New York, I love you.

New York, I love you.
This past May I took a week off and headed to NYC. It was one of the best weeks I have spent in many, many years. I love the buzz here. I love the grit, the noise, the rain and everyone dressed in black. I love the talent you find in the most unaccepted of places, the food, the subway rats eating pretzels the size of my hand, outdoor cafe seating and the variety of personal style. I think what connected me to this city is the annomyity of it all. I could move freely here and felt like an individual even though the majority of time I was admist organized chaos.

Where I've Been

I brought Luke home on January 12, 2011

He has a gentle and loving soul

Man, he loves his toys!!

He LOVES ALL his new friends, too.

At first, Buster was a little apprehensive :)

but he loved

when Luke cleaned his ears

and licked his face.

We didn't know Buster was sick.

Two weeks after Luke came home I learned that Buster had a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his abdomen. The x-rays were real. This was real. My faithful and amazing friend of 11 years was sick and the prognosis was not good. I brought him home determined to let him eat anything and everything he wanted. He soaked in the sunshine for hours on end and took prime spot in the bed. It wasn't long before he had a stroke. On March 21, 2011, Buster left us. The weeks that I had with him after he was diagnosed with his cancer were bittersweet. I stared at him a lot. I didn't want my fingers to leave his buttersoft ears. I kissed him a lot.

I did not, take many photos.

a passage from my myspace blog on July 12, 2008

Summer Saturday

I wake up naturally smiling and relieved. I had good dreams. The coffee is already brewed. I head to the porch to wake up in 65º morning air, turn on some acoustic music... stretch. I brush my teeth, put on favorite earrings, wash my face and hit the door. Then I'm on my bike to hit a couple select yard sales... talk to the neighborhood folk and find myself a little gem. Its so early. I take a peaceful ride to the farmer's curb market to visit my favorite vendors. I buy my goodies from the Zaytoon gang and listen to the beekeeper from Eden explain the art of honeybees to a precocious beauty of a boy. I marvel in the eclectic sites and the thick layers of sound.

When I get home the house is so quiet. The only part of Buster I can see is the faint wagging of his tail, one big brown eye and a soft ear. He's buried the rest of himself in my down comforter. Hmm, I think. Let's see how long this takes. I reach for the back of my closet door for my comfy exercise pants and reach into the sock drawer. I hear a grunt and he's on the floor. He knows what's up. Time to hit the park. Its one of those days where he leads me. I'm moving slow today.

I can't move slow enough.

A Free Byrd

I am working some more on the infamous website this weekend and while doing so, I found this photo of my partner in crime and remembered how much fun we have together.  

Melody is the kind of friend you take spontaneous road trips with, take bike rides in the winter at midnight or cook impromptu gourmet meals with.  

She is my soulful and unique friend.

Christmas 2009

It didn't stress me out this year.

 I focused on the time I had with family 

rather than trying to make everything "perfect"

The Mosher Boys!

Jackson is born!