Look

We traded away many dollars, many squiggles of our names, and many errands and emails for four little metal keys and two little conjoined houses yesterday.

Still working a lot. Starting going to the gym with J. I did three chin ups! Garden is about to get started in full swing once I'm convinced we won't get another freezing temps night. Going on vaca in two weeks with my folks. All the million little things, and not too much to report.

Work devours.
My little garden grows.
My ginormous puppy dreams.
Stomachs growl.
Mitchell sings.
News filters in and out.
Peace will come...

Ok, Life, I could use a break right about now. How about letting up a smidge, eh? Say, Tuesday? Let me just have Tuesday and you can ravage me for a few more weeks until January, deal?

Jeez. I hear ya. Loud and clear. Ok? I'll get right on it.

J and I are starting a cycle of purging Stuff from our lives.
We compiled a bunch o' books to take to Half Price, but thought we'd offer them to any who may want them first.

Please call dibs in the next couple days, as having them off the shelf and on the table/floor is Not Okay and they will be leaving the house this weekend regardless.

Non-fiction and then fiction. Assume paperback unless otherwise noted. (There are many hardcover editions hiding unnoted.)

Handwriting and personality by Ann Mahony
Capture the Beauty in Nature by The Kodak Library of Creative Photography
Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud
America’s Byways of the Mountain Region
Hiking Mount Hood National Forest
Audubon Guide to the National Wildlife Refuges of the Southwest
The Women’s Kama Sutra
Home Buying Advisor by H&R Block
Architecture by Neil Stevenson
Smoothies! (cookbook)
About four years worth of Real Simple Magazine

Harper Collins Study Bible
Watermelon by Marian Keyes
The Partner by John Grisham
The five people you mean in heaven by Mitch Albom
The Last Lecture by Randy Pautsch
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell
Best-Loved Folktales of the World
Bonsoir Lune (Goodnight Moon in French)
Lila by Robert M Pirsig
Ten Plays by Euripdes
A Doll House, The Wild Duck, Hedda Gabler, The master Builder by Ibsen
No Exit and three other plays by Sartre
Henry V and Henry IV, Othello, The Merchant of Venice - Shakespeare
Treasure Island by Stevenson
Tartuffe by Moliere
Hideaway by Dean Koontz
Time of the Twins, The Dawning of a New Age, The day of the Tempest, The Eve of the maelstrom (two copies…), Test of the Twins, (nice hardcover edition) War of the Twins by Weis and Hickman
Dexter in the Dark by Lindsay
Rant by Chuck Palahniuk
The Dragonbone Chair by Tad Williams
Bourne Identity by Ludlum
Stone of Farewell by Tad Williams
To Green Angel Tower part I by Tad Williams
Harry Potter 1,2, and 4
The Dark Half by Stephen King
American Gods by Gaiman
Andromeda Strain by Crichton
Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
Idoru by Gibson
State of Fear by Crichton
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
(nice old hardcover) Catcher in the Rye by Salinger

If you're not local and for some reason want my book and not one in your local bookstore (I can really only see this for the last one) we can negotiate shipping.

Thanks =)

Please 'chip in' anything you can. It let's you do just a dollar, or as much as you'd like.

Austin Pets Alive! is a great organization. They are working hard to make Austin a No Kill City by saving as many animals as they can from the euthanasia list of the local shelter. The spay/neuter, treat, heal, and foster/adopt out thousands of animals a year that would have otherwise been put to sleep. Please help them to continue to do great work so animals, like Thomas, can have a chance for a happy home.

(And if you want to 'awww' over adorable pictures, their website has up to date listings of the animals currently awaiting adoption.)

Thanks all =)

There is peace in the ripening of tomatoes. Slow, gentle. It reddens without any hurry. A slow blush at a long past joke.

J: We could make a veggie tray over there
Me: We don't have the veggies to make a veggie tray
J: We could go to the store and get some
Me: Again? (We just went to the store and made breakfast)
J: Sure.
Me: Let's go to the store four times in one day!
J: I was starting to think I should take after your mother more
Me: *dies laughing*

Planning this year's garden =D