Day Tripping to Guadalupe

The fun of photography

Earlier this year, I took a couple photography classes and really began to enjoy the art of photography. I was getting really good and trying to work on my composition and then the garden and work took over. But in recent weeks, I have totally stopped taking pictures. 

I am going to make an effort to take as many pictures in the next weeks as possible.  :) I am going to challenge myself to try to put up one pic a week (I am not sure if I will make it or not, but if I type it, it will hold me more accountable).

Garden Update

So 2 weeks ago I posted pics of "Gardenia", and now I have new pics of the garden. I am kinda wading in deep waters so I really have no idea what to do with the garden besides water and weed and someday I think I should fertilize but the rest is a mystery. I will feel my way along and experiment. Who knows. :)

You can see it is getting bigger and so are the weeds.

The corn is getting bigger and I am going to have to thin it out a bit. I got one with Babe so that you can see how big it is. 

Look at my future (fingers crossed) vegetables. The buds and blooms will soon be Canteloupe (left) and squash (right). I have to say the canteloupe has really cute flowers. 

My adventure at the Pick N Pull

So my 16 year old car has technically broken down twice this week. And first my brother replaced the water pump and we were good to go.... UNTIL the loser car inspector (my inspection sticker is due too) got the emergency brake stuck. Sadly, it was kinda broken already so not entirely his fault. But my main complaint it he didn't even check the lights on the car in front of me. That guy didn't even get out of the car. I think it was age descrimination, but that is another story...

In the end, my brother continued to shine his brother crown by helping me with my car. He came all the way across town and disconnected the emergency brake and then the jeep sat in the driveway. And that is where, a couple days later, the adventure begins...

This afternoon, my dad, my other brother and I piled in the car with the broken part (the emergency lever) armed with a phone book and maps to the neighboring pick n pull places. My dad and brother totally dreaded it and said last time they went it took 3 hours... Yikes!! But of course, this time they had my sparkling personality to light their lovely way.

We got to the pick n pull and WOW! I found out it was like a scavenger hunt! They even gave me a map. Despite the fact that it was like 100 degrees out, our party combed through rows and rows of junk cars. Jeremy found "the car". And then we went to work on it to get the part we needed and 2 screws (thanks to someone who had previously taken the other part) we were outta there. Overall I had a great time! Literally, for 20 bucks, I got the part I needed and had a scavenger hunt at the same time!

And since Matt installed the part today she is good to go and will probably get her inspection tomorrow.

My dream life....well almost...

“Earth's crammed with heaven.”
ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING

I am starting to plan for my long European trip. I will be taking it when I am 30 (not that far away). My best friend and I turn 30 the same year and had planned to take a fantastic vacation (if we are both still at this stage in our lives (singlish and family-less...we both have family but I mean kids, husband, house, American dream, yada-yada).

I am already researching it. I so want to go. I have bills and such, but am beginning to live for a super vacation. Maybe not even a vacation. I want to see the world. I mean how awesome is it that all of us came from the same 2 human beings and are so spread out, have such vastly different cultures and ideas, and have amazingly rich histories? I want to see what the world has to offer. I have already warned my aunt (boss) that I will be taking a leave of absence. I am going to try to feed this brain of mine any particle of travel advice I can find in preparation. 

I think that if I were not so afraid of missing people and making changes that I would be a world traveler (like this family http://www.soultravelers3.com/soultravelers3.html). I am fighting with myself and one half of me says to take a chance you only live once and the other says that is totally impossible in your situation and totally unrealistic. So as I write and learn about traveling I am going to try to post it so I am held accountable. At the very least, I am going to Europe during my 30th year and will have an utterly fantastic time and at the most (this might change I will try to live somewhere besides here in the US ...someday. I will try to lose the inhibitions and do what I would really love to do and not let anyone or thing discourage me. 

So we'll see what happens. It is going to be lovely no matter what!