{Tribute} Three Years

Husband,

It is twenty minutes into June and I am nearly a month late in recording our anniversary.  Such is our stage in life.  It seems that week to week we are in a different part of the country.  Not a bad thing.  Just a little flurried is all.

We didn't vacation this year for the first time since our honeymoon.  We knew we'd be traveling soon--gone for an entire summer.  So instead we played it low key, finding quirky, unique things to do around town.  We felt like kids and it was great.  My favorite part of the day was painting pottery.  Thanks for indulging me.

Three years of wedded bliss has made us sillier than ever.  We tell each other constantly that we're so glad we're such good friends.  You often ask me if I look at you and think, "What in the world was I thinking?"  You ask why I ever said yes.  And though there are many reasons, the first one that always comes to mind is your kindness.  I fell in love with your kindness.

Thanks for being mine, heart and soul.

Happy 3rd Anniversary.

~Me

  

(Photograph by Jami Leavitt)

{Travel} New Orleans--French Quarter

Yikes.  My last post was on May 2nd.  A lot has happened since then.

First things first.  We moved to Louisiana for the summer.

I wish I had been better at recording all of our first impressions of the South.  It is gorgeous here.  And also very foreign in many ways.  The roadkill is diverse (armadillos, lizards, and something frightening with huge claws and a stubby nose), the trees are immense, and the food is as delightful as everyone said it would be.

I have a bunch of fun little details to share about our first couple of weeks here, but I'll start with our colorful afternoon exploring the French Quarter of "N'Ahrluns".  Our first stop was a mask shop.  We were drawn in not by the masks but by the air conditioning.  The masks were just a bonus ;)

^^I think the stranger behind us dropped $200 on a couple of masks for his girlfriend and himself.  They'll be quite the pair at their parties, I'm sure.  Preston laughed that he and I have been age 45 since we were 21.  I countered that we've both been stuck at age 9 for awhile...

Also, we're not mentioning how many other people have probably tried on these masks.

    

  

^^I think this is a good look for me...

One of the attractions of the French Quarter is the architecture.  Such a feast for the eyes.

 

 

^^Funny story about this door knob.  I was taking a picture of it when from behind me a man asked why I was taking a picture of it.  I said I loved the detail.  He then smiled and said he got it from Joann for $5.  Haha!

   

 

   

^^Nope, we haven't tried any yet.  You can be sure we will, though!

After visiting the French Market, we wandered through City Park, considering a paddle boat ride.  But we opted to sit in the shade instead and watch everyone else sweat to death on their boats.

Throughout our visit I thought of Kate Chopin's The Awakening and the film version of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.  It only added to my delight with the city.

More Southern Adventures coming soon!  Hope everyone had a fantastic Memorial Day.

Sonny Boy at the Zoo

For the first and likely last time in his life, Sonny Boy went to the zoo.

The emus weren't so sure

the monkey and wallabies couldn't care less

the baby goat was curious

the singing dogs were happy as can be

and the otters immediately spotted a friend who could rival them in playfulness.

Sonny Boy was so good.  He didn't bark at a thing...except for a fake cow.  Go figure.

Why it is a good idea to bring a dog to the zoo:  all of the animals come to see you.

Why it is not a good idea:  really, I can't think of anything.

(okay, except that technically it's not allowed, probably because at any moment there could be a zoo-wide freak-out of epic proportions.  However, our experience was mild and pleasant.)

*Note: Dogs are allowed at the park that surrounds the zoo, but we weren't sure if they were allowed in. With no sign indicating anything, we decided to wander through the big gates.  We made it around the whole zoo before any of the workers decided to mention something.  It was totally NBD, so please don't worry.