Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah

Thanks for the birthday breakfast, Mom & Dad!  We had a wonderful weekend with the two of you and we appreciate your making the trip to MadTown on this holiday weekend.  The next time you're here we'll have to pick up where we left off and continue eating our way down Atwood Avenue.  There are more restaurants (and many more calories!) to encounter!  

Yo, we're back from Jersey. What's it to ya?

When other people go to Manhattan, they shop on 5th Ave. and go ice skating at Rockefeller Center.  When Kevin and I were in the City last weekend, we visited the hallowed ground of the Humanities & Social Sciences branch of the New York Public Library.  (You know, the picturesque building with the lion statues that flank the grand front entry.  The photo at the left was taken in the outdoor vestibule of the building right before the library opened.) The weather was glorious and we spent a lot of time in beautiful city parks.  (This park is pretty great, too.)  We had dinner, drinks and laughs with dear friends in Queens and we toasted and celebrated all of our futures. 

When we weren't walking around the city, pretending that we lived there, we spent our time with Kevin's family in New Jersey.  I met an aunt, two uncles and several cousins for the first time.  They're all fun people and I loved how everyone had a nickname like Butchie, Chum-Chum and Uncle Funny. I also loved how Uncle Sonny kept re-filling my glass with Pinot Grigio.

It's good to be home and our own little lions were very happy to see us when we walked through the door earlier this afternoon. Here's a video that captures the essence of the weekend - look out, though, my father-in-law sings a **very bawdy** song in the middle of the clip, which I know that some of my ribald friends will definitely enjoy.

 

Community gardens along the Eastside bike path, late summer

During the years when we were away from Madison I used to have vivid dreams about the community gardens that line the east side Capital City bike path.  These dreams about wistful hollyhocks and towering sunflowers were always accompanied by the faint scent of dill and sweet basil.  I've now been home for 7 years and this bike path is just a few blocks from our house.  Here are some photos of the bike path during my favorite time of the year, late summer.  This slideshow is for Amy, Asa, Gary, Kimi, Marjorie, Maureen, Caroline, Kersten and everyone else who has bicycled or strolled along this path.

She's back!

Kimi's back in town this weekend - look out, Dubuque, here we come!

Tonya and Dan - we promise that we'll be on our best behavior at your wedding. We're looking forward to seeing the LaCrosse gang and we can't wait to celebrate with you both on your very special day.

I do not want to snuggle

No, thank you. I do not want to snuggle.

Tell you what... how about I bite your ankles as you're getting into the shower instead?

Aren't you late for work? You'd better get going. I'll see you when you get home. Buh-bye, now. Oh - don't forget to bring home some of those amazing little toy mice. I need to tear something apart.

Let's snuggle!

Do not go to work today - stay home with me and rub my furry wittle tummy. Let's stay in bed all morning and pretend that we don't hear anyone when our names are called. We can watch cooking shows on channel 38 and then, after that scary UPS truck rumbles by, we can hide in the basement behind the water heater until Daddy comes home and serves us our delicious dinner.

You can feed me tasty treats all day long! Look at how adorable I am when I play with my puffy pink pom-pom ball! How can you resist? I'm cute! I'm Twyla! Mmmmeeeeeeeeeeeewwww!