The 10′ sunflowers outside our front fence had run their course — stooped over and drying out, their lives completed. They did WONDERFULLY and looked terrific, but it was time to cut them down and put up the next season of plants. Along with their removal, I pulled down the vines that had been very […]

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I mocked-up some actual photos of me at my current weight to see what I would look like, with significant (like, 100#) weight loss. Not what my head looks like on Jillian’s body, or someone with a different body shape, but ME, myself and I. THIS is far better motivation than an idealized been-in-shape-for-decades type, […]

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Well, we’ve survived a total of 3 years of official parenthood, as of today. Actually, it’s been way way more than survival, it’s been an overflowing blessing of love, joy, inspiration and beauty. Ivy Sommer Dutton came into the world at 9:44pm on July 23, 2008, and nothing has been the same since! Today we […]

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Holly: Awhile back, we wrote about our early experiences with Freecycling, a grassroots movement of people who are giving (and getting) stuff for free in their own towns. We gave away lots of kitchen items, baby clothes and toys, furniture, 27 inch TV, and on and on. We’ve received lots of things too such as […]

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A few days ago, one of the front-page leads at CNN caught my attention. It read: Plus-sized women: It’s our turn for fine fashion So, I clicked on through and read. It turned out to be a good article with some interesting points about how the fashion industry has been ignoring anyone above a size […]

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It’s hardly unexpected, but I seem to have found myself the past few days in The Doldrums, within my exercise and health routine. That exact word – doldrums – sprang to mind when I started thinking about an overall “blah” feeling I’ve had lately, which has affected my willingness and “gutting it out” to go […]

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As a kid, I don’t particularly remember having difficulty hearing or understanding people. I suppose when the bulk of your entertainment is LOUD and COLORFUL, subtlety is not a big requirement for effective communication. I vaguely recall Mom telling me a few times about pretty primitive hearing tests which were done as “standards” for infants […]

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Today is one of those days where even a pasty-white Euro-heritage redhead like me has a hard time staying indoors. Bright, a little breezy, and comfortably warm in the mid-70s, with just the right level of humidity. Trees rustle in the breeze, birds are chirping and it’s the weekend so the normal din of nearby […]

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When we bought the place, there was one tree in the whole property — a bald cypress, in the northeast corner of the front yard. In July, this tree wasn’t too bad — it provided shade, and made a nice rustly sound in the wind. Later on, though, we found out it sheds. A LOT. […]

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Last night, Mom and I went to see the Houston Symphony perform. It was a “salute to educators” show, and so there were students performing with the symphony itself. I was in orchestra in high school for 3 years, and early on into the performance, I found myself reminiscing more about my time up on […]

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