This weekend was a great weekend to be British. It was the Diamond Jubilee of our Queen, Elizabeth II. There was coverage of it here in the US, but the reason behind the celebration I think was lost on many. Elizabeth II is only the second monarch in Britain's history to reach this point - 60 years on the throne. It's an incredible achievement and definitely worth celebrating.
At 27 years old, I can't imagine the feeling of being alive for 60 years. It seems so distant. A marriage that lasts 60 years is an achievement. Depending on the length of someone's life, even the most devoted and loving couples don't always reach 60 years of marriage. So the thought of having the same job for that length of time is incredible.
At all the celebrations, the Queen looked healthy and happy. My husband pointed out that she looked like a little girl, filled with excitement, during the river pageant. It was wonderful to see all the Union Jacks flying, everyone cheering and singing the national anthem. It was in short, very moving.
And here I was on the other side of the world from all the celebration. So I did the best I could. My husband was away until Sunday, so I set about being British on my own. I spent a ridiculous amount of money on some Union Jack bunting from an import shop and hung them proudly, zigzagging across our front door. Saturday night I watched some comedy gold: Morecambe and Wise, Gavin and Stacey, Peter Kay, Michael McIntyre, John Bishop. Sunday morning I had the pageant on the telly as I baked a Victoria Sponge and decorated it with toothpicks that had carefully drawn flags wrapped around them. The weekend finished with a pitcher of Pimm's and a barbeque with my husband and my father-in-law.
It was a wonderful weekend and the celebrations really did remind me of why it is called GREAT Britain.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Resilience
re·sil·ience
* [ri-zil-yuhns, -zil-ee-uhns]
noun
1.
the power or ability to return to the original form, position,etc., after being bent, compressed, or stretched; elasticity.
2.
ability to recover readily from illness, depression, adversity,or the like; buoyancy.
My last post came at a time when my professional life had been turned on his head. It's nearly a month later, and although things are still unsteady, I've found how strong and capable my coworkers and I are. For the last 4 weeks, our feet haven't touched the ground we've been moving so quickly. We've all bound together, taken on roles we didn't think we'd have to, worked long hours, and changed things around.
Next week we're at a tradeshow. It's Thursday afternoon and we're nowhere near being ready. A month ago this would have panicked me, but now I have no doubt that we'll have everything pulled together in time.
I chose the word "resilience" because that's what my coworkers and I shown in the last month. It's surprising what you can do and overcome when pressed. My tasks at work have quadrupled, I've been stretched to what I thought were my limits, and yet I've just pushed right through them. I can see that I'll still be tested over the next couple of months, but I know that everything will eventually return to normal.
*source: dictionary.reference.com
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
A Trying Time
The last couple of weeks haven't exactly been easy. To say things were "shaken up" would be an understatement.
Last Monday, my boss resigned without any warning to anyone in the company. I work for a small company, with only 6 people in the U.S. office (well, 5 now). When a director leaves in a major company, I'm sure there's a slight tremor, but the floor isn't cracking beneath you and buildings aren't rocking back and forth. For a small company like ours, this is 7.3 on the richter scale.
A week and a half on and we're still in the "search and rescue" phase, and we're finding things are a lot more fragile than we initially thought.
For now we're having to stick together and all do jobs we weren't meant to do. Hopefully this transition won't have too many growing pains.
The next month or so should be interesting.
Last Monday, my boss resigned without any warning to anyone in the company. I work for a small company, with only 6 people in the U.S. office (well, 5 now). When a director leaves in a major company, I'm sure there's a slight tremor, but the floor isn't cracking beneath you and buildings aren't rocking back and forth. For a small company like ours, this is 7.3 on the richter scale.
A week and a half on and we're still in the "search and rescue" phase, and we're finding things are a lot more fragile than we initially thought.
For now we're having to stick together and all do jobs we weren't meant to do. Hopefully this transition won't have too many growing pains.
The next month or so should be interesting.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Homesick
This week I've been homesick. Homesick can be missing the location you're from, the smell of your mum's cooking, your favourite tv program growing up, anything that triggers that wonderful nostalgic feeling can make you feel homesick. My homesickness snuck up on me over the last few days, highlighted by a few triggers. But oddly enough, this is the first time I've been homesick without wanting to rush and buy a plane ticket (they're too expensive these days anyway).
Monday was a particularly difficult day at work. On my way home, rather than crave a gin and tonic or a glass of wine to unwind, all I wanted was a big cup of tea and rich tea biscuits (trigger #1). While enjoying my 4th rich tea biscuit I decided I didn't want the healthy salad I was planning on making for dinner, I wanted something rich and comforting like shepherd's pie or sausage and mash...things I hadn't made or eaten in either months or years. So I went with my gut instinct (literally) and made the food of my childhood, a bubbling dish of cheese-covered heaven: shepherd's pie. This was trigger #2.
Since then I've been craving (mainly food) that reminds me of home and of my childhood. My parents may have moved us to Texas but they raised us to be English. I grew up with Salad Cream (trigger #3) or Branston Pickle on my sandwiches and not Miracle Whip. I ate pies filled with meat and potatoes and not syrup-covered fruit. I watched "Only Fools and Horses" or "Blackadder" with my dad as a kid, and not "Roseanne" or "The Cosby Show."
The good thing about being homesick for English things in Texas in 2012 versus 1996, is that key food items you can get here now, and what you can't get you can order online or smuggle back in your carry-on whenever you get back to the UK. Sure a jar of Marmite from a speciality shop here will have a 600% mark-up here, but it tastes nearly 600% better because you can't afford to eat it every day. So I'm going to let myself indulge in being a little more British this week than I normally can. And I will enjoy every second, sip, and bite of it.
Monday was a particularly difficult day at work. On my way home, rather than crave a gin and tonic or a glass of wine to unwind, all I wanted was a big cup of tea and rich tea biscuits (trigger #1). While enjoying my 4th rich tea biscuit I decided I didn't want the healthy salad I was planning on making for dinner, I wanted something rich and comforting like shepherd's pie or sausage and mash...things I hadn't made or eaten in either months or years. So I went with my gut instinct (literally) and made the food of my childhood, a bubbling dish of cheese-covered heaven: shepherd's pie. This was trigger #2.
Since then I've been craving (mainly food) that reminds me of home and of my childhood. My parents may have moved us to Texas but they raised us to be English. I grew up with Salad Cream (trigger #3) or Branston Pickle on my sandwiches and not Miracle Whip. I ate pies filled with meat and potatoes and not syrup-covered fruit. I watched "Only Fools and Horses" or "Blackadder" with my dad as a kid, and not "Roseanne" or "The Cosby Show."
The good thing about being homesick for English things in Texas in 2012 versus 1996, is that key food items you can get here now, and what you can't get you can order online or smuggle back in your carry-on whenever you get back to the UK. Sure a jar of Marmite from a speciality shop here will have a 600% mark-up here, but it tastes nearly 600% better because you can't afford to eat it every day. So I'm going to let myself indulge in being a little more British this week than I normally can. And I will enjoy every second, sip, and bite of it.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
San Antonio
San Antonio is a city that's come into my life many times. I have memories as a small girl of seven on holiday with my family, to tasting my first martini on my 22nd birthday with Zak. Granted those are two very different memories, but they sum up the times there rather well. Zak actually grew up only an hour away from San Antonio, so his connection to the place is quite similar.
It was a couple of months ago when we started talking about how much we missed San Antone. We realised the last time we'd been there was in 2009 after graduating uni. San Antonio has two of the main tourist attractions in Texas: the Alamo and the Riverwalk. The Alamo is a symbol of Texas, a beautiful old Spanish missionary that became a fortress in the Texans fight against the Mexicans. The Riverwalk is a bustling ringed waterway that's lined with shops, restaurants, and bars and sits in the heart of San Antonio below street level.
After a couple hours of reminiscing, I decided we should just go back to San Antonio. So last Friday and Saturday, we were there celebrating Zak's birthday (I had to have a reason to part with the cash, so why not make it a celebration?). For the 26 hours we were there, the weather was perfect. It was a warm with an early-spring breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. We spent our time wandering around, visiting little art galleries, stopping for margaritas whenever we were thirsty, and of course we stopped to "remember the Alamo." Even though it was just a quick trip, it felt like a full holiday just to get away. Its amazing how quickly you can disconnect yourself from the daily stresses when you're in a great place with someone you love.
It was a couple of months ago when we started talking about how much we missed San Antone. We realised the last time we'd been there was in 2009 after graduating uni. San Antonio has two of the main tourist attractions in Texas: the Alamo and the Riverwalk. The Alamo is a symbol of Texas, a beautiful old Spanish missionary that became a fortress in the Texans fight against the Mexicans. The Riverwalk is a bustling ringed waterway that's lined with shops, restaurants, and bars and sits in the heart of San Antonio below street level.
After a couple hours of reminiscing, I decided we should just go back to San Antonio. So last Friday and Saturday, we were there celebrating Zak's birthday (I had to have a reason to part with the cash, so why not make it a celebration?). For the 26 hours we were there, the weather was perfect. It was a warm with an early-spring breeze, and not a cloud in the sky. We spent our time wandering around, visiting little art galleries, stopping for margaritas whenever we were thirsty, and of course we stopped to "remember the Alamo." Even though it was just a quick trip, it felt like a full holiday just to get away. Its amazing how quickly you can disconnect yourself from the daily stresses when you're in a great place with someone you love.
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| the Alamo at night with the famous Crockett Hotel - my favourite shot from the trip |
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| A small art shop in La Villata |
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| Love cactus above the door |
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| The Riverwalk |
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Time flies!
It seems every year, every month, people are commenting on how quickly time is passing. "This year's really flying by," or "I can't believe it's already May - wasn't it just Christmas?", are phrases that never seem to be far away.
Well not to sound cliche, but this year really IS flying by. The last couple of weeks have been busy both at work and at home. I knew I was in for a busy week at work when on Monday of last week I didn't get home until 11.45 pm, which is much later than the standard 5.00 or 5.30. I knew I was in for a busy week at home when I looked at my calendar yesterday morning and saw that Zak and I have something planned every day for the next 7 days. And it looks as if things aren't really going to slow down from here.
Only just now am I about to enter the busiest part of the year so far. With work, next month is the last month of Q1 and I have quotas to meet. After that it's trade show season so I'll be travelling quite a bit with that. At home it's Zak's birthday coming up and then my sister's wedding in the first week of May. This means that between now and then not only will there be bridal showers and hen nights to attend, but as maid of honour (or I guess matron of honour, seeing as I'm married) much time will be spent planning those things. Factor into that all of life's daily routines and surprises, and I'm in for a busy few months.
Luckily, I like being busy. I'd rather have too much to do than too little. And I like the responsibilities I have both at home and at work. However, for all my excellent skills as a multi-tasker, this will be a bit challenging for me. At least there will be plenty of photo opportunities to play with the new camera, right?
I've set my light at the end of the tunnel (the calm after the storm) to be Memorial Day weekend, the last weekend in May. This should be interesting.
Well not to sound cliche, but this year really IS flying by. The last couple of weeks have been busy both at work and at home. I knew I was in for a busy week at work when on Monday of last week I didn't get home until 11.45 pm, which is much later than the standard 5.00 or 5.30. I knew I was in for a busy week at home when I looked at my calendar yesterday morning and saw that Zak and I have something planned every day for the next 7 days. And it looks as if things aren't really going to slow down from here.
Only just now am I about to enter the busiest part of the year so far. With work, next month is the last month of Q1 and I have quotas to meet. After that it's trade show season so I'll be travelling quite a bit with that. At home it's Zak's birthday coming up and then my sister's wedding in the first week of May. This means that between now and then not only will there be bridal showers and hen nights to attend, but as maid of honour (or I guess matron of honour, seeing as I'm married) much time will be spent planning those things. Factor into that all of life's daily routines and surprises, and I'm in for a busy few months.
Luckily, I like being busy. I'd rather have too much to do than too little. And I like the responsibilities I have both at home and at work. However, for all my excellent skills as a multi-tasker, this will be a bit challenging for me. At least there will be plenty of photo opportunities to play with the new camera, right?
I've set my light at the end of the tunnel (the calm after the storm) to be Memorial Day weekend, the last weekend in May. This should be interesting.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Little Bundle of Joy
In 27 hours I will be leaving work tomorrow to collect my newest "baby." A little Canon called the S100 is nearly mine, only just big enough to fit in the palm of my hand.
I'm picky with my cameras. I don't have unlimited resources to buy the biggest and best, and I don't buy often. In fact that last camera I bought was over two years ago and it was a cheap and cheerful - yet surprisingly powerful - point and shoot. Before that the last camera I got was Dennis, my Canon 20D DSLR. I've known for a long time that Dennis is slightly out dated in terms of MP and filters and a bit low on ISO speed. But he's mine. I couldn't possibly replace him.
So that's why I'm going for the S100. It will take the place of my point and shoot, but the difference is that it's not as cheap and a hell of a lot more cheerful. It will be my "D-not an SLR but takes a damn good picture like an SLR" camera that I can easily take with me anywhere.
The last time I felt so excited about a new arrival was the day before Zak and I picked up Pandora from the SPCA after her snip-snip op. Okay, that day was much bigger and more exciting, but I can't wait to get my hands on this camera, see everything it can do, and share the pictures with you.
I'm picky with my cameras. I don't have unlimited resources to buy the biggest and best, and I don't buy often. In fact that last camera I bought was over two years ago and it was a cheap and cheerful - yet surprisingly powerful - point and shoot. Before that the last camera I got was Dennis, my Canon 20D DSLR. I've known for a long time that Dennis is slightly out dated in terms of MP and filters and a bit low on ISO speed. But he's mine. I couldn't possibly replace him.
So that's why I'm going for the S100. It will take the place of my point and shoot, but the difference is that it's not as cheap and a hell of a lot more cheerful. It will be my "D-not an SLR but takes a damn good picture like an SLR" camera that I can easily take with me anywhere.
The last time I felt so excited about a new arrival was the day before Zak and I picked up Pandora from the SPCA after her snip-snip op. Okay, that day was much bigger and more exciting, but I can't wait to get my hands on this camera, see everything it can do, and share the pictures with you.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Tough Love
Criticism is a difficult thing for many people. It can be hard to receive, and depending on who's on the receiving end of the criticism, it can be tough to give.
Spending the better part of my 26 years in art classes, photography courses, and even a degree in advertising, critiques have been a major part of my life. Weekly critiques on paintings, photographs, and campaign ideas taught me to listen to other people's opinions, respect those opinions, and see what I could change or do differently next time. The critiques weren't always easy to sit through. One art teacher would very gently encourage me to be a bit bolder with my use of graphite pencils, one advertising professor used his Glaswegian flair by telling me an idea was "f*cking sh*te." Charming.
So I've developed an appreciation of the critique. Getting critiqued sits well with me. Giving the critique doesn't. Recently I've found myself at a particularly awkward crossroad. I have to give someone that I'm close to, a very harsh critique. One of my in-laws has driven Zak and myself to a state of hopelessness. Their presence is overbearing, their attitude rude, and their manners non-existent. Not every member of your family is going to be your favourite person, I know that. You can choose your friends, not your family. But after watching this person's behaviour become increasingly worse over the last few years, and a very stressful weekend with them, Zak and I have to say something.
It will be tasteful, we will let them know we're doing this out of love and not spite, but that doesn't make it any easier. This critique will be tough, for both parties. I just hope that in time it will produce a positive result.
Spending the better part of my 26 years in art classes, photography courses, and even a degree in advertising, critiques have been a major part of my life. Weekly critiques on paintings, photographs, and campaign ideas taught me to listen to other people's opinions, respect those opinions, and see what I could change or do differently next time. The critiques weren't always easy to sit through. One art teacher would very gently encourage me to be a bit bolder with my use of graphite pencils, one advertising professor used his Glaswegian flair by telling me an idea was "f*cking sh*te." Charming.
So I've developed an appreciation of the critique. Getting critiqued sits well with me. Giving the critique doesn't. Recently I've found myself at a particularly awkward crossroad. I have to give someone that I'm close to, a very harsh critique. One of my in-laws has driven Zak and myself to a state of hopelessness. Their presence is overbearing, their attitude rude, and their manners non-existent. Not every member of your family is going to be your favourite person, I know that. You can choose your friends, not your family. But after watching this person's behaviour become increasingly worse over the last few years, and a very stressful weekend with them, Zak and I have to say something.
It will be tasteful, we will let them know we're doing this out of love and not spite, but that doesn't make it any easier. This critique will be tough, for both parties. I just hope that in time it will produce a positive result.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
What's In a Name?
Juliet to Romeo: What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.*
Zak and I are a good team. He's a great husband and I know I'm a great wife. I always know how to make him laugh. I can tell when a bad day at work means he needs a hug or that he needs some down time when he gets home. I cook him (from scratch) three meals a day at least six days of the week. These are some of the things that make our relationship better. But there's one area of being a wife that I've totally failed at, ever since saying "I do" fifteen months ago.
I'm yet to change my name.
Juliet said to Romeo that a name was just a name, it wasn't important. Who cared that she was a Capulet and he was a Montague? It was JUST A NAME. Well, Jules, I beg to differ.
There are a number of reasons, maybe even excuses, why I haven't done this yet. First off, I love my maiden name. It's nothing against his surname, but I love mine. I've known it and had it for nearly 27 years now, and I'm extremely proud of my family. It keeps me connected to my roots. I'm very proud to be English, and I have married and resided in Texas with a Texan. Our kids (if any) will be more Texan than English. So my brain has made the drastic jump to "last name of a Texan = no longer English." I know that's silly (I never promised my reasons would be logical). The third reason even trumps the validity of the second reason. I am actually STILL English, by every sense of the law. I'm not a U.S. citizen. This leads me to the third reason. Do you know how expensive it will be to change all of those documents just so I can add a name to it all? The answer is very. And I mean it when I say "add" a name and not "change." I originally thought that although it would be difficult to not have my maiden name be a part of my main identity anymore, I could always just make my maiden name my middle name (I don't have a middle name) and then take on the new surname. I was pleased with that idea, and was going to change my name within the first 6 months of marriage. Then somehing happened. My mother-in-law pointed out that we'd then have the same initials. And as flimsy as it is, it is this last reason that's truly prevented me from legally changing things up.
Zak's asked me that I change my name for his birthday present, which is a little over a month away. So it's time to do some serious thinking and make a choice: stick to what I've known for over two decades, or swallow my pride for the man I love.
* from Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Zak and I are a good team. He's a great husband and I know I'm a great wife. I always know how to make him laugh. I can tell when a bad day at work means he needs a hug or that he needs some down time when he gets home. I cook him (from scratch) three meals a day at least six days of the week. These are some of the things that make our relationship better. But there's one area of being a wife that I've totally failed at, ever since saying "I do" fifteen months ago.
I'm yet to change my name.
Juliet said to Romeo that a name was just a name, it wasn't important. Who cared that she was a Capulet and he was a Montague? It was JUST A NAME. Well, Jules, I beg to differ.
There are a number of reasons, maybe even excuses, why I haven't done this yet. First off, I love my maiden name. It's nothing against his surname, but I love mine. I've known it and had it for nearly 27 years now, and I'm extremely proud of my family. It keeps me connected to my roots. I'm very proud to be English, and I have married and resided in Texas with a Texan. Our kids (if any) will be more Texan than English. So my brain has made the drastic jump to "last name of a Texan = no longer English." I know that's silly (I never promised my reasons would be logical). The third reason even trumps the validity of the second reason. I am actually STILL English, by every sense of the law. I'm not a U.S. citizen. This leads me to the third reason. Do you know how expensive it will be to change all of those documents just so I can add a name to it all? The answer is very. And I mean it when I say "add" a name and not "change." I originally thought that although it would be difficult to not have my maiden name be a part of my main identity anymore, I could always just make my maiden name my middle name (I don't have a middle name) and then take on the new surname. I was pleased with that idea, and was going to change my name within the first 6 months of marriage. Then somehing happened. My mother-in-law pointed out that we'd then have the same initials. And as flimsy as it is, it is this last reason that's truly prevented me from legally changing things up.
Zak's asked me that I change my name for his birthday present, which is a little over a month away. So it's time to do some serious thinking and make a choice: stick to what I've known for over two decades, or swallow my pride for the man I love.
* from Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Friday, January 27, 2012
Dennis
Yesterday evening, while celebrating my big day with some prosecco, I reacquainted myself with an old friend. Dennis. That's what I've named my Canon 20D that I got nearly 6 years ago for my 21st birthday. For the longest time I didn't go anywhere without my camera and I was constantly inspired. Then life evolved and I had to put more focus on my future, and I ended up with less free time. So for the last two years my relationship with Dennis has suffered, and we only saw each other for special occassions.
So last night, feeling like I could do anything, I sat in the garden and took some pictures. I like to shoot with natural light and I don't like to edit my photos after taking them. I fell in love with the classic darkroom environment, the basics of photography, and never experimented past what nature gave me. When I lived in England I wanted to take pictures of everything: scenery, architecture, people....so much was so close to your doorstep. In Texas I feel I lack creativity. It's not that beautiful scenery, architecture, and people don't exist in Texas, it's just that it's all so much further away. So yesterday I stuck close to home, cranked up some Calvin Harris/Avicii/Deadmau5 on the outdoor surround sound, and took some pictures of the dogs, the prosecco, and even managed to get a self-portrait done. Here are the results:
So last night, feeling like I could do anything, I sat in the garden and took some pictures. I like to shoot with natural light and I don't like to edit my photos after taking them. I fell in love with the classic darkroom environment, the basics of photography, and never experimented past what nature gave me. When I lived in England I wanted to take pictures of everything: scenery, architecture, people....so much was so close to your doorstep. In Texas I feel I lack creativity. It's not that beautiful scenery, architecture, and people don't exist in Texas, it's just that it's all so much further away. So yesterday I stuck close to home, cranked up some Calvin Harris/Avicii/Deadmau5 on the outdoor surround sound, and took some pictures of the dogs, the prosecco, and even managed to get a self-portrait done. Here are the results:
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| Sheila, my baby girl |
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| Pandora, my little one, and Sheila |
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| Me |
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| Heaven in a glass |
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Like A Kid Who Snorted A Pixie Stick
Hurrah! BIG day! BIG news! I've done it! I've closed my first sale! I started my job 7 months ago and have been training up to this moment, learning about the industry I'm in, gaining technical knowledge, creating presentations, and now the title on my business card actually means something.
The sale was closed within my first ten minutes in the office today and as a result, the rest of the day's been a whirlwind. This isn't just my first sale in my current position, this is my first sale ever (apart from 2 years working in retail while in college). It's shown me that I am capable and professional, and I feel genuinely appreciated by my colleagues. My boss (semi-jokingly) dubbed me "star of the day" and (seriously) told that I handled the client and sale very well, and I even got a congratulatory email from the CEO in Oslo. I know I work for a small company so there aren't as many steps between me and the CEO, but I'm going to let myself feel proud of that email.
It's amazing what one achievement will do for your confidence. I've had to stop myself from practically skipping on my way to the water cooler or colleagues offices. Zak asked me how I felt after I told him and I blurted out "like a kid who's snorted a pixie stick!" It was the only thing that came to mind that described how excited and buzzed I felt. Suddenly I feel like I can achieve anything. My mind is running a mile a minute of all the things I've been wanting to learn or get back into but haven't allowed myself the confidence to actually do it. But now I don't feel that there's anything to hold me back. So watch this space, big things are coming....
The sale was closed within my first ten minutes in the office today and as a result, the rest of the day's been a whirlwind. This isn't just my first sale in my current position, this is my first sale ever (apart from 2 years working in retail while in college). It's shown me that I am capable and professional, and I feel genuinely appreciated by my colleagues. My boss (semi-jokingly) dubbed me "star of the day" and (seriously) told that I handled the client and sale very well, and I even got a congratulatory email from the CEO in Oslo. I know I work for a small company so there aren't as many steps between me and the CEO, but I'm going to let myself feel proud of that email.
It's amazing what one achievement will do for your confidence. I've had to stop myself from practically skipping on my way to the water cooler or colleagues offices. Zak asked me how I felt after I told him and I blurted out "like a kid who's snorted a pixie stick!" It was the only thing that came to mind that described how excited and buzzed I felt. Suddenly I feel like I can achieve anything. My mind is running a mile a minute of all the things I've been wanting to learn or get back into but haven't allowed myself the confidence to actually do it. But now I don't feel that there's anything to hold me back. So watch this space, big things are coming....
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
You Get What You Ask For
A couple of days ago I wrote a gloomy post about some gloomy weather. All I wanted was something in the weather to change, regardless of what it may be. Well, careful what you ask for. Today my part of Texas has seven weather warnings: a tornado watch, strong wind advisory, flash flood warning, two flood warnings, and two severe storm warnings. The rain is so hard you can barely see anything, the sky is as black as night, and the roar of the wind is chilling. The storms are coming from the west and cities that experienced this weather a few hours before us are at a stand still with flooded motorways and blown down trees and power lines. We had a power outage for a couple of hours in the middle of the night and I woke up with a start at the sound of the wind. But now the real storms have hit, the kind that show up as deep purple on the weather radar.
Now we've had worse weather here before, but we went through this just 16 days ago, and once in January is unusual for us. Twice is almost hard to believe. But the weather has caused the change on my mood that I was hoping for. No, I'm not happily skipping about that there could be houses and buildings damaged, people hurt. But this weather snapped me out of my winter blues funk as soon as I woke up at 2.30 this morning. This weather makes you alert; everybody's a little more cautious and almost compassionate. I've had a call from my mum asking me to let her know when I got to work safely and Zak is keeping in touch more than usual.
I have a vivid imagination, and so when something dark happens my mind can't help flickering over the idea of the worst. I've spent the morning worried about my mum if she tries to go out to any shops, and if our dogs Pandora and Sheila are okay at home alone (Pandora doesn't like storms very much. She looks around nervously from window to window. I'm trying to tell myself that she's curling up to big sister Sheila for support). Hell, I'm even wondering if the squirrels that live in our backgarden and constantly torment the dogs are okay.
On the flip side, this type of weather does make me a little happy. When not contemplating the potential dangers of this weather, I excitedly think about how when I get home I'm going to sit in front of the fireplace with a massive cup of tea and a good book, or have a long relaxing bath while the rain beats down on the window next to me, or watch one of my guilty pleasure films with a glass of good wine and a thick blanket. Knowing my luck, by the time I'm home from work today the sun will be back out. But until then, it's nice being out of the funk and having something else to think about.
Now we've had worse weather here before, but we went through this just 16 days ago, and once in January is unusual for us. Twice is almost hard to believe. But the weather has caused the change on my mood that I was hoping for. No, I'm not happily skipping about that there could be houses and buildings damaged, people hurt. But this weather snapped me out of my winter blues funk as soon as I woke up at 2.30 this morning. This weather makes you alert; everybody's a little more cautious and almost compassionate. I've had a call from my mum asking me to let her know when I got to work safely and Zak is keeping in touch more than usual.
I have a vivid imagination, and so when something dark happens my mind can't help flickering over the idea of the worst. I've spent the morning worried about my mum if she tries to go out to any shops, and if our dogs Pandora and Sheila are okay at home alone (Pandora doesn't like storms very much. She looks around nervously from window to window. I'm trying to tell myself that she's curling up to big sister Sheila for support). Hell, I'm even wondering if the squirrels that live in our backgarden and constantly torment the dogs are okay.
On the flip side, this type of weather does make me a little happy. When not contemplating the potential dangers of this weather, I excitedly think about how when I get home I'm going to sit in front of the fireplace with a massive cup of tea and a good book, or have a long relaxing bath while the rain beats down on the window next to me, or watch one of my guilty pleasure films with a glass of good wine and a thick blanket. Knowing my luck, by the time I'm home from work today the sun will be back out. But until then, it's nice being out of the funk and having something else to think about.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Winter Blues
The weather's been miserable for the last few days. Predominantly overcast, gusty winds, dark nights, and warm temperatures. Yep, it's winter in Texas. On the whole, Texan winters are wonderful. They're a healthy mix of cold days (some bordering on the freezing temps) and warm sunny days. Both are wonderful. You can remember how much you loved wearing your coat and your flip flops in the same week. It's a blessing, really.
But that doesn't stop Texas residents from feeling the "winter blues." This week I've seen more sullen looking faces than I have in the last month, from the woman at subway who looked at me as if I'd asked her to rob a bank when all I wanted was more lettuce to the tellers at the bank. People in general just seem a bit downcast. Maybe that's because the holidays are officially over, New Year's resolutions are starting to fail, or just the last few glum days we've been having that are giving people the "winter blues." And unfortunately, I am one of the sufferers.
I'm ready for something to change and I don't really care what for. Winter Blues can be brought on by any number of things. For me, it's been our warm and cloudy weather. I like the two extremes of a Texan winter. This blended weather doesn't suit me. My requests are quite simple. I'd like to be in a) shorts and a tank top sunbathing or working in the garden or b) in 50,000 layers of jumpers, socks, and all things cosy. And although it's trivial, the sluggish air is just enough to make everything else about my days feel slow. The forecast tells me the sun will come back out in a few days, so I just have to pull through the next 72 hours. Bring on the sunshine!
But that doesn't stop Texas residents from feeling the "winter blues." This week I've seen more sullen looking faces than I have in the last month, from the woman at subway who looked at me as if I'd asked her to rob a bank when all I wanted was more lettuce to the tellers at the bank. People in general just seem a bit downcast. Maybe that's because the holidays are officially over, New Year's resolutions are starting to fail, or just the last few glum days we've been having that are giving people the "winter blues." And unfortunately, I am one of the sufferers.
I'm ready for something to change and I don't really care what for. Winter Blues can be brought on by any number of things. For me, it's been our warm and cloudy weather. I like the two extremes of a Texan winter. This blended weather doesn't suit me. My requests are quite simple. I'd like to be in a) shorts and a tank top sunbathing or working in the garden or b) in 50,000 layers of jumpers, socks, and all things cosy. And although it's trivial, the sluggish air is just enough to make everything else about my days feel slow. The forecast tells me the sun will come back out in a few days, so I just have to pull through the next 72 hours. Bring on the sunshine!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
A Bit of Fun
As my last post stated, a lot has changed in a very short amount of time in my life. I feel very fortunate that things have panned out this way, but I also know that I worked very hard for these accomplishments. I have a pretty solid routine wearing many hats: wife, mother (although it's just to the two dogs, one of them is only a year old and takes up a LOT of my time), homeowner, professional, etc... This is a part of life, we are never just one person playing a single role. Some of the time these roles we're given aren't through choice. Fortunately, I have chosen each of my roles, but that doesn't mean that I don't get overwhelmed every now and again.
The beginning of this week was one of those overwhelming moments, where everything seemed to get too much for me. Work was busy as usual, there was garden work piling up after having a drain installed last week, my little angel of a one year old Dachshund/Beagle decided on Monday to rip open two throw cushions and Tuesday to feast on the front end of an arm chair, bills were due, and with my usual duties, I felt that I was trapped in the movie "Groundhog Day."
But now, I have clarity and light at the end of the tunnel. Routine was broken yesterday. I got home a little earlier than usual, my soft furnishing-hungry mutt hadn't destroyed a thing, the Texas winter sunshine was still high enough in the sky so that our garden wasn't totally in the shade, and I did some gardening and played fetch with the dogs while blasting some guilty pleasure Kylie Minogue. I could feel my shoulders relax every time I threw the tennis ball, my chest loosen every time I sang to a song. Also with a friend coming over for dinner last minute, where I got to try a very delicious (and healthy!) chicken recipe, it didn't feel like your average Wednesday. Sometimes all it takes is doing something different to make the week feel more exciting or to escape your current stresses.
However, my excitement continues as tonight I'm doing something I haven't done since I was in college - I'm going out on a Thursday night. Now Zak and I have regular Thursday nights out where every other week we meet up with a bunch of friends at a pub or restaurant, but they're more of a happy hour social meeting. Tonight is to see Avicii, and I get the opportunity to get dressed up as if it were a Saturday, and the night won't end until 2.00 in the morning. I know it will hurt tomorrow as I drag into the office at 8 a.m., but it will be my badge of honour. I know a lot of people go out regularly on a Thursday and stay out this late, but I'm not one of those people. Come 9 a.m. tomorrow I'll be asking my coworkers if they want to go on a Starbucks run with me as I look for a severe jolt of caffeine. But that's tomorrow. For now, I can't wait to do the hair and make-up, slip into my party dress, and dance in the car all the way to the club. :)
It was taken last October, shortly after we moved into the house, but here's a picture of me with my two babies (the small one is the baby that's enjoying all the furniture. The other one just sleeps on it).
The beginning of this week was one of those overwhelming moments, where everything seemed to get too much for me. Work was busy as usual, there was garden work piling up after having a drain installed last week, my little angel of a one year old Dachshund/Beagle decided on Monday to rip open two throw cushions and Tuesday to feast on the front end of an arm chair, bills were due, and with my usual duties, I felt that I was trapped in the movie "Groundhog Day."
But now, I have clarity and light at the end of the tunnel. Routine was broken yesterday. I got home a little earlier than usual, my soft furnishing-hungry mutt hadn't destroyed a thing, the Texas winter sunshine was still high enough in the sky so that our garden wasn't totally in the shade, and I did some gardening and played fetch with the dogs while blasting some guilty pleasure Kylie Minogue. I could feel my shoulders relax every time I threw the tennis ball, my chest loosen every time I sang to a song. Also with a friend coming over for dinner last minute, where I got to try a very delicious (and healthy!) chicken recipe, it didn't feel like your average Wednesday. Sometimes all it takes is doing something different to make the week feel more exciting or to escape your current stresses.
However, my excitement continues as tonight I'm doing something I haven't done since I was in college - I'm going out on a Thursday night. Now Zak and I have regular Thursday nights out where every other week we meet up with a bunch of friends at a pub or restaurant, but they're more of a happy hour social meeting. Tonight is to see Avicii, and I get the opportunity to get dressed up as if it were a Saturday, and the night won't end until 2.00 in the morning. I know it will hurt tomorrow as I drag into the office at 8 a.m., but it will be my badge of honour. I know a lot of people go out regularly on a Thursday and stay out this late, but I'm not one of those people. Come 9 a.m. tomorrow I'll be asking my coworkers if they want to go on a Starbucks run with me as I look for a severe jolt of caffeine. But that's tomorrow. For now, I can't wait to do the hair and make-up, slip into my party dress, and dance in the car all the way to the club. :)
It was taken last October, shortly after we moved into the house, but here's a picture of me with my two babies (the small one is the baby that's enjoying all the furniture. The other one just sleeps on it).
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Moving On
So it's been a while since I've shared anything....a long while.....nearly a year. Oops! Well to pick up where I left off, I stopped writing because for a long time there weren't things worth sharing. But over the last 7 months, I can say that things have been getting increasingly better.
Major developments are that I am in a new job working for a Norwegian company in the oil industry, I get to travel again (one of my favourite things in the world), I managed to get 2 holidays last year (more travelling - yay!), Zak and I adopted a second dog, we celebrated our first anniversary, and we became homeowners! Not bad, huh?
Here's a picture I took while in Oslo last August for work:
So now that the ice is broken, albeit rather bluntly, I plan on developing a few things in 2012. No, I didn't make an New Year's Resolutions. The main reason being that by 31 December I can never remember what I promised myself 365 days ago, so I never know if I've kept or broken my resolutions. Instead I just want to keep evolving. I want to keep up what I'm doing that's good and improve on what I'm doing that's....well, not as good (this blog is one of those "improve upon" items). And I want more time for my hobbies, which as a homeowner I can now add "gardening" to that list.
So there are the basics. I'll leave you all with that and hopefully be able to write much more in the future.
Major developments are that I am in a new job working for a Norwegian company in the oil industry, I get to travel again (one of my favourite things in the world), I managed to get 2 holidays last year (more travelling - yay!), Zak and I adopted a second dog, we celebrated our first anniversary, and we became homeowners! Not bad, huh?
Here's a picture I took while in Oslo last August for work:
So now that the ice is broken, albeit rather bluntly, I plan on developing a few things in 2012. No, I didn't make an New Year's Resolutions. The main reason being that by 31 December I can never remember what I promised myself 365 days ago, so I never know if I've kept or broken my resolutions. Instead I just want to keep evolving. I want to keep up what I'm doing that's good and improve on what I'm doing that's....well, not as good (this blog is one of those "improve upon" items). And I want more time for my hobbies, which as a homeowner I can now add "gardening" to that list.
So there are the basics. I'll leave you all with that and hopefully be able to write much more in the future.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Things always happen in 3s
The last week has been tough. I know life's always meant to throw these curveballs at you, but the last week felt like I was trapped in a batting cage with the pitching machine cranking out fast balls and me without a helmet and a bat. (That's my American-ism for the day)
I was brought up with the notion of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and the concept that you just had to take the bad things in your stride. But when it's one thing after another, you do start to wonder...."when is this going to stop?" I believe that all things come in sets of three. Well believe me, I had my three last week. And they were all totally out of character for me. First, I dropped the ball at work. I knew it was meant to happen at some point, but the way it all came about made me feel sick and left thinking that my reprimand wasn't entirely professional. Then later that evening, as I dropped a 17-inch widescreen laptop on my toe, splitting the nail in half, and creating lots of blood and bruising. I'm not a clumsy person and I'm not prone to injurying myself. I took it as a sign that I was just exhausted after the bad day at work and opted for vodka on the rocks over Ibuprofen.
The third bad thing was a bit of a shock. It was two days later over the weekend. The day before had been Zak's birthday and we had a great time going out, and then that day we'd had a very successful barbeque. I was in the kitchen doing dishes from the party and had just poured myself a glass of wine to go in the living room and finally put my feet up. What I didn't know was that the universe had other plans. For some reason I had no idea that our 65 pound dog, Sheila, had laid down right beside my feet. I turned full force ready to start walking and went flying. I came crashing down on the tile floor, with my knee taking most of the shock. My head also hit the floor (no concussion, but minor whip lash) and the crystal glass shattered, slitting my finger open. I've never fallen like that before in my life, not even as a kid. So now I'm still hobbling around with a knee twice the size of the other.
So I've had my three bad things. Time for the cosmos to send something good my way.
I was brought up with the notion of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" and the concept that you just had to take the bad things in your stride. But when it's one thing after another, you do start to wonder...."when is this going to stop?" I believe that all things come in sets of three. Well believe me, I had my three last week. And they were all totally out of character for me. First, I dropped the ball at work. I knew it was meant to happen at some point, but the way it all came about made me feel sick and left thinking that my reprimand wasn't entirely professional. Then later that evening, as I dropped a 17-inch widescreen laptop on my toe, splitting the nail in half, and creating lots of blood and bruising. I'm not a clumsy person and I'm not prone to injurying myself. I took it as a sign that I was just exhausted after the bad day at work and opted for vodka on the rocks over Ibuprofen.
The third bad thing was a bit of a shock. It was two days later over the weekend. The day before had been Zak's birthday and we had a great time going out, and then that day we'd had a very successful barbeque. I was in the kitchen doing dishes from the party and had just poured myself a glass of wine to go in the living room and finally put my feet up. What I didn't know was that the universe had other plans. For some reason I had no idea that our 65 pound dog, Sheila, had laid down right beside my feet. I turned full force ready to start walking and went flying. I came crashing down on the tile floor, with my knee taking most of the shock. My head also hit the floor (no concussion, but minor whip lash) and the crystal glass shattered, slitting my finger open. I've never fallen like that before in my life, not even as a kid. So now I'm still hobbling around with a knee twice the size of the other.
So I've had my three bad things. Time for the cosmos to send something good my way.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Getting Together
This week has been a big week for my family. Yesterday my baby brother turned 16. He's the youngest in the family and the only boy. We all got together Sunday evening for a family dinner, Zak and my sister's boyfriend included, and were fully prepared to have an enjoyable evening.
Of course, things didn't turn out that way, and the boys all had to run out on a last minute errand that would take a couple of hours. This left my mum, dad, sister, and myself having dinner together for the first time since my brother was born. There have been plenty of times when my brother's been out, but there was always a boyfriend thrown into the mix, or maybe just one of us girls were at home. We all noticed that it was the first time in 16 years that we'd had dinner as just the four of us, and ended up talking about life before the baby. Only instead of us talking about things before he was ever a thought, we (mainly my sister and I) ended up talking about the excitement of him being born: what we wanted him to be named, what we were doing the day of him being born, etc.
Zak can't get over how close we are as a family. I never really noticed growing up how we were a much closer family than the average. We all spend time together because we want to and like to, not because we feel it's an obligation. I don't dread the holidays with my family or having to go to a dinner party with them. Hell, the best parties I've been to have been with them. We all make time for each other as a group and also separately as well. I like having one-on-one time with my mum or my sister, just as much as I like talking with my dad or listening to my brother play music.
I think our closeness stems to the fact that we live so far away from the rest of our family. It's forced us to rely on each other in a way that you wouldn't have to if your aunt or grandparents were just down the road or in another city, where you had the ability to see them more than once every two or three years. We know that we'll always be there for each other. Now that my sister and I are out of the house, and I'm married, we all have our own lives. But it's nice that we still find ourselves wanting to get back together every once in a while.
Of course, things didn't turn out that way, and the boys all had to run out on a last minute errand that would take a couple of hours. This left my mum, dad, sister, and myself having dinner together for the first time since my brother was born. There have been plenty of times when my brother's been out, but there was always a boyfriend thrown into the mix, or maybe just one of us girls were at home. We all noticed that it was the first time in 16 years that we'd had dinner as just the four of us, and ended up talking about life before the baby. Only instead of us talking about things before he was ever a thought, we (mainly my sister and I) ended up talking about the excitement of him being born: what we wanted him to be named, what we were doing the day of him being born, etc.
Zak can't get over how close we are as a family. I never really noticed growing up how we were a much closer family than the average. We all spend time together because we want to and like to, not because we feel it's an obligation. I don't dread the holidays with my family or having to go to a dinner party with them. Hell, the best parties I've been to have been with them. We all make time for each other as a group and also separately as well. I like having one-on-one time with my mum or my sister, just as much as I like talking with my dad or listening to my brother play music.
I think our closeness stems to the fact that we live so far away from the rest of our family. It's forced us to rely on each other in a way that you wouldn't have to if your aunt or grandparents were just down the road or in another city, where you had the ability to see them more than once every two or three years. We know that we'll always be there for each other. Now that my sister and I are out of the house, and I'm married, we all have our own lives. But it's nice that we still find ourselves wanting to get back together every once in a while.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Remembering a Special Day
Last night Zak and I got to see our edited wedding video for the first time. We got a package where we had all the raw footage plus a 10 minute movie-like short that our videographers put together. The raw footage we'll see when we receive the DVDs next week, but we got to preview the short, just to make sure that nothing was really out of place.
We chose the music. Our videographer asked for a list of ten songs to choose from. So we had an idea of what could be in the film, but ultimately had no idea how they would put it together and what their vision would be. With both Zak and myself being into film and photography, we were very excited.
So yesterday evening we had my family come over (my mum thoughtfully brought a bottle of prosecco), and we all watched it together for the first time. It was a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish. I didn't know that within ten minutes you could go from laughing to crying, back to laughing, back to crying, and then laughing again. They captured just how happy and emotional that day was. The music was a key point to the film, and they timed every shot with perfection.
What made it even more special was getting to share it with my family. Being able to see it for the first time and getting to see each other's reactions was a bonding experience of some sorts (my dad's speech had us girls all reaching for the tissues at the same time). We watched it twice together and then got to chat and laugh about it afterwards.
Later in the evening Zak and I watched it twice by ourselves. It really brought home just how incredible the day was for us and how much fun everybody had. It was, from beginning to end, a celebration. I can't wait to see the rest of the footage on DVD. :)
We chose the music. Our videographer asked for a list of ten songs to choose from. So we had an idea of what could be in the film, but ultimately had no idea how they would put it together and what their vision would be. With both Zak and myself being into film and photography, we were very excited.
So yesterday evening we had my family come over (my mum thoughtfully brought a bottle of prosecco), and we all watched it together for the first time. It was a roller coaster of emotions from start to finish. I didn't know that within ten minutes you could go from laughing to crying, back to laughing, back to crying, and then laughing again. They captured just how happy and emotional that day was. The music was a key point to the film, and they timed every shot with perfection.
What made it even more special was getting to share it with my family. Being able to see it for the first time and getting to see each other's reactions was a bonding experience of some sorts (my dad's speech had us girls all reaching for the tissues at the same time). We watched it twice together and then got to chat and laugh about it afterwards.
Later in the evening Zak and I watched it twice by ourselves. It really brought home just how incredible the day was for us and how much fun everybody had. It was, from beginning to end, a celebration. I can't wait to see the rest of the footage on DVD. :)
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Boston Bound (in 3 months)
As you all know from my first blog, I love to travel. Unfortunately, life has not allowed me to do that as much as I would like in recent years. The last time I went anywhere was in May 2009 to Florida, when Zak proposed. It was a wonderful trip, but we stayed with his uncle, so it wasn't quite a full vacation.
This year I made it one of my new year's resolutions to have a holiday. Not just staying with family members, but a full-on sleep in hotels, do what we want on our time, holiday. In addition to Florida, Zak and I have only been on holiday one other time: 2008 when he met me in Holland (for a day) and then we had 3 weeks in England for him to see my home and meet the relatives. It was an incredible time, but like Florida, staying with relatives starts to wear on you after a while!
Well as of Tuesday, I am officially set to fulfill one of my resolutions (unlike the others such as drink less wine, not be so sarcastic and judgemental, etc). In May, Zak and I will have 5 days in New England. We're flying into Boston and are going to spend our time seeing as much as possible of the region, while also getting to spend a weekend with his brother who's in Submarine School for the Navy. Both Zak and I are history buffs and so the opportunity to go to this part of the U.S. is really exciting for us. Also, I've worked out that yet again I won't be able to make it back to England this year and after some research, Boston seems to have a very English look and weather to it.
We have booked our tickets and told Zak's brother (which made his day), and are looking forward to the next steps: renting a car and finding hotels. I can't wait to have the Atlantic sea air in my face, cobble-stone streets beneath my feet, May temperatures in the 50s, and drunk and angry Irish-Americans singing at a pub. Ahhhhhh, it's almost like being back at home. :)
This year I made it one of my new year's resolutions to have a holiday. Not just staying with family members, but a full-on sleep in hotels, do what we want on our time, holiday. In addition to Florida, Zak and I have only been on holiday one other time: 2008 when he met me in Holland (for a day) and then we had 3 weeks in England for him to see my home and meet the relatives. It was an incredible time, but like Florida, staying with relatives starts to wear on you after a while!
Well as of Tuesday, I am officially set to fulfill one of my resolutions (unlike the others such as drink less wine, not be so sarcastic and judgemental, etc). In May, Zak and I will have 5 days in New England. We're flying into Boston and are going to spend our time seeing as much as possible of the region, while also getting to spend a weekend with his brother who's in Submarine School for the Navy. Both Zak and I are history buffs and so the opportunity to go to this part of the U.S. is really exciting for us. Also, I've worked out that yet again I won't be able to make it back to England this year and after some research, Boston seems to have a very English look and weather to it.
We have booked our tickets and told Zak's brother (which made his day), and are looking forward to the next steps: renting a car and finding hotels. I can't wait to have the Atlantic sea air in my face, cobble-stone streets beneath my feet, May temperatures in the 50s, and drunk and angry Irish-Americans singing at a pub. Ahhhhhh, it's almost like being back at home. :)
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Tulips
Today I got home from a loooooooooooooong day at work and started my long list of housework that needed to be done. Generally, I like to clean and tidy, but today I was dreading it. Luckily the stereo blasting made the laundry, ironing, dishes, vacuuming, and other general tidying up go by a lot quicker than I thought it would. I finished off my hardwork with a small glass of white wine before heading out the door to take Sheila, the dog, for her evening walk.
As luck would have it, right as I stepped out of the front door, I saw Zak pull into the car park from work. I was excited to tell him that I'd ironed his work shirts (something I hate doing) as a nice little surprise for him. However, when he got out of the car he had a surprise for me - a beautiful bunch of tulips.
Tulips have always been one of my favourite flowers. I love the elegance of their shape, the clean lines of both petals and stems, and I love the fact that their emergence signifies the coming of spring. Also after spending two months as an intern in the Netherlands, I fell in love with the flower even more. My time over there also helped me choose my favourite colour of tulip: orange (or oranje as the Dutch say).
So as a Tuesday treat, I was given a bunch of 10 of the prettiest orange tulips that have a yellow ombre effect on the tips. I've put them on our hall table next to our wedding champagne flutes and a framed wedding photo. And for the next few days I'm guaranteed not only an excited dog when I walk through the door, but a sunny bunch of my favourite flowers.
As luck would have it, right as I stepped out of the front door, I saw Zak pull into the car park from work. I was excited to tell him that I'd ironed his work shirts (something I hate doing) as a nice little surprise for him. However, when he got out of the car he had a surprise for me - a beautiful bunch of tulips.
Tulips have always been one of my favourite flowers. I love the elegance of their shape, the clean lines of both petals and stems, and I love the fact that their emergence signifies the coming of spring. Also after spending two months as an intern in the Netherlands, I fell in love with the flower even more. My time over there also helped me choose my favourite colour of tulip: orange (or oranje as the Dutch say).
So as a Tuesday treat, I was given a bunch of 10 of the prettiest orange tulips that have a yellow ombre effect on the tips. I've put them on our hall table next to our wedding champagne flutes and a framed wedding photo. And for the next few days I'm guaranteed not only an excited dog when I walk through the door, but a sunny bunch of my favourite flowers.
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