A Year With Pierce

My daytime buddy and I had a lot of fun during our fourteen months together.  We were frequently entertained by good ole PhotoBooth.  Below is my first shot at a Picasa collage and some of our oodles and caboodles of pictures:

Good December Friday Morning To You!

 

 

Yesterday's snow underneath this morning's sunrise.

Mount Vernon

Two weekends ago we made the relatively short urban drive to Mount Vernon, the beloved Potomac oasis of George Washington.  The weather was cold, but lovely.   December highlights of the grounds include viewing the third floor of the house, seeing this year's pardoned Thanksgiving turkey, and the traditional Christmas camel.  Huh?  Yep. 

This was Matt's first trip, but I went about 15 years ago (sheesh!) with my family.  It was exciting to verify images that had floated around in my head for all those years with the real thing again.  I was proud of me for correctly remembering a lot.  And thankful my (our) parents were able to expose us to great places like this as kids.  I wonder how much Cameron remembers.

The property is gorgeous and other than being hustled quickly from room to room, it was a great peek into the past.  Perhaps the only truly negative thing is that our house hunting hopes and dreams have now soared to a place where they will most definitely be completely deflated by reality.  (Not really, but you know...)

I'd be happy with the kitchen alone as our entire home.

Oh the peaceful solitude!  No wonder George liked it so much.

Beaches, forests, pastures and hills.  This property has it all.

Preserved evidence of a once self-sufficient estate.

Eye catching red roofed barn and other buildings.

I wonder if any of their grand-kids dared to sled down this mother of a hill.

Somewhere in a shoebox, there is a 15 year old picture very similar to this one.  But it has a brother in it, not a husband. 

 

A Jump-Start

It was 20 degrees this morning.  Thank goodness for the sunshine.  Helped counteract the 10 degree wind chill.  Yesterday seagulls were in the blue sky and sand was blowing around on the ground.  Oh wait.  Nope.  That was snow.  Who knew seagulls and snow could go hand in hand?

Matt bought a humidifier last weekend.  It is a good thing to have during the winter, though I'm amused, as it appears to make him happier than receiving a handful of books off his Amazon wish list.  I'm sure he's just pulling my leg.  He does make me laugh.  In a check-out line recently he casually declined a bag from the cashier in order to "save the plastic trees."

Unless you count the greeting cards taped to our pantry door, we don't have any Christmas decorations inside our apartment.  We do, however, have yards of orange and blue crepe paper swagged around the ceilings.  Did you know Auburn was undefeated this football season?  Did you know Auburn won the SEC championship?  Did you know Auburn's quarterback won the Heisman?  Did you know Auburn will play in the national championship game this January? Brag, brag, gloat, gloat, etc, etc.  War Eagle.

My blogging brain cells have had a jump-start and are now revived.  Here we go...

Twenty-Nine!

Happy Birthday Matt!

Halloween Pictures

Trick-Or-Treat Wagon

This baby duck liked being hand fed M&M's

Frumpy Farm Lady & Baby Duck

Adorable Pregnant Lady & Baby Duck

Halloweekend

FRIDAY: After getting home late from work, Matt realized he lost his keys.  Thankfully he took the bus in so his car was here, he had his phone, and I had a spare key.  No big deal.  Just annoying.  After lots of effort trying to track them down we gave up and ate a sushi dinner down the street at 8:30pm.  Revelled over the fact that we had the freedom to eat dinner out so late.

SATURDAY: Slept in, made french toast, went to an estate sale, watched the Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear.  Ate a delicious Ethiopian dinner in DC with AU friends Travis and Billie, watched the AU game at their apartment in VA.  Took a late metro ride home and saw LOTS of costumed crazies celebrating Halloween.  Made it to bed by 2:00am.

SUNDAY: Baked a pumpkin spice cake, went to church, worked in the nursery.  Sped back home to cook chicken tortilla soup.  Celebrated fall by eating the soup, cake and leaf shaped spritz cookies here with 8 friends.  Cleaned and rested.  Celebrated Halloween with a baby duck and his momma.  Saw lots of cute trick-or-treaters, ate chicken nuggets and candy for supper, picked up Tanner from the airport, visited, made it to bed by 11:30.

MONDAY: Matt found his keys.

What You Get For The Money

One day we'll house hunt in the flesh, not just poke around on the internet.  But it's a good thing we're poking.  It will help cushion the prick of reality.  The following homes are listed for the same price with almost the same results.

SOUTH CAROLINA

ALABAMA

TEXAS

 

MARYLAND

Can't say we're very thrilled about this last result.