you can take the girl out of kansas. . .

sometimes my roots come pouring out of me in unexplainable ways and at unexplainable times.

today, all day, for no reason at all, i found myself singing George Strait's "You Look So Good in Love".  now don't get me wrong.  even as a young Kansas girl, i was NOT into country music.  but my mom and stepdad were.  i used to grumble and groan about it, but i was always around it, so i guess you could say there were a few songs that just grew on me and stuck in my brain.

in particular, i found myself to be a George Strait fan.  probably didn't hurt that he was so darn handsome too.  then that movie Pure Country came out. . .and well i'm a sucker for a love story with a bunch of love songs.  of course he fell in love with the perfect barrel racer girl.  and as a barrel racer myself, i could totally see myself falling for the perfect country boy and riding off into the sunset.  well my story ended up a little more rock and roll than country. . .but that's another story.

so i just broke down. . .googled ol' George and listened to that song.  and it took me back to a different time and place.  i've also been known to do a mean rendition of "The Fireman" and "All My Ex's Live in Texas". . .but don't get me started.

a day of friends

yesterday we hosted the first of many bbqs this summer.  the menu. . .a selection of skewers on the grill. . .chimmichurri beef, sticky garlic chicken and veggie.  for sides i made. . .my sister's highly touted black bean salad and my favorite caprese salad simply made with roma tomatos, buffalo mozzarella, basil and a sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.  and the grand finale. . .a fabulous paula dean blueberry tart courtesy of my friend tiffanie.  a day of great friends, great food in the sun.  i can't think of a better way to spend the day!

visitors

i just discovered visitors in our pool.  they've been here before.  they aren't strangers.  and although i wish we could embrace them with a bit more hospitality, we cannot.  they are ducks.  we have nothing against ducks.  in fact, quite to the contrary.  i love ducks!  this couple in particular are lovely.  i always get excited when they stop by for a dip. 

but we cannot allow them to stay long.  we fear they may try to enlarge their family in our pool.  i'm a sucker for animals.  all animals.  but i'm particularly a sucker for baby animals.  but really, what would i do with a pool full of ducks.  that just wouldn't be good for anyone. 

so i let them bath and swim around a bit.  and then i let daisy out to herd them away.  they aren't really too afraid of her.  she's scared of the water, so what's she gonna do?  nothing.  and they know it.  but she watches them, circles the pool, pokes her nose in the water at times, but mostly just stares.  and then eventually, they fly away. 

and all is calm and back to normal at the palm ranch.

wish me luck

headed down to the first of many meetings. . .name tag and all.

don't mess with texas

it's 3:40 pm in austin.  where i am right now.  i was on a 6:20 am flight this morning from la. my dear sweet husband woke up at 4 in the morning to make me coffee and a fruit bowl. . .and drop me off at the airport.  i'm glad i married him. 

i have to be at my first "meeting" in about an hour.  so i'm in my hotel room, killing a little time, catching up on emails (and facebook), and my blog. 

austin is hot, about 90 degrees and super muggy.  but there is no sun, it's totally overcast and gray.  my biz partner was supposed to be here too, but she had to stay in la due to do a severe migraine that has been totally debilitating for the past several days.  so i am alone in austin. 

tonight is just an introductory session.  tomorrow is back to back to back to back meetings all day learning about all of the new innovations and updates in asics footwear, apparel and accessories.  you may think it is the summer of 2010, but in the world of "fashion", we are already learning all about what will be coming out in spring 2011!  exciting stuff, let me tell you.

tomorrow night, my good friend patrick (aka "dawg"), whom i know from my the portland years, is taking me to dinner.  he lives right here in austin now.  i haven't seen him since my wedding almost 4 years ago. . .so i'm excited to have some yummy tex-mex and margaritas with an old buddy. 

and then bright and early saturday morning i'm hopping on a plane to cincinnati for another old friend's wedding.  then home again on sunday. . .jiggity jig. 

winding road

i was just updating my ipod and clearing room for some new music in preparation for my travel tomorrow.  it's always interesting to go through my old music.  music has such a huge impact on me. hearing a song can bring back such vivid memories. . .a time, a place, a person, etc.  and there's one song in particular that moves me to tears every time i hear it.

i remember in exact detail the moment i heard that song and connected so deeply with it.  it wasn't the first time i had heard it, but it was a moment in time for sure, marked by this song, where i was in my life and how i i felt the song convey everything i was feeling.  eery and beautiful.

i had recently moved to los angeles from portland.  a month after moving, i flew back to rainy, dreary portland to retrieve the rest of my belongings and turn the page on that chapter.  i was sitting on the airplane listening to my ipod and reflecting on where my life had been and where it was going.  this song came on and moved me to tears thinking about the challenges of going through my 20s. . .not knowing exactly what i wanted out of life or where i would end up, and the hope i had for the future and the new life i was about to begin.

here are the lyrics. . .see if you don't see the similarities.  kind of uncanny.

Well, the rain keeps on coming down

It feels like a flood in my head

And that road keeps on calling me

Screaming to everything lying ahead

And it's a winding road

I've been walking for a long time

I still don't know

Where it goes

And it's a long way home

I've been searching for a long time

I still have hope

I'm gonna find my way home

And I can see a little house

On top of the hill

And I can smell the ocean

The salt in the air

And I can see you

You're standing there

And you're washing your car

And I can see California sun in your hair

And its a winding road

I've been walking for a long time

Still don't know

Where it goes

And it's a long way home

I've been searching for a long time

Still have hope

I'm gonna find my way home

All these dreams took me so far

And I felt I just couldn't go on

And I want to hang

Out the window of your car

And see just how good this baby can run

'Cause it's a winding road

I've been walking for a long time

And I still don't know

Where it goes

And it's a long way home

I've been searching for a long time

Still have hope

We're gonna find our way home

It's a winding road

Still have hope

One day we'll find our way home

It's a long way home

I've been searching for a long time

Still have hope

We're gonna find our way home 

anyway, the song is by Bonnie Somerville and was off of The Garden State soundtrack.  you can listen to it here and cry with me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OMr9CbkMUk&feature=related

thank God i did find my way down that winding road. . .all the way home to my little house on the hill. . . where i can smell the ocean. . .and there's LOTS of sun all the time :)

brown dogs, etc.

today i give you pictures.  random pictures around our living room and of our "children".  adam shot them yesterday after we added a new set of ultra-modern clear lucite chairs to our dining room.

recently we've noticed that daisy very much likes getting her photo taken.  she will pose as long as you need to get the shot.  and when you are taking photos of other things, she comes and stands right in front of the camera so she'll be included. and blu, she's just blu.