing, and I needed something more comfy. Jilly lent me a t-shirt and pair of sweats she wears when she's pregnant...the pants fit me perfectly...just a little short in the length!

A Gal and Her Doggy

Last week, my mother-in-law and her beloved Dakota were here for a visit, and I couldn't resist taking their pictures.

Isn't Dakota the World's Cutest Dog?

(besides your dog, of course)!

He's very sweet and knows some tricks, too--

like how to "give you five"!

Buddies.

9 Chickweed Lane

I'm not typically interested in comics, but one day, when I was surfing the net, Yahoo featured a comic called 9 Chickweed Lane. The title of the comic intrigued me and the premise captured my imagination--it chronicles the lives of 3 generations of women in the same family.

Currently, the grandmother of the tribe is in the hospital with a long recovery, and she's recounting to her daughter the story of how she and her husband met. She was a USO girl during WWII, and he was in the Army. It is a touching story that has me checking in daily to hear the next installment. (Click on image below to enlarge.)

If you have too much time on your hands and you feel like reading through the recent archives, you may find yourself captivated by a genre that has never before interested you. I am a sucker for generational stories, and I love that this one is about the women in the family. And just to add an interesting twist to the whole thing, it is authored/drawn by a man!

It reads a little bit like a romance novel, but with more substance and wit. Just like in a good book, I began to care about these characters early on, and now I find myself checking in on their story and following their journey....

Reaching Across the Aisle

While watching the State of the Union address tonight, I became convicted that perhaps I have more left-wing leanings than I thought. Sure, I might be a card-carrying Republican, but I'm also a member of a union. Yes, I like my government on the smallish side, but I also want the National Endowment for the Arts to keep live theatre, well...alive!

The thing that really made me realize that I'm reaching farther across the aisle than ever before? Nancy Pelosi and I...

...totally have the same haircut! See?

Now I know you're thinking, "Please, Tracy, you have bangs and Nancy doesn't." But to that I say, "I'm trying to keep things non-partisan around here people! Sometimes you have to overlook the little differences to find the things shared in common."

Yahtzeeholics

When we traveled to Virginia for Thanksgiving, I played my first game of Yahtzee. Brian's family has been playing it for years, but this was my foray into the wonderful world of Yahtzee, and I was instantly hooked. We played everyday for the rest of our vacation.

I loved it so much, Brian gave me the game for Christmas.

His mom came for a visit last week, and again, we played it everyday. It's a lot of fun, and it doesn't require so much concentration that you can't chat while you play.

Here's a picture of Brian and his mom showing off her "snake eyes Yahtzee"!

Who knew this little game of dice would become a family obsession? I didn't see it coming, but I can't stop rolling for just one more Yahtzee!

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

What an amazing day we had today! It snowed here! It broke a record today for being the earliest snow Houston has had on record. Cool, huh?! This was the view out my front door when it really started coming down:

Growing up in Texas where snow is as rare as tumbleweeds are in New York City, I just can't get enough of snow. My inner child just lights up, and I was gleefully jumping around the house. Then I pretty much just stared out the window, because I knew it wouldn't last forever. After a couple of hours, our lawn was covered in snow. Here's the backyard. I love the irony of palm trees and snow!

Some of our friends came over this evening with their kids. It was so much fun. We had a fire going in the fire place, our Christmas tree lights were on, music was playing, and our friends made Mayan hot chocolate. It was so fun and felt so Christmas-y!

It's going down into the 20s tonight. Brrrr! But so much fun!

Grande Soy Chai Latte, Please!

That would be this morning's order from Starbucks!

Nothing tastes so perfectly like autumn and Thanksgiving to me as a soy chai latte. And the grande part? Well, that's just because it's so good, I wanted a little more this mornin'!

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Yikes!....

So, I was feeling like I needed a change. A new look perhaps?

I have always wanted to try this haircut and decided to go for it today. I have to admit I was in a little bit of shock for the first couple of hours after leaving the salon, but I'm getting used to it now, and I like it! Just thought I'd share. :)

Yahoo Yodel Contest...

Give a quick listen to the winner by clicking here. Totally amazing!

Murder Mystery Dinner: Last Train to Paris

Last night, Brian and I were invited by the mysterious "Guest Number 9" to a Murder Mystery Dinner aboard a train leaving Paris at 1800 hours. Not only did we determine "who dunnit", but we had a total blast with this group. Do these people ever know how to have FUN! (And in case you're worried that none of us have gotten the memo about the dangers of smoking, those would be chocolate cigarettes we're all puffing on!)

Let's meet the cast of characters....

This is Khover T. Ageante and Princess Idelle Chattre:

Duke Schwazhe B. U. Klare and Belinda Screete:

Our hosts for the evening: Barbra Z. Enhussie and Mal Conntint:

And Capt. Wey Awfcource and Mary Kohn Trairie:

Not only did our lovely hosts open their home to us for this evening, they served a multi-course French meal--all Julia Child recipes! This group goes to our church, and they have been dear friends for many years. Brian and I just adore them, and we love it that they include us in some of their fun gatherings!

Merci beaucoup, y'all!

Mary Poppins, The Musical: A Backstage Tour!

This is my friend Troy. His stage name is Troy Edward Bowles. He's the most amazing dancer I know. We first met each other eleven years ago doing a show in Utah called How the West was Won. It was my first professional show, and Troy became a good friend.

It is always a wonderful thing when a friend goes on to achieve great success, and Troy is one who has gone on to do amazing things! He's been on Broadway, played Radio City Musical Hall, and is currently touring with Broadway Across America's Mary Poppins! He's the dance captain for the show, and he also performs as a swing (covering many different roles in the show).

When I heard his show would be coming through Houston, I was so happy I'd get to see him again! Although he wasn't on stage that night, he did take Brian, me and our friends on a tour of the stage and backstage area!

Here are the chimney sweeps' brooms:

and the back side of one of the chimneys:

The theatre had the most amazing fly systems I've ever seen!

As part of our backstage tour, I got to sit on Mary Poppins' special device that makes her slide up the bannister. It was a little bit awesome:

Our friends and us at Jane and Michael Banks' home!

Jane Banks' doll house is a replica of 17 Cherry Tree Lane. Cool, huh?

The many umbrellas of Mary Poppins:

If you have a chance to see the show, iiiiiiiiiiiiiiit's supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! (You could say it backward, which would be dociousexpicaliisticfragicalirepus, but that would be taking it a bit too far, don't you think?)

Halloween Scrapblog!

Yes, it really smells that good.

This is my new favorite scent from Bath and Body Works:

photo found here

The back of the bottle describes the scent of Moonlight Path as "an opulent floral bouquet that captures the essence of moonlit strolls in lush gardens", which pretty much sounds like "blah-blah-blah" to me. I can't find the floral in it at all. It is a clean, fresh scent that is subtle and not too heavy. Here's what I think: It smells like the top of a baby's head just after bathtime. It is wonderful, and I'll be buying this for as long as B&B Works keeps it in stock.

A Night in Old San Antonio

The past week was San Antonio's annual Fiesta Week!  I grew up in SA, living there until I was 13 years old, so when I think of my childhood, I think of San Antonio. It has been 18 years since the last time I went to Fiesta there, but thanks to an old friend who invited my mom, Hubs and I for a visit, I got to experience it all over again.  This is my mom (on the left) with her dear friend Pat, who invited us to SA for the weekend.

Fiesta week culminates on Friday night with a big celebration in the streets of downtown called "A Night in Old San Antonio" (NIOSA). Droves of people came out to celebrate (including us)! 

NIOSA celebrates the culture of San Antonio--especially the Mexican culture that is such a big part of the texture of the city. Besides being packed with people, the streets are lined with booths decorated with bright, beautiful colors, selling everything kind of food you can imagine...

...including fajitas, burritos, and (yummmmm) churros!

One of the most fun parts of the fiesta celebration are cascarones!

Cascarones are empty egg shells filled with confetti. If you want to celebrate with someone, you crack one of those babies right on his head! I thought I'd be sneaky and indoctrinate Hubs with a cascaron to the head, but at the same time I was getting him covered with confetti, our friend Pat got me!

It was great fun, as you can see by the way I threw my head back laughing.

Yep, that would be me trying to get the confetti out my mouth that fell squarely in it when I threw my head back laughing.  :)

"Consider yourself indoctrinated!"

Here's another random shot of some girls who got an egg-full of confetti in their hair!

We had a great time. Many thanks to Pat for treating us to such a fun weekend!