an introduction

ETG meet desk.
Desk meet ETG.
Yes, you two are familiar, but you haven't seen this much of one another in quite some time. Well, to be more specific, ETG hasn't seen this much of her desk in quite some time because she's kept it too cluttered with papers and piles and other "very important stuff". Well, that ended today. There are still a few strategically placed "to be read or dealt with" piles but a lot of that "very important stuff" didn't seem quite so important today and made its way to the recycling bin. (Luckily, there were no missed deadlines in those piles...just lots of paperwork. At least a small forest-worth which makes me wonder if some of the organizations that I receive all of this paperwork from couldn't cut down on that a little...).
Here's to a good relationship between ETG and desk for 2010...and to seeing lots more of one another. (My desk has got to be thankful that I'm letting it breathe again! Feels good to be starting a new year with a clean slate...at least as far as desks go.)

Julie and Julia

Looking back on it, I actually saw a good number of movies over the break...although none of them new releases! The closest to that would be "Julie and Julia" which Mom, Gran, and I watched on Christmas night. Such a treat!
I'm not about to give up my day job (or all of my other hobbies) to cook my way through Julia Child's cookbook and blog about it - although that might be fun! But it did inspire me to shake things up. Cook some new things. And perhaps tackle my own little cooking project for 2010 - cooking one new recipe a week. (Don't worry, friends, I will probably not use you as guinea pigs unless I'm repeating a recipe because it was so good!) I think that my first adventure will be Boeuf Bourguignon because it just looks SO good and it is chock full of protein...and if I can get lean beef then it won't be totally bad for me. (I love that I'm writing about this after just having met with Meredith to talk nutrition...)
I should note that I'm also writing this after having caused my first kitchen fire. In Gran's oven. The culprit: corn souffle that was in a dish that wasn't quite large enough. Oops. Good thing I learned that day - I can remain calm even with a "fire in the hole". That's what they used to shout in a coal mine when a charge had been set. I could have yelled it in Gran's house a few days ago. But I didn't. I calmly turned the oven off and watched the flames die down. No need for the fire extinguisher, although I was hoping it was terribly intuitive or had great instructions. Needless to say, glad that the "event" didn't get any bigger than some smoke in the kitchen. Phew. Good thing I'm not really trying to cook my way through Mastering the Art of French Cooking as I'm not quite ready to become a firefighter.

it's a wrap...

...both my trip to New Orleans and my last run workout of 2009. And both were great!
We were really lucky to have the Stewart family adopt us for the Christmas holidays - everything from Christmas Eve at Galatoire's to Christmas Day at their house and then December 26th cocktails at Martine's. We all talked about how wonderful "adopted" families are...the friends that we turn into family. So sweet.
Mom, Gran, and I actually had a really lovely time together. We did a lot of run-of-the-mill things like fixing things for Gran. I love being able to do these things for her...changing out lights, adjusting automatic timers for her lamps, setting up the billing for her email machine, giving her a digital photo frame and showing her how to use it, canceling an automatic phone answering deal that was driving her crazy...and then baking (biscuits that she loves!) and cooking (chicken pot pie, quiche - spinach & cheese and ham & cheese, roast chicken, spinach Madeleine, and some other things along the way...I love that Gran enjoys being my guinea pig!). But we also did some special things like taking Gran down to the French Quarter to the Roosevelt Hotel for lunch on Sunday. Gran and Granddaddy used to go down there "back in the day" - to the Blue Room. Who knows who all they saw perform there?! Back in its hey-day, it saw the likes of Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra and others. I can just see Gran and Granddaddy all dressed up and having a big old time. They aren't actually in these pictures, but I imagine them in these crowds!
We at at the Sazerac Bar & Grill...known for its murals. It was very cool as far as bars go! And a highlight of the trip was seeing the lobby all decorated for Christmas. It didn't look quite like this (none of the netting this year) and a little more subtle with white lights. But A LOT of them...a whole lot of them. (Silly me, didn't take pictures!) It was fun to be down in the Quarter (even with all of the Saints' mania) and neat to hear Gran's stories of when she used to go there with Granddaddy. Even though she's not always the most sentimental of the group, I think she thought it was special to see it again. Definitely glad that I stayed an extra day to do this with mom and Gran...it will be one of those special memories for us.
Then today, it was bonding time for ETG and I-10 as I made my way back to Austin. Easy drive. Gorgeous day. Made good time (except for one hiccup between Beaumont and Houston when they had shut down I-10...still not sure why). And even made it home in time to go to the last hill workout of 2009. Woot! (Seems that I've started my New Year's resolution of pushing myself a little harder than I think I can at workouts a few days early...had some of my best efforts and paces yet. Yes, I love running in colder weather!!) As some sort of "wintry mix" creeps in to central Texas overnight, I'm looking forward to a warm yoga studio in the morning...ommmm...and for now...creeping into my warm little bed with my down comforter. No matter how good time away is, I do love being home.

Christmas quotation

May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace
The gladness of Christmas bring you hope
The warmth of Christmas grant you love...

A Song for Christmas Eve...New Orleans style

Even though Jean couldn't be at Galatoire's with us today, we sang this song that she wrote in her honor...just another fun Christmas Eve brunch at Galatoire's!
(Sing to the tune of "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year")
It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the Saints a well playing
And everyone saying
"Who Dat" with cheer
It's the most wonderful time of the year.

There'll be tables for hosting
Galatoire's for toasting and
Seeing old friends that you know
There'll be fun family stories and
Tales of the glories of Galatoire's
From each time we go.

It's the most wonderful day of the year
There'll be cocktails a flowing,
Socializing and glowing
With Galatoire's cheer
It's the most wonderful day of the year!

Missed you Jean...it was the usual raucous scene with the Christmas Eve court, Meg waiting in line like a champ, much toasting (and a little roasting!), platters of shrimp & oysters, and milk punch & mimosas to share...

Finished off the day with some cooking for tomorrow, wrapping, church, and "It's a Wonderful Life"...still love that holiday tradition even if no one else in my family will watch it with me! Sweet dreams and Merry Christmas to all...and to all a good night.

my AMAZING Gran!

So many of you who read this blog have heard a lot about Gran...her hip surgeries...her heart problems...her evacuation from and return to New Orleans post-Katrina...the fact that she's 92 and amazingly spunky and with it...oh, and she's the Saints newest fan! In true athlete style, she rallied from the Saints' defeat over the weekend and had a victory of her own on Monday. She's been on a walker since her (third) hip surgery a year and one month ago. And she hates the walker. She thinks it makes her look old and feeble, and she's very self-conscious about it even though we've assured her that PLENTY of people have walkers - particularly 90+ year olds. Well, Gran has been wanting nothing more than to ditch the walker and return to her cane and so every physical therapist who comes to work with her gets the hard sell to let her do this. Her current PT, a wonderful woman named Kim, agreed to let her give it a go.
And on Monday, from the dining room, I hear Gran yelling, "Elizabeth, Terry, come see..." Mom and I hurried in and there was Gran on her first lap around the dining room table with her cane. She was SO excited. Around the table, up the stairs, to the back of the house, and then back down again. She did three laps with a big old grin and getting faster each time...definitely a negative split for her!
Anyway, it was probably the best Christmas present I could have gotten - seeing that smile on her face and knowing how this will boost her spirits. I know I'll hold onto that sight for a long time...and use it as inspiration when I need a boost to keep going.

weekend in review

Friday to Sunday feels like a blur...and when I look back on it I know why. (It was not entirely the fault of glacial activity on Saturday night!)
- Lessons and Carols (gosh, those 1st graders are CUTE!)
- Upper School Faculty gathering complete with Secret Santas (I love giving to friends like Jennifer! And getting some awesome socks from people like Jeff!)
- last minute shopping & mailing of gifts (hope they arrive by 12/25...I've been assure they will but you never know this time of year)
- "quick" trip to school that turned into a long afternoon there...complete with cleaning some recycling bins!
- SAS Christmas party (always a good time...although the caroling started late this year so I missed most of it!)
- Saturday early a.m. ride with Jess (we SWEAR there was a headwind the whole way?! I'm grateful that Jess was willing to wait for me...she's just a wee - or a lot - but faster than I am! I'm working on that but it's a slow process for this cycling caboose!)
- errands...cleaning...laundry...thoughts of packing...
- T3 Christmas party (amazingly pulled together by Nancy with lots of little elves to help transform the PTC into a "winter wonderland")
- post-Christmas party fun continues at Highball...complete with dancing...and a few too many glaciers...oops...but SO much fun!)
- home way too late to attempt to pack but I did it anyway - who knows what I'll actually have to wear in New Orleans!
- sleep...ah...
- a run fueled by red wine, 2 Glaciers, and a handful of Christmas cookies...needless to say, the updated nutrition plan I got from Meredith has not quite gone into action yet! This is NOT a great plan for a run, in case you are wondering. But it does help you sweat out any remaining evidence of the night before!
- car packed, dishwasher unloaded, and I'm ready to hit the road with a b'fast taco & coffee in hand!
- easy, construction-less drive to N.O. and finally, a hug from mom and Gran at the end of the day!
All smiles from this girl...

friday quotation

The majority of us lead quiet, unheralded lives as we pass through this world. There will most likely be no ticker-tape parades for us, no monuments created in our honor. But that doesn't lessen our possible impact, for there are scores of people waiting for someone just like us to come along; people who will appreciate our compassion, our unique talents. Someone who will live a happier life merely because we took the time to share what we had to give. Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have potential to turn a life around. It's overwhelming to consider the continuous opportunities there are to make our love felt.
- Leo Buscaglia

with luck like this...

...I should play the lottery!
Guess who's been called for jury duty again?! Yes, yours truly!
Tonight in my mailbox, alongside a number of Christmas cards, was an envelope from the Travis County Sheriff. My first thought was, "What offense/crime did I commit and forget about?" Unable to come up with anything I opened the envelope to see the all too familiar words: "Dear Prospective Juror: You are hereby summoned for jury duty as set out below..."
Seriously, this is laughable. A quick review of my history as a juror in Austin (in case you missed it last May when I served as a juror):
- lived here for 13 years
- this is my 6th time to be called for jury duty
- I've served twice now
- any time I've actually shown up for impaneling, I've been chosen
And the judge told us it was random last time. I'm questioning that!
The upside, I get to claim an exemption this time - there has to be a perk for having served recently (besides getting a Christmas card from the judge you served for - yes, that arrived in my mailbox last week). The bonus is that you can be exempt if you've served as a juror with in the 24-month period prior to the date you are required to appear. If you want...you can also serve...as much of a service as it is, I think I shall pass, thank you. Serving as a juror is actually a really neat part of our legal system. I respect the opportunity. I'm grateful to be in a country where this is possible. And, this time, I'm happy to let someone else have this fabulous experience.

weeknight ragu

As if I'm making up for two weekends ago when I was sick and didn't cook (or eat) a thing all weekend...which was fine given that I didn't have much of an appetite until Wednesday...I'm now cooking up a storm. Christmas cookies. Jezebel sauce. Polenta. And the thing I'm most excited about - "weeknight ragu". I got the recipe from a food blog that I follow thanks to my friends the Hecks who think that my baking is actually much better and more creative than it is...thank you, Hecks, for the encouragement. But I'm having great fun getting new ideas from the food52 blog. Maybe someday I'll have an original recipe to submit to them for review!
In the meantime, I'm enjoying trying new recipes. My latest favorite - weeknight ragu. Yum. This is serious comfort food. Divine smelling. Awesome tasting. And so versatile. You can put it on pasta, polenta, baked potato...see what I mean. Anyway, I'm SUPER excited to have found something that's so easy to make that I can cook up over the weekend and eat off of all week. Sort of like when I make a big old pot of soup... Oh, I do love the food that is so yummy to eat during the winter. Food that warms you up - heart, soul, and tummy.

yoga intention

Today Amy and I got a treat...a yoga class to ourselves! With Deralyn...one of our favorite instructors! We're always asked to set an intention for the class and most days I can come up with one but today I had nothing. Zip. Zero. Nada. And as if Deralyn had read my mind she said, "If you don't have a specific intention for today then maybe your intention is to be open to whatever comes to you during the practice." Sounded like a plan.
And then I thought about that idea for my life...being open to whatever comes my way. Being open to walking through doors as they appear, even if I'm not 100% sure of what's on the other side. Being open to new ideas, even if they scare me a little. Being open to new pain (either physical as I prepare for another IM training season or emotional as I push myself to new places in relationships or self-discovery/improvement).
I'm not a closed-minded person. But I think like a lot of us, I often stick with what's safe and comfortable. I sometimes hold back on a long run because I'm afraid I will bonk. (But, as Chrissie advised me, I won't ever know my real limits unless I do bonk a few times! Got it...bonking allowed...perhaps even encouraged! Just not all the time.) I sometimes hold my tongue when I really should just let the words fly...not in a careless or hurtful way but in an honest and heartfelt way. I have shied away from adventures and relationships and opportunities because I didn't know where they were leading...because I wasn't sure they were safe. I think part of my being open to new things means letting go of needing that security and just "going with the flow", letting my heart lead just as much as I let my head lead, and being open to thinking about such things in a new way. Cool.
It's a little too early for New Year's resolutions, I realize this. And I don't always even make New Year's resolutions. But maybe in 2010, I'll set a bunch of intentions...maybe 10 of them since it's 2010? Or 36 of them since I'll be 36 for 11 months of the year? That feels like a lot! Or maybe 12 of them...one for each month? So many ways to configure it. And plenty of days to ponder that. Maybe I'll just throw that idea out into the cosmos and be open to whatever idea settles in my soul come January 1, 2010...that seems to be in the right spirit for all of this.

Christmas found me!

I have to admit, I was getting a little worried about me this holiday season. Much to the dismay of Walmart, Target, Hallmark, and even 95.5 which plays only Christmas music this time of year, the Christmas spirit had not really caught hold in my heart. I don't think of myself as a Scrooge but I was worried that like the Grinch perhaps my heart was two sizes too small this year. I don't love, love, love Christmas (I reserve that excitement for holidays like Thanksgiving) but I usually get some bit of the spirit in my blood and this year it just wasn't happening. I went shopping yesterday. I listened to Christmas music. I started writing a couple of Christmas cards. I opened more than a couple of Christmas cards. Nothing.
And then this evening, I went to the St. Andrew's Festival of Light and Evensong. But before I even entered the chapel, I could feel something stirring in me. I'd been working all afternoon in my office and had watched the campus being decorated but it wasn't until the sun set and all of lights had been dimmed that it felt like Christmas. The luminaria. The tree all lit up. The wreaths. The glow coming from the chapel. There's something magical about it.
And then standing in the chapel welcoming people to the service and handing out programs...seeing families and friends and students who remind me of why I love St. Andrew's...it was like the little icy layer that was preventing my heart from feeling Christmas melted away.
I'm not really sure why it was there. Maybe my busy schedule, my worries over getting deadlines met before leaving for the holidays, etc... maybe all of that got in the way of remembering that Christmas is only about 12 days away. Lame excuses but they are the best I can come up with.
But somewhere between the lovely service full of candlelight and music and my house, I became ready to celebrate Christmas. When I got home, I baked some Christmas cookies for my advisees (I had made the dough yesterday in some weak attempt to "feel" Christmas), I finished packaging Jezebel Sauce for my colleagues and friends. I put on Christmas tunes sung by Bing Crosby, the Carpenters, and James Taylor. And I made a final order of Christmas presents online.
I feel rather silly writing this because it seems like I was looking for Christmas and the spirit of it in stores or in manufactured things and really, I know better. Christmas has never been about the gifts for me. (As a token of love and friendship, I like gifts...but not for the sake of just giving something.) So I'm not really sure why I'm surprised that it took this chapel service to help me re-frame Christmas this year. Maybe I needed to be reminded that NOT finding Christmas at the mall (not that I've been!) is okay. That if I felt Christmas among friends and "extended family" here in Austin, that was okay. That if being reminded that the season is about Jesus' birth which let us all experience hope and grace and forgiveness and serves as a model of humility and generosity and love beyond belief couldn't happen anywhere but the St. Andrew's chapel, that was okay, too. Somehow that feels good to me. A relief. That finding my Christmas spirit this year happened right where it was supposed to. Maybe even when it was supposed to. And certainly how it was supposed to.
And now as I turn towards bed, I'm repeating a quiet prayer that we closed the service with tonight. It's one of my favorites, but it seems especially peaceful tonight in what can be a frenzied season and as an offering to friend and teammate Erin Lahr who we lost at this time last year when she was running the White Rock marathon.
Keep watch, dear Lord, with those who work, or watch, or weep this night and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, Lord Christ; give rest to the weary, bless the dying, soothe the suffering, pity the afflicted, shield the joyous; and all for your love's sake. Amen.
Blessings on everyone...those still with us and those who have passed on...this Christmas season and always.

in a fog

Not really me, but Austin.
This past week on Tuesday night a soccer game at school was called off just a few minutes into the second half...a "fog out". Never heard of that before. But it was accurate. I had just looked out on the field and realized that I couldn't see 90% of the players...and I was wondering why I was standing there in the chilly night air instead of being curled up under my comforter at home since I couldn't even tell where the ball or players were! And then today, Austin was again blanketed in fog (and mist...and drizzle). Forced us inside for spin rather than riding outside and then never really let up all day. "Thick as pea soup" would be an accurate description.
Funny that I was expecting troublesome, wintry weather in Lubbock yesterday (had a great visit to Texas Tech, by the way!), but really it was waiting for me at home today. Yesterday was in the mid-50s and sunny in Lubbock, where it had been 19 the day before! Today was in the upper-40s and foggy in Austin, where it's supposed to be in the 70s and sunny tomorrow! Guess this is winter for you...for every hot, monotonous day this past summer maybe we're going to get a chilly, unpredictable day this winter. Adds some excitement to our lives though so I'm okay with it!

friday quotation

Live your life, not someone else's.

Not sure where I came across this one, but it seems like good advice!

dreams are free

A conversation with a colleague this morning about posting grades and making sure they were all correct made me say, "Well, we can keep dreaming." To which she replied, "Why not? Dreams are free." I laughed and thought, "Right. Why not? Dreams ARE free." I really liked that thought...no harm in dreaming. Doesn't cost anyone anything. Often keeps us moving forward, in search of something new and bigger and more wonderful. Or keeps our hope alive that things might be different some day. And I don't think any of those things cause any harm to anyone.
And then I started thinking of all of the other cool things in life that are free...so many of them. Smiles. Hugs. Barton Springs at certain hours. The sound of rain on a tin roof. A run on the Town Lake trail. An understanding look from a friend (or I suppose anyone!). A fresh breath of air. Sleep. Sunshine. Love. Sunrises and sunsets. A field of wildflowers. Songs on the radio. Bingo on your birthday (okay...not quite, but it's ALMOST free...it's $1!). The smell of mountain laurel (purple kool-aid trees) in Austin the spring. Mountain views. Fireflies over a field in the summer.
The list could go on and on...I'm sure you have your own "free list". But I love that of all of those free things in life, I just added "dreams" to that list that often comes to mind. On that note, sweet dreams...

B.R.A.T.

Hopefully not a description of me although I'm sure from time to time I have been/am/will be a BRAT. But this time it refers to my best friends/rather mundane food choices these last 24 hours thanks to Mr. Stomach Bug who came and visited me Saturday through Sunday afternoon. I tried my best to deny being sick, but by late Saturday afternoon, I had to give in and started in on what became sleep-fest 2009 for ETG. Seriously. Nap...times two...plus bed at 7:30 p.m. Didn't get out of bed until noon the next day! I actually tried to get out of bed at 5:30 a.m. to go and be a bike escort at Decker because I was sure that whatever was wrong with me would have passed but a big old case of the chills and dry heaves sent me back to bed. Felt horrible for missing...and just horrible in general. I thought I was back in action yesterday afternoon but didn't know that was only about 65% until I woke up this morning - hello, new day! Good-bye, Mr. Stomach Bug! Hello, B.R.A.T. diet for at least a couple of days though. Banana for breakfast. Rice for lunch. Forgot the Applesauce at home. And some Toast for dinner. I know, it's rather boring. And rather bland. But it's finally charged my appetite enough to imagine other more savory foods again...this is a good sign. ETG not having an appetite is a sure sign that something is wrong! One more day of playing it safe and then I'm back in eating action!
Thank you to all of my sweet friends who offered advice, Gatorade and soup drops, and everything else...felt very loved and cared for even as I shivered beneath my comforter. So thankful to be healthy again (I was reminded this weekend that I'm not a very patient patient...I hate being sick and not feeling like myself and am grateful that I usually do)!!

friday quotation

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.
Joseph Campbell

Amen!!!

I want to be a Thermos

Well, at least just for the next two days.
Today, I kept trying to be that thermos. My theory was that if I filled up with warm liquids - coffee, soup, tea, more coffee - I would stay warm. But nothing was doing the trick. I have enough natural insulation that it should have been an easy task, but I had added extra layers that included a wool sweater and a scarf in my attempt to be Thermos-like. And I failed at staying warm.
I think maybe the cold shower after swimming had something to do with it...let's hope the solar shower at Barton Springs tomorrow has some warmth to it. Otherwise, it's going to be another cold day for ETG seeing as the high tomorrow will occur while I'm swimming - about 37 degrees - and will drop steadily all day long . Chance of snow flurries (maybe 1/2 inch accumulation..not quite enough to call off school, I think!) by mid-day. And then staying cold through the night. First freeze of the year predicted on Friday! And a CHILLY morning on Saturday. Exciting! But I better figure out how to stay warm in it...seeing as my heat retaining talents seem very weak right now. (You would think between my birthday and Thanksgiving I would have plenty of insulating cells...)

for good

As I sat in the gym today for St. Andrew's Day at school, I thought to myself, "Yes, this is good. " I wasn't exactly sure what my inner voice meant by "good" but something felt good about sitting in a gym with close to 1,000 people, many of them who are dear friends, students, relatives of students and former students, colleagues...this wonderful, ever-growing circle of people who are a special Austin family to me. We all felt connected by this wonderful place called St. Andrew's. We were all a part of something bigger than ourselves, bigger than individual relationships and yet made up nearly entirely of those relationships.
The first graders that we were sitting with made it nearly impossible for me to dwell on the concept of "good" but the Middle School choir brought it back up again when they sang"For Good" from Wicked. The words from the chorus - "Who can say if I've been changed for the better? Because I knew you, I have been changed for good" - because it was just how I felt about the St. Andrew's community as something bigger than all of us and as I thought about my individual relationships within that whole. I have indeed been changed for good by being at St. Andrew's. Hope others can and would say the same because honestly, I think we all have been changed in some way for having been part of the SAS community. Feeling lucky that I've been changed for the better.

old man winter...

...has arrived. With rain. And cold. And wind. Not terrible wind, but just enough to make the rain fall sort of sideways.It was one of those days where it was easy to get cold in the morning and never really warm back up. But eventually, I did (get warm again). Guess December wanted us to know it wasn't messing around! The intensity of the summer heat was matched by a biting cold today. If this is a preview of what's to come then I better see about investing in a down vest or something!