Sailing Away

Lucky for Ella and Cy, Grandpa Larry and his gang of woodworking fairies built them and the new youth sailing program in town these adorable dinghy's called Optimists. Ella chose to have hers painted yellow. She is also contemplating names -- so far Pixie is the front runner, Clara is a close second and Honey Bee and Zeppelin are pulling up the rear. Cy wants to call it Gorilla.

We'll be heading to Charleston, SC and then to Oriental, NC for summer vacation and Ella's sailing camp. Be back soon with some new pictures and tales of our adventure.

Whack!!!

Ahhh the sounds of casual summer birthday parties -- the best kind.

Companions Ch.3

Our beloved summer time nanny was so taken with Mookie and Zito's stunning appearance and quirky personalities that she decided to get a bengal cat of her own. You must be a true cat lover to absorb the impact of life with a bengal. If Stacy's magic touch with our children is any indication of her ability she'll raise one sweet pussy cat. She's still deciding on names.. so far the list of options include: Scout, Lola, Lulu, and Lyla.

I Can Relate

Naturally working from home and living within walking distance of a market and cafe has made the circumference of my world very small. Small in a good way, most of the time. The part of me that craves a big, big world has found some solace in the clever and insightful blogs I've come to love. It is not surprising that my favorites are intimate accounts of people and places that are similar in scope to my own.

I'll share my top 10, starting with Gwendomama's quirky-cute (and at times heartbreaking) life in Bonny Doon -- that stunning patch of California. Her most recent posts chronicle the Martin fire, which was dangerously close to her home. I felt an immediate bond with Gwendomama when I saw her banner picture and tag line "Pooping with an audience since 2001."

Sustainable Home Design

Mr What Mookie Thinks wrote this article and took the photo's of these super clean energy homes. Too bad they are way out in the boondocks otherwise I'd be packing my bags. I adore our ancient house and proximity to downtown but I often feel like I'm on an extended camping trip. We're working on patching all the crevices and such -- but those darn critters keep finding their way in. More on that in future posts.

Bikes and Beef

Last week was a blur. Our sweet girl had her first trip to the ER. Thankfully she is going to be just fine! That is my excuse for not knowing that the ROT Biker Rally had taken over Austin for the weekend. We'd never have ventured to 6th street on a Friday night had we known. But ignorance in this case was bliss. From the front booth at Parkside restaurant, directly in front of the 'Best Wurst' bratwurst vendor, we slurped oysters and martini's, dipped toast in beef marrow bones and watched the stellar parade of bikes, brawn and broads. The chef/owner David Kinch is known for his eclectic menu which caters to his chef friends. I can't wait to go back for a fried egg sandwich and donut holes.

Senior Sotol

...also known as Desert Spoon has been a long time resident of our block. Once we threatened to move this handsome beast and his spiky leaves away from our busy walkway he protested with a sprout. "Sprout" as you can see is an understatement. We've heard from some native Texans passing by that the old boy will surly die away now. I'm not too sure tho. I've read that this variety is a cousin of Mezcal and Tequila. The Chihuahua Indians were said to have discovered the intoxicating properties of this plant over 800 years ago. Perhaps we'll harvest the prickly chap and have a toast. Just kidding Ol' fella.