Making a House Our Home – Finally

So we bought our house in February 2008, and moved in in March 2008.  Since then, we haven’t had a thing – nothing – on the walls.  We painted several rooms but have hung nothing.  My friend Amy recently threatened an intervention if I didn’t rectify the situation post-haste.  Thanks to the Aaron Brothers buy one, get one for a penny sale in July and several trips to Houston Photo Imaging, we now have many things framed and hung in our house.  Funny, but it actually does make it feel more like home!

The office has our panoramic NYC, some of my favorite National Geographic maps framed and hung (although most are oddly sized so they don’t fit in standard frames – urgh!), as well as our diplomas – the most expensive pieces of paper we own have taken ten, five, and three years respectively to get framed!

Chris's side of the office - without the desk which needs to get carried upstairs

Eileen's side of the office

The TV room is DC central – with pictures of Georgetown/Key Bridge, the Lincoln (on its way compliments of Sarah), the Jefferson (in all four seasons), the Washington Monument, and the Capitol…they lady at the store said, “you’re not from these parts, are you?” when assisting with frames for these pictures and the diplomas!

Our bedroom has a fun mix of art collected from our travels…and the hallway has some of my favorite shots of people from the Sonrise School in Rwanda and random people in Cambodia and Vietnam.

Indian Spring

I know you are all familiar with the term Indian summer for that period in late October or early November back East when the temps rise and the sun comes out and everyone ditches their jeans for one last weekend of shorts. Well, we are currently experiencing the spring equivalent of that in Houston and it r-o-c-k-s!

A “cold front” came through on Monday which has dropped daytime temperatures to the low 80s (overnight it has been in the 60s), with low humidity, and bright sunny blue skies. This is truly cause for celebration. We actually turned our AC off and opened the windows.

In addition, I have had the opportunity to get lots of last-minute yard work, which should have been done 4-6 weeks ago around here, done. The grass is green, the flowers are blooming, and the birds — the cardinals, blue jays, and robins amongst others — are out in force.

I’m told that the humidity is due back by this afternoon but I almost don’t care.   Yeah, Indian spring!!!

p.s. In keeping with today’s theme of beautiful Houston weather, I started a post back on January 3, which I never put up, called “Yardwork in January.” It said, ”So one of the perks, I guess, of a 75 degree sunny day with a light breeze in January is that you can get work done in the yard.”

Please remind me of both of these sentiments in six weeks when I am kvetching about the disgustingness of Houston in July.  Sometimes, perspective is important!

It’s Snowing in Houston, Seriously

I was so excited this morning. It was legitimately cold enough, and a damp cold no less, to wear a wool sweater.  I did’t keep many in the move but I got to wear an old favorite today, my baby blue v-neck cardigan.  It isn’t supposed to get above 40 today, if  that.

And then, about 3pm, it started to SNOW!  Not like New York, or even DC snow, but flurry enough to be considered real, legitimate snow – in Houston, Texas.  And the flakes have been getting bigger throughout the afternoon (they were between a dime and a nickle by 6pm).

So of course, I called my Mom and my sister to tell them that the end of the world is coming faster than we think. And then I joined the masses on the freeway to get from point A to point B (I was out shopping when it happened) and prayed that people would keep hold of themselves long enough to drive with sanity (there was no issue on the roads, of course – these are afterall flurries we are experiencing).

After I managed to get home in one piece and in relatively short order, I discovered perceptible snow on the roof so I whipped out my camera to capture it for all eternity (get out your magnifying glass people, you are gonna need it).  If only I had managed to get the Christmas lights up last weekend like I should have, the pictures would be perfect, but you’ll have to settle for what you are getting.

Yes, those are snowflakes.

See the flakes up there (along with the hurricane debris awaiting removal).

So there it is.  Like I said, the snow has continued for several hours, although the ground is too warm for it to accumulate.  But the kids here are marveling no less.  I actually watched a kid hang out of a moving car trying to catch flakes on his tongue!  (such good parenting!)

Anyway, that’s all the news that is fit to print here from Houston today.  And while I am loving my tiny taste of winter to get me (finally) in the Christmas spirit, I am hoping that my fragile plants survive all this (after watering them every damn day all summer)!