and this is where I live

more photos from yesterday

And this was in the newspaper:

Utah is switching thousands of state employees
to a four-day work week to cut energy costs. (Associated Press)
The good news: You’re getting a three-day weekend.
The bad news: You still live in Utah (QuickDFW.com)

Can you say SNAP? (Well, I thought it was funny).

Also my cousin just had a baby. Isn’t Katelyn cute?

Surrounded by Art

Fidelity sponsored 3 days at the Dallas Museum where employees show their work pass and get in free plus one guest. Today was less busy, plus we didn’t have to pay for parking on the meters. Every time I go see art I can see something new or in a new way. Being surprised by famous artists who are known for one style, and seeing something else they created that is totally unexpected. I didn’t know that Winston Churchill painted. Did you?

There was this collection set up like a home with rooms. They recreated a living room, a dining room complete with table setting, a bedroom with shoes and clothing. They even used the architecture of the building with curtains on the windows. It showed paintings, furniture, all the components fit into this gorgeous presentation.

There were these skulls from the 17th century embroidered like pirates with bones on cloth . In that display, were these boxes of engraved pictures and opal like pearls reflecting different colors. They reminded me of small treasure chests that contained jewels. I automatically thought of Sharon and her Pirates of the Caribbean Johnny Depp obsession

My favorite section was the local artists. When I was there in April it contained work done by local high school students. Back then, I wished my kids could have seen the stuff that other teenagers created. It was an AP program where they got college credit in high school, for creating art! This section inspires me the most. Today I got all these ideas that I can’t wait to try when I go to my art classes in Portland. October seems a 100 yrs from now.

There was one painting of this woman,. It showed her face and body, but her chest was a skeleton. I read the description. It was the artist’s painting of his dying mother. He was visiting her one day, and he said, something like “I’ve never seen your eyes look so beautiful. I want to paint you.” In the picture her hands are clasped covering the place where she felt the most pain. It was her heart.

A funny thing was this huge class on some kind of field trip tour. We could sometimes overhear their professor speaking. It felt like he was behind us pointing out all the artists and revelations I had made to John 5-10 minutes earlier, like didn’t I just say that? Finally I asked a guy “Is this art school?” He said , “It ‘s art class, but not art school.” Well I thought ok, there is a difference if it was art school the teacher would so not be stating the obvious.

In the museum, I read a quote on the wall “There was a shock of recognition which put me into an entirely new orbit. I said to Sara, ‘If that’s painting, that’s the kind of painting I would like to do’ “ -Gerald Murphy

When we got to the car I asked “ Who feels like listening to Judas Priest? Cause I do!” And we did. Hope you had a happy Sunday!

Hey, hey, good-bye old house

Well they Fed-Exed the papers this morning@ 9 AM. John left work to come sign. Good-bye old house on Fowler Av, that I never really loved. I only sort of liked or loved parts of you at moments. I never intended to live in you for as long as I did. We had some very good and very bad times in that house, for was it… 13 yrs?
“You were mine…Just for awhile…”-PINK
Wow! Didn’t take long to sell, did it? All of those who thought we were crazy to wait until we left. Ha! Only took 2-3 weeks, and c-ya. So let that albatross be someone else’s problem.
We did, have some very good neighbors. Which in honor of them here are some photos. Oh, and the guy who lived across the street, with the kids and the trampoline. What was his name? Bradley? Last Winter he plowed our driveway. Just to be nice. Jim, Erwin, and Bradley helping us whenever we bought heavy furniture like the fridge, entertainment center, etc…

Martha who brought little holiday presents of thoughtfulness, and invited me to go with her group where we did the Chihuly exhibit, movies, singing etc. Erwin your soul is very kind and giving. With your ultimate garage with every tool and comfort for a man. You shared it all. You have more than average skills. That man can make some beautiful things. And not just out of wood. When I was too sick and could barely walk. Erwin brought our garbage cans in and off the road, and he also plowed our sidewalk and driveway, when John was in NYC. No more snow shoveling here in Texas (we hope)! Hooray! Erwin drove me to and from work everyday after the accident when I couldn’t drive myself. Then he continued to water our lawn after we were gone. When we were loading up the truck onto the trailer (a different guy who lived exactly across the street from us. I wish I knew his name)everyone who helped us.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!
“I’ll keep you locked in my head. Until we meet again…And I won’t forget you my friend. What happened…I’ll cherish… But I keep your memory…Who knew?” -PINK

At the Car Wash

We went grocery shopping last Saturday it was so neat to look around, and see all the different things surrounding us. I felt we really are somewhere new aren’t we? It’s going to be fun to explore and discover all of this.
While we were in the parking lot leaving there were some kids with signs yelling “CAR WASH!” We passed, and I said, “Let’s stop. John we really do need the car washed.” It reminds me of one of those books I read by some older guy who said to stop at every lemonade stand, and buy some. So we turned around, and they were super excited. Apparently were raising money taking donations for their church (which there are no shortages of here, all kinds of different churches). They were so cute like the whole family or group of people working together to wash the car all at once like a team. They were having a blast squirting the water saying “Thank You!” They spoke Spanish all around me, and I told them “You are washing all the dirt away from New Mexico and Utah.”
The adult guy says “You were in Mexico?”
I said, “No, New Mexico. We just moved here.”
“Oh, ok from where?”
“from Utah”
He said, “Now your car is black.”
I said, “Yeah you couldn’t see that under all the dirt. It looked grey.”
He said, “Thank You So Much!”
I said, “No. Thank you! You guys did a great job!”
He said, “Welcome to Texas.”
I said, “Gracias! Enjoy your Sabado! Right?”
As we left they all said, “God Bless!”
I told John That was the best $5.00 car wash. It was worth more than $5.00. Look at how good our car looks! They dried it. They cleaned the tires…
“Honey, thank you for stopping, it reminded me of home.” I’m smiling and laughing through tears. Welcome to Texas indeed.

The Death Cab for Cutie Concert

Tues June 17, 2008
Total disappointment I have it rated in my bottom 3 concerts of all time. They rocked my favorite “Long Division.” The singer alone on his guitar on “I Will Follow You Into the Dark” which was great. They were extremely tight on “I Will Possess Your Heart” which I am so getting over because it’s being overplayed. I still love the band, but
1) Big arena
2) Tickets were $50.00 +parking $15.00 + t-shirt $20.00
3) We felt disconnected in the nosebleed section
4) People were sedated aren’t ya supposed to yell, scream, act crazy at a concert?

I hope this wasn’t any indication of Texas cause we have Warped Tour tickets July 3! I was thinking of Goo goo dolls last Aug and how what I really wanted was to see them 15 yrs ago in some little dive place before no one knew who they were.

Saw this movie about Kurt Cobain in March and in the movie he said
“The most exciting time for a band is right before they become really popular. I’d love to be in bands that just do that every two years.” He also said ”Without my choosing it’s become a job whether I like it or not. It’s something that I love doing, and I would always want to do, but I have to be honest, I don’t enjoy it nearly as much as I used to when I was practicing every night, imaging what it would be like the first couple of years of actually playing in front of a few people, and then loading up the van, and going to a rock show to actually play. The privilege of that I mean, you just can’t be reproduced after doing it for ten years.”
In April we were at a show and A Cursive Memory was playing, all the kids were dancing enjoying themselves, but not singing because they didn’t know the words. I was watching the band and the drummer was killing it, just smiling his little heart out, and they were having fun. I thought they love to play music. They are having the time of their lives! They’d play music just for themselves, even if there wasn’t an audience, and so they should. I just thought 'Keep Trying because it will come', but for your sake Do I want it to? Do I want you to lose this magic? I’d like you not to be broke playing for such tiny crowds. I’d like people to know and appreciate your music, but at what cost? If it takes away your happiness and the joy you get? No way! I’d rather you love it before it turns into something you are forced to do or pretend to love. I don’t want you to turn into entitled beasts of ugliness, like you expect praise and devotion.

Food Places

So all throughout New Mexico and Western Texas, along the highway, there were billboard signs in every town promoting a Dairy Queen or DQ. The way I’m used to seeing McDonalds everywhere. Which if you ever see the movie Super Size Me is sure way to stop that craving, but since I’m a vegetarian I don’t eat hamburgers anyway. I haven’t noticed any Dairy Queen where we live, yet.
I have seen a lot of Whattaburger and Sonic’s though. John says “The Texans love their doughnuts because they have doughnuts on every corner in every shopping center.” I don’t know if that is true or not. I haven’t found a decent pizza place yet. We tried one, and it was worse than Little Caesars plus I swear I had an allergic reaction cause my chin started itching so I didn’t eat that.
We did however find some amazing Texas ice cream called Blue Bell. You can get it at the grocery store. We tried it on our last visit here before we moved. A couple weeks ago John came from the store with his parents and I asked, “Did you buy ice cream?” “Huh?“ (cause anyone knows who me knows that I do love ice cream). “What kind?” “Rocky Road“ (Boring) and Birthday Cake.” “What kind of ice cream is birthday cake?” He tells me “You love cake and you love ice cream“… “Yeah, so I bet it’s totally gross.”
Well I was wrong as usual because he challenges me and (most of the time) surprises me in his delightful little way. This ice cream is vanilla based with actual pieces of chocolate cake in it (which is my favorite kind). Not just that, oh, no! This ice cream has chocolate sauce and confetti sprinkles throughout. It feels like you are at a children’s birthday party, and the only thing you are missing is the clown. How cool is that? (unless you’re scared of clowns like one of my friend's is). The point is, they recreated a feeling through food.
Speaking of ice cream the ice cream man just came down our block, and no I did not buy any, but I did take a picture. Hey, remember that Charmed episode? Now that was a show I got Grandma addicted to, I was such a bad influence.

Texas weather

Welcome to Texas thunderstorms. The skies are beautiful.

Can you see that the trees look like broccoli tops? The winds were blowing hard when I dropped John's parents off at the airport car rental, last Tuesday June 17. The rain was pouring. I thought there was going to be a tornado warning, but I never heard anything.

By the time they got their car, I hugged them goodbye while holding back the tears. The storm was over, and the sun was shining on my way home. The cloudy skies are frequent and brief, but mostly we have sun. It's a different heat. My allergies are a mess, either that or it's a cold. I sound like a smoker with my voice and cough. I hope it's temporary.

John's parents were a huge help. Dad drove the big truck that hauled all our stuff and John's truck. This was the truck with the leaking wood stain that got all over the trailer that they had to clean with gasoline before it could be returned. The shredded tire was also on the lovely trailer too.

Everyone worked so much. I told them they didn't have to do anything, but they didn't listen. They did yard work, unpacking, cleaning, painting, window washing, etc... I know where my husband got his work ethic. He got a promotion and was working late nearly every day then staying up late working at home too.

I only got the one photo of them all together when we were in New Mexico. I kept telling them they could move to Texas and get a cheap house, but they said "No way, it's too hot!"