Remembering Loulou

Today marks one year since we said goodbye to Loulou. We still miss her very much (especially mdw and Odin). I was remembering last night her particular affinity for providing a special Loulou moisturizer to the lower legs as I would get ready in the morning. She would endlessly lick the lotion off of my legs the moment I stepped out of the shower. She even applied this technique to my face while I was still sleeping in bed. I miss her sloppy kisses. Those unique kisses were immortalized in the following poem excerpt written by a friend for me and Loulou:

A Girl and Her Dog

The lips I once considered kissing
A canine gives a lusty licking,
Which of me it must require
A second thought on my desire.

This girl and dog like two sisters
Sharing secrets, sharing whimpers,
Allowed to share their own affection
Has forced me into new directions.
For in kissing her I'd come to close
To whiskers, ears, and furry coat.

Thank heavens for whiskers, ears, and furry coats... xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo to loulou!

Cumpleanos Feliz!

Happy Birthday to jdt! You are a wonderful sister, friend, wife, mother, daughter, aunt, niece, cousin, woman!!!!! We are glad you were born, and we thank you for the beauty you put into this world. For example:

A Poem

Eddy

Your reverse current creates a receptive space,
Devoid of downstream-flowing water, but bursting with possibility.
You taunt our notions of flow along a path of beauty that begins where it ends where it begins…

Water rushes in, offering a safe haven where we rest, drenched with delight.


mdw, 8/31/07

Espana, REMIX

What a difference a year makes. mtw and I returned from Spain (our belated honeymoon) just over one year ago. Since the blog wasn't up and running at that time, I thought I would post a few highlights from our amazing trip! Our travels began in Madrid...

followed by a magical time in Barcelona (a hands-down favorite). Here is a shot from Park Guell, Gaudi's famous and spectacular creation, and one from the Miro museum...Then we headed south to Costa del Sol where we stayed at a beautiful timeshare (thanks Grandpa Meaders and dad for facilitating that!), and soaked up the sun on the southern coast.

We took a day trip to Tangiers, Morocco and embraced the sights, sounds, smells, and scenery of North Africa (check out mtw rockin' the kasbah wall).

It was so great to be exposed to so many people, ideas, and experiences that differ from our day-to-day routines. Some were liberating (late meals and siesta); some inspiring (Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia); some reassuring (Madrid's seamless metro system); some over-stimulating (Barcelona's Rumbla); some delicious (el Buey - an off the beaten path restaurant in Madrid that any visitor MUST visit); some challenging (the bullfight in Madrid and the ferry ride back from Tangiers), but all were well worth it! I am grateful for that time together with mtw and look forward to the many travels we will take in the future (especially those in the near future)! Hasta luego!

Back to School

So, I have a new alma mater to add to my growing list. I just finished a seven week intensive Spanish 102 course at the Community College of Philadelphia with flying colors. In fact, my "outstanding record" from both 101 (which I took at CCP in the summer of 2004) and 102 warranted me a letter from the Dean of Students, inviting me to enter their honors program. I'm thinking about it...

It was a great class, taught by a fantastic teacher - mi profesor Marco! The other students resented me a little because I really wanted to be there (as opposed to needing the credit). Now I will just have to figure out how to keep up my language skills and maintain my learning trajectory while teaching full time, choreographing three new works, caring for the pups, and having a long distance marriage. No sweat:)

El Mercado

We've had a busy and wonderfully intense couple of weeks. Our time in Central America was completely magical - we'll share more details in the future. I had a chance to practice my Spanish, and I got myself into trouble a few times because of overconfidence and faking a pretty good accent. All in all, I was proud of my language skills. The puppies were happy to see us upon our return, and we were truly happy to see them! mtw is making plans for the move to Ohio - looking for a place to rent, and figuring out how we will successfully manage two households. We have adopted the Durham family motto - "if there's a harder way to do it, we'll find it!" Preliminary preparations begin this week for Princeton (ah - the calm before the storm)! I love academia, but the pace of Fall semester is always a little daunting.

Back in Philly, we joined our neighbors, Rio and Toby, for a lovely brunch at Cafe Libro (a delicious Cuban restaurant near Old City). They actually took us out to thank us for feeding their fish while they were in China for five weeks - they had some great stories to share. Their trip actually overlapped with mdw's mom's visit to Beijing. After eating, we visited the Reading Terminal Market and enjoyed shopping for fresh vegetables amidst the crowds. I recommend a visit to the market next time you're in town.

Some are Gold

Make new friends, but keep the old...We had the pleasure of reunions with friends this weekend. On Friday, we drove down to Baltimore to spend the day with Diane, Bridg, the Scotts, and their collective brood of boys. It was so great to have a moment together. We went to the pool, missed a torrential downpour by seconds, enjoyed a pizza party, and basked in the comfort of good friends. Bridgett, Scott and Sammy are living in Romania, but will soon relocate to England. I'm hoping for a transatlantic reunion in the near future. Diane, Scott, Malcolm, and Phillip are living and thriving in DC. It was so good to be together. I only wish we had more time, but I'll take what I can get. Insert a picture of Malcolm below-he's two and wouldn't sit still for a face shot, but there are two action shots of him above.









Then, on Saturday, mtw had a mini-reunion with some old friends/band-mates as he played a jazz quartet gig at this gorgeous winery in Pennington, NJ. The surroundings were spectacular, the music festive, and the summer evening delightful.