Wrapping it up.

I've been thinking about wrapping things up a lot lately, both literally and figuratively. It's the holidays, so there has been a bit of actual wrapping going on, but I'm mostly thinking about things coming to an end. The year is drawing to a close, and so many things have changed over the last 12 months, I don't know that I've been able to process them all. We've been seeing people move on with their lives and worked on moving on with our own. It is my hope that this next year will be a little calmer, with a bit more time to think all of these changes through and less scrambling from one adjustment to another.

In that vein, I'm confronting my writer's block head on. It's about time that I finish a project that I've been working on for over a year now, and I'd be delighted if any of you who might still be listening would help me out. I have a little survey that I've put together, if you don't mind answering a few questions, that would be wonderful. If you'd be willing to pass it on, even better.

I'll have my head in the sand working on deciphering all of this data and getting through the holidays and then I'll be back, hopefully newly inspired, and ready to work on the next 12 months.

Expats.

I am utterly confounded by people whom, having no citizenship rights, and therefore no real ability to MAKE MONEY, in their adopted new home, manage to relocate to a new country. Can someone please tell me if a trust fund is the key to a new location in life? Is it simply being creative (and successful enough to make a living out of said creativity) that allows people to work from anywhere in the world? I'd like to know, because sometimes I think I could use a serious change.

Heartbroken.

On Thursday morning we lost our sweet pup Arlo to a horrible accident. I can't even begin to describe how sad we are or how much we miss her. I don't know where we'll go from here, but I'm just trying to take it day by day.

I woke up this morning...

...and decided that I want to learn to play blues harmonica. Either I've lost my mind or it's brilliant.

This weekend I made:

A zucchini ricotta galette, a french tomato tart, a three-layer carrot cake, a hat, a giant pot of minestrone soup and a total mess.

Get up to get down.

One of my favorite ladies got engaged last night. I helped pick out the ring THREE MONTHS AGO and the secret's been killing me. Now on to the planning -- this is going to be one Motown belting, wine-soaked, crazy stylish wedding. Eff yes.

The Big Chill.

It's going to be over 90 degrees today kicking off another East Coast heatwave. All I want to do is stay inside, watch movies in French and shop for raincoats. I'm ready for fall.

1. concave hooded raincoat - zero + maria cornejo, 2. army style anorak - green envelope, 3. hooded rain jacket - weatherproof, 4. inside out rain jacket - gargyle