Prospero Ano

Since I have no idea where I'll be over the next few days, I thought I'd go ahead and post some New Year's well wishes to all of you. It's been a year full of momentous life changing events, and it's finally come to an end. Eric's new job, buying a house, moving, travels, funerals, pregnancies (not mine!), and lessons learned. The list seems small in comparison to the amount of memories and life crammed into the past year.

I wish you all the best for the new year. May you experience everything life has to offer. May your dreams be realized. And may you all find more love than you know what to do with. :)

And to ring in the new year, here's a mash-up of 2009's top 25 songs. Enjoy!

Must Be Santa

"Must be Santa" song + Bob Dylan + Polka + Wig = Merry Christmas Everyone!

For those who like something a little less crazy, check out "White Christmas" by Snowden on this website. I can't get over the beauty of this song. (Just push the play button, you won't regret it!)

And for more awesome Christmas music picks, go HERE. (Gotta love NPR)

And for some festive Christmas music streaming, go HERE. (Yes I am obsessed with NPR, okay?)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Singing Bird

It's been a while since I've been to a concert. Even longer since I've had my jaw drop open in awe at something. Both happened this week at a much anticipated (by me) Andrew Bird concert held at a local Episcopalian cathedral. The combination of music and echo and hallowed space made for a unique and breathtaking event.

We were crammed into the pews, but no one cared. It was negative something outside (does it matter much after -1?), but no one cared. It started late, but no one cared.

I was so moved by the intense passion he displayed and by his ability to layer sound after sound after sound, creating a rich, overwhelming sound. He used large horns to project the sound (versus a traditional P.A. system), which added to the whimsy and mysticalness of it.

To be moved by a single person putting all of their talent on display confidently and unabashedly is moving. What a wonderful memory.

And It's Not Even Halloween...

Could someone please tell the weather makers that it's too early for 2 inches of snow?! Here's hoping that this is just a fluke and not the beginning of a long and early winter season. Brrrrr......

Below are photos of my house and car on Monday morning when I left for work:

New Home Glow

Buying a new home (or an old 1924 one like I did) is a bit like getting a new puppy. It is such a wonderful day the day you get the puppy and you make big plans for how you're going to walk it everyday and train it perfectly and feed it the best food. You throw all your effort into the puppy and every spare moment is spent consumed with the puppy and the new happiness it has brought into your life. As time goes on, you still do your best to exercise it and groom it and teach it new tricks and commands, but you get busy. And before you know it, you have a middle-aged dog who has taken over half of the couch and is looking at you like, 'Could we talk about my diet and exercise regime because I have some concerns.'

Eric and I have thrown ourselves into our new house and we love it. Our social calendar is filled with trips to Home Depot and building shelves and unpacking boxes. We've made a master list of all the things we hope to do to the house in the short-term and we have some big ideas for the long-term. Our dinner discussions are filled with what needs to be fixed and what are dreams for the house are. And we are happy.

But it is funny to me to talk to those who have owned homes for a long time - especially those who have owned the same home for a long time. They are like the older dog owners who shake their heads at the new puppy owners. They say, 'Yeah, I said I was going to do that to my house too, but it's been 20 years and it's still on my to-do list,' or 'You don't have to do everything at once - it doesn't have to be perfect.' Well to them I say, 'Don't rain on my parade.'

I love working with my hands and putting the love and care into something I own. It makes me happy to make plans and have dreams and to finally be carving out a small place in the world for my family. And I'm so glad that I get to spend so much time with Eric doing it. So let me have my enthusiasm and my big ideas. We'll probably slow down eventually, but I'm in no rush to do it.

And yes, Harper, I promise I will use some of that new enthusiasm to take you on more walks. So quit looking at me like that...