Strolling

The other day I was downtown for about an hour waiting on my dad.  I had brought a book and was planning to sit in a coffee shop and read, although it was overcast, it was warm (the first time in quite a while) so I decided to take a walk.  It's always nice to take a lovely meandering walk - a stroll really - when you have nothing to do, no reason to rush by everything.

I loved the crescents in these shutters and the contrast between them and the red roof.

Maples are always so beautiful this time of year.

I noticed this two-toned "fish scale" roof on my walk and thought it was so interesting.  There are so many unique architectural details all around you if you only take the time to notice.  

I thought it was so interesting that they had a pepper plant as a decorative plant in their windowsill planters.  Aren't they such an great addition?  And festive too.  

Christmas in New Orleans

On Sunday I unexpectedly drove through snow for 6 hours.  It was quite a shock, but I was excited because I got to break out my fur lumberjack hat with the earflaps.  Between that and this cold snap I'm all ready for Christmas now, so here's a few Christmas-y pictures form New Orleans to put me in the Christmas spirit.

(I always thought it was so cool to hang Christmas ornaments in the trees outside your house.)  

Missing New Orleans

Do you ever see an airplane flying across the sky, especially on a clear day, and think about where those people are going?  For some reason seeing airplanes on a clear day, they look so delicate and fragile, and completely not meant to fly, and they remind me of John Denver's words from Starwood in Aspen "It's a long time to hang in the sky."  

While I'm looking forward to home, I'm also going to miss a few things about New Orleans.  

 This cute little house that looks like it got dropped into the city straight out of a fairy tale.

The camellias starting to bloom everywhere.

Passing by houses and finding incredibly unique things like this little sculpture porch for lack of a better term.  

This secret garden.  (When I grow up I want a beautiful secret garden like this.)

This beautiful gingko tree.  

Going Home

I've just finished my exams, and am baking Aunt Merle's ginger snap cookies for Christmas gifts.  Baking is such a homey thing, and I'm already thinking of everything that I'm looking forward to at home.  Here are a few things that I'm excited for (in photos).  

Watching sunset from the dock. 

Watching the sailboats in the harbor.

This beautiful ball of energy, who's always, always excited to see me (even if she barks before she realizes who it is).  

And of course, seeing all of my wonderful friends.  

Spiders

I would like to start by saying that I have arachnophobia.  And not in the typical, girly, "I hate spiders, snakes, bugs and anything that moves" kind of way.  I'm just innately terrified of spiders.  It's the creepy, crawly too-quick way they move.  My mother always tells me the story of when she first realized that I was afraid of them.  Apparently before I was even talking we were out on the porch and I saw a spider - I just stood there, pointed at the spider and started to shake.  No shrieking or overly theatrical dramatics, just simply stared, transfixed, and shook.  The same thing still happens today.  In spite of this crippling fear, however, I'm still fascinated by spiders.  And as long as they're not moving I enjoy watching them.  One summer I even looked forward to watching the banana spider outside our window - it was so beautiful and powerful and amazing.  

Long story short, when we were up at the country over Thanksgiving on Sunday morning we all woke up to go for a walk before breakfast.  As I slipped out the door and looked out at the field there were hundreds and hundreds of jewel-like orbs of web strung between the stalks of the grasses, glistening with dew like little tiny floating fairy lights.  I was completely fascinated by them.  

I've always loved big cow skulls dominating an earthy but sparse room in the tradition of southwestern homes.  I'm working my way up to a big cow skull.